Education Commons^™

Differentiated Instruction: A Qualitative Study Focusing On The Voices Of Elementary Teachers And Their Needs, Suzanne S. Fanelle

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This qualitative study examined teachers’ perspectives about their implementation of differentiated instruction in an effort to support district-led professional development programming. Differentiated instruction is based on well-considered goals and thorough analysis of students’ achievement, progress, and instructional needs, combined with formative assessments and progress monitoring (Van Geel et al., 2019). An initial questionnaire was administered to all K-5 teachers in a suburban school district, followed by individual interviews with three teachers who expressed that they often use differentiation in the classroom. Each of the three teachers participated in two interviews lasting 45-60 minutes each over the course of several weeks. …

Mathematics Teachers’ Use Of Assessment And Instructional Strategies, Bianca Croutch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. middle school teachers have struggled to meet the instructional needs of students in the area of mathematics. Teachers’ approaches to assessment and instructional strategies remain understudied; such knowledge could help educational leaders to devise strategies to boost student achievement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of assessment data usage and instructional strategies used in middle school mathematics. The conceptual framework was based on Fullan et al.’s three Ps (precision, personalization, and professional learning) framework. The guiding research questions for this study concerned teachers’ perceptions of assessment usage and instructional strategies and their considerations prior …

Mathematics Teachers’ Use Of Assessment And Instructional Strategies, Bianca Croutch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. middle school teachers have struggled to meet the instructional needs of students in the area of mathematics. Teachers’ approaches to assessment and instructional strategies remain understudied; such knowledge could help educational leaders to devise strategies to boost student achievement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of assessment data usage and instructional strategies used in middle school mathematics. The conceptual framework was based on Fullan et al.’s three Ps (precision, personalization, and professional learning) framework. The guiding research questions for this study concerned teachers’ perceptions of assessment usage and instructional strategies and their considerations prior …

Identifying Instructional Design Strategies In Differentiated Instruction In China: A Systematic Review, Haizhi Fu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Differentiated instruction (DI) is defined as an approach that allows teachers to strategically and proactively plan and vary curriculum design and delivery to address students’ individual needs and to create meaningful student experiences. Since China’s New Curriculum Reform in 2001, DI has been extensively employed to motivate teachers to be curriculum developers and researcher practitioners. Teachers were encouraged to develop a diverse curriculum by connecting students’ and teachers’ life experiences and prior knowledge to the course content. Despite this popularity, the DI practice has been met with great difficulties and challenges in China, and few studies have identified instructional design …

Effective Reading Practices For Inclusive Classrooms, Andrew Block

Graduate Teacher Education

This paper examined research on what are best practices for teaching reading comprehension to students in an inclusive classroom. This topic is explored through research findings from multiple quantitative and qualitative studies which examined the effectiveness of structured reading instruction, explicitly taught reading strategies, student autonomy, and discussion and collaboration as best practices for improving reading comprehension skills. While research showed a variety of effective practices and strategies to increase reading comprehension among all students, the research also suggested the need for content area teachers to receive on-going professional development to consistently implement evidence-based practices throughout the course of the …

Developing A Curriculum Model For Differentiating Instruction For All Learners, Emma Riemenschneider

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine what types of teaching strategies most engage gifted and talented (GT) students. This study poses the question, "How can classroom teachers engage gifted and talented students while not advancing past the abilities of non-gifted and talented students?" Two surveys were developed and administered to public school teachers and students. The teacher participants of this study were nine classroom teachers at a junior high school in the northwestern part of the state. The student participants of this study were 99 seventh and eighth graders at a junior high school in the northwest part …

Leveraging The Dynamics Of The Mixed Level Classroom: A Materials Collection, Emily Hampston

MA TESOL Collection

A number of studies have noted the rise in student demographic diversity and the heightened significance of the mixed-level classroom; however, a consensus on the appropriate methods and materials to address these developments remains to be reached. Educators are anticipated to address the needs of students with a variety of abilities, backgrounds, and interests in a singular class. Less proficient students face overstimulation whilst more proficient students face understimulation. How can the challenges of the mixed-level classroom be recast into strengths? The mixed-level classroom environment calls for student investment, real language, and familiar processes. Methods such as peer tutoring, cooperative …

Investigating The Attitudes, Beliefs And Practices Of High School Chemistry Teachers Regarding The Differentiation Of Instruction, Anna Tyrina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Differentiation of instruction (DI) is a broad term used for a group of pedagogical tools that teachers use to individualize instruction for students of different abilities and needs. Differentiation of instruction is a practice that has been researched and characterized to have a variety of instructional benefits, some of which include increased student motivation and engagement (Tomlinson, 2001). This study sought to characterize the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of ten high school chemistry teachers in Maine regarding the differentiation of instruction. Through a phenomenological approach, interviews with these teachers were analyzed to understand how high school chemistry teachers define differentiated …

