DI (Differentiated Instruction) Does Matter! The Effects of DI on Secondary School Students’ Well-Being, Social Inclusion and Academic Self-Concept

Abstract

In consideration of the substantial increase in students’ learning demands, teachers are urged to address student heterogeneity in their daily teaching practice by means of differentiated instruction (DI). The practice of DI, as a vehicle to achieve inclusive education, not only aims to support all students’ academic learning but also foster their social and emotional development. However, current research in the field of DI has mostly been limited to an examination of its effects on students’ achievement outcomes. Consequently, the potential impact of DI on students’ socio-emotional outcomes has, till now, received very little attention. In order to address this gap in the research, the current researchers seek to investigate the effects of DI on school students’ well-being, social inclusion and academic self-concept. Survey participants in this study included 379 students from 23 inclusive and regular classes in secondary schools in Austria. Following multilevel analyses, the results have indicated that students’ rating of their teachers’ DI practice is positively associated with their school well-being, social inclusion and academic self-concept. However, a t-test for dependent samples demonstrated that students perceive their teachers’ DI practice to be infrequent. Implications of the results along with further lines of research are also presented in this paper.

Challenging but positive! – An exploration into teacher attitude profiles towards differentiated instruction (DI) in Germany

“…For instance, multiple studies have reported positive effects of teachers' use of DI on students' mathematics and reading achievement (Bal, 2016;Goddard et al, 2015;Reis et al, 2011). Furthermore, studies by Lindner et al (2021) and Pozas et al (2021) indicate that students' perceptions of their teachers' DI use strongly predicted students' well-being, social inclusion and academic self-concept. Likewise, DI has also been reported to foster learners' interest, motivation and self-confidence (Eysink et al, 2017;McQuarrie & McRae, 2010).…”

The Misconception in Differentiated Instruction Practices: A Literature Review

“…Despite the fact that teachers' use of DI may have an impact on students' socio-emotional development, teachers infrequently differentiate their instruction (Pozas et al, 2021). As a result of inconsistency, it is impossible to identify whether all groups of students, including low-achieving students, benefit from DI implementation (Pozas et al, 2021). Contradictive to the previous statement, the gap between low-and high-achieving pupils should narrow as a result of DI practise (Smale-Jacobse et al, 2019).…”

“…However, teachers find implementing differentiated instruction less possible due to the scarcity of materials and resources (Haelermans, 2022;Pozas et al, 2022). Despite the fact that teachers' use of DI may have an impact on students' socio-emotional development, teachers infrequently differentiate their instruction (Pozas et al, 2021). As a result of inconsistency, it is impossible to identify whether all groups of students, including low-achieving students, benefit from DI implementation (Pozas et al, 2021).…”

Mexican school students’ perceptions of inclusion: A brief report on students’ social inclusion, emotional well-being, and academic self-concept at school

“…Thus, more longitudinal research is needed in order to explore changes across school types, transitions, and inclusive education. Additionally, future work should consider that differences between private and public schools when it comes to inclusive education (Pozas et al, 2021). Thus, future investigations should aim to follow research designs and samples that explore nested structures.…”