First, a In order to gain more insight into how these instruments aim to measure adapting instruction, we manually coded each item according to the content that it suggests should be adapted. For Step 3, applying elicitation methods, observations of lessons by expert teachers were used, followed by semistructured interviews with these teachers (stimulated recall), and combined with information from a joint expert meeting with them. In order to answer these questions, a cognitive task analysis (CTA) was performed. In order to obtain a clear picture of the concepts researchers focus on when measuring differentiation, we first studied the scales and factors (either predetermined subscales or factors based on factor analysis) as presented in the different studies. In these objectives, the interrelatedness of all phases and skills became apparent. Register to receive personalised research and resources by email, An International Journal of Research, Policy and Practice, Capturing the complexity of differentiated instruction, Department of Teacher Development, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands, School of Health Professions Education, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands, The wheel of competency assessment: Presenting quality criteria for competency assessment programs, The promise of differentiated instruction for enhancing the mathematical understandings of college students, Cognitive task analysis for expert-based instruction in healthcare, Measuring teachers’ perceptions about differentiated instruction: The DI-Quest instrument and model, Determining validity in qualitative inquiry, Teacher perceived difficulty in implementing differentiated instructional strategies in primary school, A rationale for differentiating instruction in the regular classroom, Student perceptions of the classroom environment: Actionable feedback to guide core instruction, Ability grouping and differentiated instruction in an era of data-driven decision making, Teachers’ instructional adaptations: A research synthesis, Readiness-based differentiation in primary school mathematics: Expert recommendations and teacher self-assessment, REACH: A framework for differentiating classroom instruction, Teaching to address diverse learning needs: Development and validation of a Differentiated Instruction Scale, Using focus groups in medical education research: AMEE Guide No. However, the teacher also uses the acquired insights about students’ prior knowledge (e.g., during the introduction of the lesson) and the information (s)he continuously acquires by monitoring student progress (e.g., by asking questions and observing student behavior) in order to specifically match instruction with students’ estimated levels of achievement, prior knowledge, and/or level of understanding. Knowledge about the subject (mathematics, in our study) was regarded as important during all phases of differentiation: for setting proper goals, for connecting to students’ prior knowledge, and for identifying students’ zones of proximal development (ZPD) and adjusting instruction to fit this ZPD. Grades. In Table 1, an overview of these categories and some examples from different instruments are presented. After this, parts of the texts from the transcribed interviews were linked to constituent skills within that stage. For example, the constituent skill “determine student needs” is closely related to “identify instructional needs”, and “monitor and diagnose student progress” is related to “monitor progress and achievement”. ABSTRACT Providing differentiated instruction (DI) is considered an important but complex teaching skill which many teachers have not mastered and feel unprepared for. 3099067 with learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms including: co-teaching, differentiated instruction, and peer-mediated instruction and interventions. Systematic approaches and (especially implicit) strategies that teachers apply when they differentiate were gathered by means of an activity in which teachers used post-its to first describe and later sequence their actions during a lesson. The expert group consisted of experts on the pedagogy of mathematics (educational consultants and researchers), professionals who provide training courses in differentiated instruction (teacher trainers and educational consultants), experts who study differentiation (researchers), and those who evaluate differentiation (school inspectors). The second goal of the expert meeting was to identify teachers’ activities and decision-making processes during a differentiated mathematics lesson. On the one hand, this is about knowing their levels of achievement: the level at which they are and the problems they encounter when learning math. 0000046953 00000 n With this set of instruments, the various constituent skills of differentiation may be assessed in different ways, and when a teacher appears to master a specific skill at a specific complexity level, this aspect might not need to be assessed again. 0000003856 00000 n The first goal of this meeting was to make an inventory of differentiation complexity factors. Within each of these stages, several constituent differentiation skills can be distinguished, as depicted in Figure 1. From the performance objectives, it is clear that there is not one “successful strategy” that can be applied to differentiate properly. A paradigm that is gaining ground in many educational circles is differentiated instruction. 0000001461 00000 n R. B urcu K aniskan is a PhD student in the Educational Psychology Department, Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut; e-mail: [email protected]. The transcribed conversations with subject-matter experts were read and coded by the three researchers. However, the question remains as to whether the use of these instruments really provides insight into the nature of differentiation. Differentiated Instruction in the Content Areas: Strategies for Reading, Thinking, and Writing to Learn. Table 1. Criteria for inclusion were that they were teaching in Grades 1 to 6 in regular primary schools (precluding Montessori, Jenaplan, and Dalton schools) in which regular mathematics textbooks were used. Step 5, finally, did not play a role yet. Horizontally adjacent constituent skills have a temporal relationship, implying that they can be performed subsequently, simultaneously, or in a random order. differentiated instruction have an impact on student achievement?” and “Are there components of differentiated instruction that have a greater impact on student achievement than others?” The study followed a mixed method design and consisted of two parts. Differentiating by Giving Choices The best way to differentiate instruction is to give students a choice in how they show their learning. Furthermore, the essential knowledge and the factors influencing the complexity of differentiation were identified. Next, the researchers discussed their findings with each other to reach a consensus about the skill hierarchy and the required teacher knowledge. From the preliminary data exploration of the classroom observations and the interviews, it became clear that differentiation during the lesson cannot be isolated from the phases of lesson preparation and evaluation. We know that the assessment of professional competencies is very complex as a competency comprises the complex integration of knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Baartman, Bastiaens, Kirschner, & Van der Vleuten, 2006). Characteristics of expert teachers at the time of the classroom observation. In the following step, this information was used to specify the descriptions of the constituent skills within the skill hierarchy. This group of subject-matter experts included three school inspectors, four educational consultants, one teacher trainer, and two researchers. Differentiated instruction is a pedagogical-didactical approach that provides teachers with a starting point for meeting students' diverse learning needs. 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