The Impact Of A Four-Station Blended Learning Model Of Differentiating Instruction On Student Engagement In A Middle School Chinese I Class In A Southeastern State, Junlan Li

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to examine the impact of the proposed Four-Station Blended Learning Model (FSBLM) on the engagement level of four middle school students in a Chinese as a foreign language class. For the purposes of the study, student engagement is defined by three aspects: (1) participation in class activities, (2) classwork completion, and (3) student perceptions of Chinese class. Incorporating an action research design, data was collected through utilizing Likert-scale pre- and post-surveys, pre- and post-interviews, observations and the taking of field notes, students’ work samples, and classwork grades. Both qualitative and quantitative data were …

Elementary Reading Teachers’ Perspectives On Differentiating Reading Instruction For Low-Socioeconomic Students, Edwina Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differentiated instruction (DI) is recognized as a factor that could improve the reading disparity among students despite diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Few studies have been conducted that document elementary public school reading teachers’ perspectives on differentiating reading instruction and selecting DI strategies for low-performing, low-socioeconomic (LP-LSES) students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand third- through fifth-grade reading teachers’ perspectives on their abilities to differentiate reading instruction and select DI strategies effectively. The conceptual framework that guided this study was Tomlinson’s DI model and Vygotsky’s social constructivism theory. The research questions focused on the perspectives of third- through …

Competitive Edge Teaching: A Comparison Of Differentiated Reading Instruction In The K-3 Elementary Classroom To The Sports Psychology Behind High School Athletic Coaching Methods, Lindsay W. Lee

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study explored the similarities between the philosophies and techniques used by select high school athletic coaches and select elementary reading teachers. The study shows parallels between the psychology behind coaching methodology within high school athletics and differentiated instruction within the elementary reading classroom. The purpose of this research was to develop a pathway to influence the increased implementation of differentiated instruction in elementary schools by determining and highlighting these parallels. The design of the study is a triangular analysis of interview questions conducted in a face-to-face interview format, document analysis, and surveys to show the parallels between the planning …

Teacher Perceptions Of Blended Learning To Support 21st Century Learners, Nikki Hensley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand teacher perceptions of blended learning as an instructional methodology for addressing the needs of diverse learners. The researcher explored the perceptions of teachers who were participating in an ongoing professional development program within their school district. This program focused on improving teaching and learning through the implementation of a blended learning approach. The researcher examined the experiences of teachers as they learned to adapt pedagogical practices to address the learning needs of 21st century students through blended learning. The researcher sought to gain a better understanding of how teachers perceived that …

Teacher Perception: Secondary Level Skill Development Support For Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Philip L. Specht

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Defining the special education framework and teacher roles continue to be a challenge as schools face the differentiated needs of 21st-century learners. Delineating the functions and duties of special education teachers (SETs) at the secondary level provides a unique challenge, which is addressed by a midsized suburban high school developing the Inclusive Consultation Model (ICM). This innovative instructional model is school-wide and multi-disciplinary, impacting both special education and academic teachers. Through weekly consultation, the SET supports the content teacher in contributing instructional methods to meet the varied student needs in class. Outside of class, SETs justify the value of their …

The Effect Of Differentiated Instruction Training On The Instructional Strategies Of Education Trainees At Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Erin C. Brown

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This research examined the effects of differentiated instruction and self-reflection training within a post graduate education trainee program. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of the inclusion of multiple teaching and learning strategies and reflective practice instruction on how education trainees chose, adjusted, and assessed instructional methods in their programs. Differentiated instruction theory, learning style theory, and reflective theory constituted the framework for this study.

The method of analysis was a case study of individual education trainees utilizing multiple data collection methods. Qualitative data was gathered through structured interviews, dialogic seminars, and reflective journals. Constant comparative …

An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Teachers' Perspectives Of Differentiated Instruction In K-3 Inclusion Classrooms, Julie Franklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have addressed teachers' perspectives of differentiated instruction or teachers' perspectives on inclusion classrooms, but there was limited research on the combined topics of teachers' perspectives of differentiated instruction in inclusion classrooms. This interpretative phenomenological analysis used one to one interviews and reflective journals to explore nine teachers' perspectives of differentiated instruction in K-3 inclusion classrooms. The study's conceptual framework was comprised of Vygotsky's social constructivist theory and Piaget's theory of cognitive development. The research question and sub-questions asked about the challenges and successes teachers encountered in planning and implementing differentiated instruction in K-3 inclusion classrooms, and what teachers believed …

