Effectiveness of Differentiated Instruction in Teaching English for Grade Six Classes at Senator Maria Kalaw Katigbak Memorial School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum aims to help learners understand that the English language is involved in the dynamic social process which responds to and reflects changing social conditions. It is also inextricably involved with values, beliefs and ways of thinking about the person and the world people dwell. The curriculum aims that pupils are given an opportunity to build upon their prior knowledge while utilizing their own skills, interests, styles, and talents.

However, teachers find difficulties in teaching different kinds of pupils with different intellectual capacities, talents or skills, interests, and learning styles, especially in heterogeneous groupings of pupils. This situation calls for teachers to create lessons for all pupils based upon their readiness, interests, and background knowledge.

METHODS

Two groups were taught the same lessons for one week. The control group was taught using a single teaching with a similar activities approach while the experimental group was taught using DI with three sets of activities and three sets of evaluation and facilitation for the three groupings of pupils for the one-week duration. Both groups were given the diagnostic test to identify the classification of pupils whether they belong to the above average group, the average group, and below the average group. The achievement test was administered the following week using parallel teacher-made tests. The number of pupils was again identified to know whether there was a change in their classification. The results of the pretest and post-test were compared to determine whether using DI is effective or not.

RESULTS

The result showed that the posttest scores of the experimental groups taught with DI is remarkably better as compared to those which were taught the traditional approach. Looking at the standard deviation scores, it signifies that the variance of the experimental group was smaller than that of the control group which suggests that the pupils' intellectual ability was not scattered unlike in the pretest result.

DISCUSSIONS

DI should be used in teaching pupils in English especially in heterogeneous classes because it improved their classroom performance. Teachers should be given in-service training on DI for them to gain more knowledge and a clear understanding of the approach. Although tedious on the part of the teachers, they should be encouraged to prepare and use DI to motivate pupils to participate in class discussions.