What is Differentiated Instruction, and Why is Differentiation Important?
As usual, the history teacher stands before his students to deliver the lesson after spending time planning to use images and charts as educational tools to help convey the information contained in the prescribed text to all thirty of his students. He has also spent time preparing to assess these students at the end of the lesson through a series of essay questions. By the end of the lesson, however, he finds that the achievement of the educational goals for the session is poor and unsatisfactory. What is the reason?
The diversity of students is a normal and evident feature in classrooms, and it is acknowledged by most teachers. Even children in their first year of school notice what is happening around them and can assess their educational and skill levels by comparing themselves with their peers in the classroom regarding cognitive and learning abilities. Despite teachers' awareness of this diversity, some fail to consider the actual needs of their students, which are based on this diversity, when planning and delivering lessons. They tend to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, where all students perform the same tasks. This approach often leads to disappointing results for many students, who find the work difficult and therefore boring, and for many teachers, who fail to reach every student. Thus, through research, many teachers have discovered that they can better meet the diverse needs of their students through differentiated instruction.
Differentiated instruction arose out of the need to maintain a balanced focus on students despite their differences and diversity in terms of life experience, culture, interests, readiness to learn, learning styles, learning pace, and independence in learning, as well as a range of other differences. Its goal is to accommodate the diverse educational needs and desires of all students, aiming to foster the growth of each student and help them make the necessary progress.
What is Differentiated Instruction?
Carol Ann Tomlinson, an expert in this teaching approach, defines differentiated instruction as the teacher's attention to students' varying readiness levels and interests by creating diverse learning pathways that offer deeper learning opportunities for all students, thereby breaking down boredom or anxiety barriers for students.
Examples of Differentiated Learning:
So, how does the teacher accommodate these diversities and plan and implement a lesson in differentiated instruction? The teacher can achieve this through (diversified content, varied teaching methods, varied assessment methods, and diversified learning environments). Returning to the history teacher mentioned in the introduction, he could implement differentiated instruction in his lesson by varying the following elements, as shown in the example below:
Content Variation:
Provide students with different books—based on their interests—that address the topic.
Allow each student to choose a historical figure to study for the term’s subject.
Teaching Method Variation:
Teach the same concepts or basic skills, but present them at different levels of simplicity and complexity according to the students' abilities.
Convert written materials into audio clips, making them accessible through auditory and visual learning methods.
Allow students to learn according to their preferred learning style, such as choosing between watching videos, reading books, or hearing a story.
Assessment Method Variation:
Allow students to choose how to present their work, such as through a video, presentation, essay, or poster.
Use different evaluation models based on the students' levels.
Give students the option to present their work in groups or individually.
Learning Environment Variation:
Allow students to choose between studying online or in person.
Provide standing desks and seating for students with different needs.
With all these variations, it is important to note that Carol Ann Tomlinson warns that differentiated instruction is not individualized teaching. Some days, students might have two or three choices, but no more than that.
Key Characteristics of Differentiated Instruction:
Carol Ann Tomlinson (2001) outlines the following characteristics of differentiated instruction:
Proactive: Teachers plan ahead to meet students' educational needs rather than modifying plans on the fly.
Qualitative: It focuses on the quality and type of task, not the quantity of tasks assigned to students.
Continuous Assessment: To design differentiated learning paths that meet diverse student needs, teachers must understand their students well through observation, discussion, and testing, designing and adjusting experiences accordingly, with progress measured after these experiences.
Different Forms of Content, Teaching Methods, and Learning Products: Differentiated instruction adjusts four key elements—content (what students learn), teaching methods (how students understand the information and ideas), and the educational product (how students demonstrate what they've learned).
Student-Centered: Tasks are based on students' prior knowledge and designed at the appropriate challenge level and pace for each student.
Varied Instruction: Teachers use a variety of flexible instructional strategies, including whole-class, group, and individual work.
Natural and Unforced: Teaching is an interaction and collaboration between students and the teacher.
Misconceptions About Differentiated Instruction:
While most teachers understand the nature of differentiated instruction, there are still some misunderstandings:
Some believe that differentiation is a set of teaching strategies. In reality, differentiation is a philosophy and a set of principles.
Some think that differentiated instruction is mandated by educational leaders for teachers to implement. In fact, differentiation stems from rethinking classroom activities, identifying outcomes, and making adjustments within the class itself.
Some believe that differentiated instruction is optional or an additional task. However, most experienced teachers focus on student differences and view it as a core task of teaching, proactively planning for these differences.
Some believe that differentiation only concerns instruction. However, while differentiation is an educational approach, it also focuses on the learning environment, curriculum quality, learning methods, and the extent to which students benefit.
In conclusion, differentiated instruction is a way of thinking about teaching and education. It guides instructional planning to respond to the diverse educational needs of students.