Elementary Reading Teachers' Perceptions About Differentiated Instruction, Cathy Marie Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The local school district mandated the implementation of differentiated instructional (DI) strategies to strengthen students’ reading skills and curtail literacy deficits. The problem addressed by this study was that elementary reading teachers experienced difficulty implementing DI in their mixed-ability classrooms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the local elementary reading teachers’ perceptions about using DI in the classroom and to explore what teachers believed was needed to improve the effectiveness of their practice. Tomlinson’s DI model and Vygotsky’s theory of constructivism formed the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research questions focused on reading teachers’ perceptions about …

Differentiated Reading Instruction In The Early Childhood Classroom: Practical Strategies Empowering Student Success, Lynn Scott Giles

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore 12 specific differentiated instructional strategies and their implementation by early childhood teachers who instruct kindergarten to third grade regarding content, process, and product components in the reading curriculum. This study was guided by three research questions: Question 1: Which specific strategies of differentiated instruction are being implemented in reading regarding content in curriculum instruction? Question 2: Which specific strategies of differentiated instruction are being implemented in reading regarding process in curriculum instruction? Question 3: Which specific strategies of differentiated instruction are being implemented in reading regarding product in curriculum instruction. Results …

Investigating The Use And Effectiveness Of The Istation Advanced Reading Program With Fourth-Grade At-Risk Struggling Readers, Andres Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of computer-based-instruction (CBI) and multimedia when used as an intervention with upper elementary students experiencing reading difficulties on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Reading Assessments. The researcher employed a quantitative, causal-comparative research design for this study. A Texas supplemental reading program, the Istation Advanced Reading Program, was used as a Response to Intervention (RTI) for those at-risk students of failing their Reading STAAR Test in the fourth grade and to sustain an effective reading program district-wide.

Archived data was collected from three South Texas Title I …

Male Educators Implementing Instructional Practices That Academically Engage Students, Kenneth B. Beneby

Theses and Dissertations

Male Educators Implementing Instructional Practices That Academically Engage Students. Kenneth Bernard Beneby, 2019. Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: teacher, African American male teachers, academic engagement, secondary teaching profession, pedagogies, African American male students

This phenomenological research explored how a selected group of African American male educators understood their own experiences while implementing strategies to academically engage African American male students. The research explored the public secondary education experiences of African American male educators to better understand their occupational understandings; how having more African American educators were helpful in …

The Effects Of Technology Use In A Third Grade Inclusion Classroom, Jamie C. Ott

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this single-subject, ABAB research design study was to examine if the integration of Google Classroom and digital texts on Chromebooks promotes student academic performance, specifically their reading level, and active engagement in an inclusive setting. This research was designed to identify the effects that introducing digital texts and comprehension response items in Google Classroom has on students' comprehension and engagement. This study was conducted in an inner-city public k-8 grade school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The scores gathered from students' TDA responses and engagement were converted into percentages and put into tables. The data from these two variables …

Teacher Perception Of Inclusion: A Daunting Task Or Welcome Challenge, Anna Kirsten Gryskiewicz

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Approximately one-third of school-age children have been identified as students with learning disabilities. As a result, teachers are confronted with the challenge of providing quality instruction to students with diverse learning needs. Challenges and benefits abound in the inclusive classroom. Therefore, the study, considered quantitative, non-experimental, and survey research in nature, explored variables that influence teacher perception and participant-perceived satisfaction of inclusion. The cross-national study consisted of 112 participants hailing from public and private schools in Africa, Europe, and the United States. Differentiated instruction, social skills development, pre-service preparedness, and classroom culture represented the most statistically significant correlates in predicting …

Where Do We Go From Here? Culturally Responsive Teaching And Literacy Among African American Males, Denise Evelyn Cyrus

Education Dissertations and Projects

Literacy skills impact academic achievement for school-aged children and almost every facet of modern day life thereafter. Low literacy achievement affects college acceptance, college completion, employment, housing, and socioeconomic status to name a few (Ford & Moore, 2013). Regrettably, the literacy skills gap between Black and White students in America has remained virtually the same for the past 20 years. Factors such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, and teacher quality contribute to the sustainability of literacy gaps. Scholars such as Ladson-Billings (1995a), Gay (2010), and Hammond (2015) endorse the use of culturally responsive pedagogy as an approach to reduce achievement …

