Program

Education K-12 M.A.

Number of Pages

93

Year Approved

2022

First Advisor

Silmser, Lisa

Second Reader

Nathan Elliott;

Abstract

A classroom comprises of students who are learning at grade level, below grade level and some who find grade-level curriculum not challenging enough. Teachers who are planning and executing lesson plans that view the classroom as one entity are leaving struggling learners confused and gifted learners under-challenged and maybe disengaged. It is obvious that the needs of students must be met in the classrooms to help student achievement and to ensure the academic success of all the children in the classroom. In essence, teachers are like doctors who can identify the problem and recommend the appropriate instructional method that can help the diverse set of students achieve success in their learning outcomes. In a differentiated classroom, some of the control is transferred to the student and the teacher uses the learners’ prior knowledge to design and plan lessons that resonate with the students’ readiness, interest, and learning style. Such a stimulating environment nurtures growth and empowerment while eliminating frustrations in struggling learners and boredom in high achievers. Educators have embraced differentiated instruction (DI) as an effective instructional strategy to help scaffold and remediate the issues faced by struggling readers. However, many educators are still not implementing DI in their classrooms on an ongoing basis. This could be because of the lack of confidence, support from management, or also due to lack of awareness around the methodology of DI. To sum it up, educators must engage in effective instructional strategies to teach the diverse student population so that their academic success is achieved. This research study examines the attitudes and perspectives of teachers towards differentiated instruction.

Degree Name

Education K-12 M.A.

Document Type

Masterʼs thesis

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