Differentiated instruction: Is it in place?

Abstract

Implementing differentiated instruction is a national policy and to ensure that it is implemented in schools, external supervisors carryout supervision and evaluation of classroom instruction based on this approach. Differentiated instruction (DI) is recommended to close the academic gap among learners. This quantitative cross-sectional survey is designed to find out teacher understanding and implementation of differentiated instruction, with the aim of identifying the professional development needs of teachers in this area. The descriptive statistics and t.tests conducted showed that the teachers have a statistically significant level of understanding of all the DI components but implementation of all the components was not statistically significant. This study has shown that the training teachers receive in differentiated instruction have a positive impact on their understanding and implementation of this teaching pedagogy. To enhance differentiated instruction carried out in schools, teachers need to get the right professional development training. This study has shed light on areas for teachers’ development in understanding and implementation of differentiated instruction.