Third-Grade Reading Teachers' Views On Achieve3000 For The Florida Standards Assessment Test, Ennis L. Brinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educators are challenged with meeting the academic needs of students, particularly in the subject area of reading. School districts purchase tools such as Achieve3000 to help students improve their proficiency in reading; however, implementation of such interventions has not been explored from the educators' perspective. This study explored 3rd grade reading teachers' views on Achieve3000 as a tool for improving reading proficiency and preparedness for the Florida State Standards English Language Arts assessment. The conceptual framework included the theory of social validity and current research as it related to differentiated instruction. This study utilized a basic qualitative approach to answer …

Technology With Differentiated Instruction For Advanced Middle School Students' Reading Achievement, Clarissa Haymon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educators offer rich learning experiences to all students, including advanced learners. A school district experienced a decrease in improvement percentiles on annual state reading achievement tests for advanced middle school students between 2012 and 2015. Guided by the theory of differentiated instruction, this quantitative study evaluated the effectiveness of Achieve 3000, a technology-enhanced program for differentiating reading instruction in a middle school that has a large percentage of advanced learners. The program was fully implemented for advanced 6th through 8th grade students beginning in the 2017-18 school year. Using a causal-comparative design, the archived reading scores of 120 advanced 6th …

The Impact Of Differentiated Instruction On Student Accomplishment Through Mathematics Stations, Dawn M. Lawson

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this action research study is to determine how differentiated mathematics stations effect student learning. The research question that guided this study is as follows: How does the implementation of differentiated instruction using math stations impact individual student learning progression on the Student Learning Objective (SLO) posttest, unit pretests and posttests, and end of the year state assessment?

The research question is answered through an action research study where students completed mathematics stations designed to meet the individual needs of each student. Research theorists, instructional strategies, and policies effecting education support the focus of this study on differentiated …

Ability Grouping And Student Achievement In Four Rural Elementary Schools In The Southern United States, Rhonda Denise Kelley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School personnel are concerned that reading gaps of grade 3 and grade 4 students have persisted in 4 rural elementary schools in the southern United States despite the use of ability grouping to improve student reading proficiency scores. Between the 2014-2016 school years, less than 50% of students in grades 3 and grade 4 scored at the proficient level in reading at the 4 target rural schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the teachers' and administrators' perceptions regarding the influence of grouping on the reading performance of students in grades 3 and 4. Using Vygotsky's …

Second Grade Teachers' Perspectives On Differentiated Instruction, Alyssa Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite various instructional efforts, the second grade students in a mid-sized Southwestern school district failed to progress in reading. Although differentiated instruction has been shown to improve literacy skills for young readers, many teachers at the study site did not differentiate instruction for all students. Grounded in theories of social constructivism and differentiated instruction, the purpose of this study was to investigate second grade teachers' perspectives about using differentiated literacy instruction and the effect of their teaching experience and participation in professional development on those perspectives. Data for this nonexperimental, causal-comparative study were collected from 93 second grade teachers via …

Planning For Differentiated Instruction: Comparing Instructional Leadership Practices As Perceived By Administrators And Teachers In Middle School, Mark L. Lang

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Scholars have purported that teachers infrequently implement differentiated instruction due to self-imposed obstacles or misconceived notions that promote barriers. This study was designed to generate an awareness of the differences between school administrators’ and teachers’ perceptions of instructional leadership practices towards implementation of differentiated instruction. From the existing research, six functions of instructional leadership and 27 practices were identified as being effective in supporting the implementation of differentiated instruction. These functions of instructional leadership along with related practices served as the basis for a two-part, six subset, and 27 item researcher-designed survey. Data were collected from 34 middle school administrators …

Differentiated Instruction For 1st Grade Advanced Learners In Mathematics, Patricia Cawley

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Differentiated instruction is student-aware teaching, in which the students not only develop content mastery, but also take ownership of their learning. This study examined the results differentiated instruction in mathematics had on advanced learners perceived competence, persistence, and intrinsic motivation. Differentiation was implemented in a classroom through various activities that challenged student thinking. Students enrolled in a first grade class in an all girl school setting served as study participants. Data were collected on a total of 21 students in the class, but analysis focused on a subgroup. Results indicated that the participants’ interest and engagement in math varied student …

Effects Of Instructional Pedagogy On Eighth-Grade Reading Students, Barbara Ward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Education is the foundation for the future, and a successful education begins with strong literacy skills. The 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that only 36% of eighth-grade students in the United States were classified as reading on a proficient level, and 22% of eighth-grade students were unable to read and comprehend text at the basic level. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental, post hoc analysis was to determine whether a difference existed in the change in test scores of the reading portion of the Criterion Referenced Competency Test from the 2011-2012 academic year to the 2012-2013 academic year …