Differentiated Instruction: The Effect on Learner’s Achievement in Kindergarten

Abstract

Identifying an effective instructional strategy to help diverse learners reach their full potentials is a goal for educators. Differentiated instruction has received much attention as a possible strategy. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the effect of incorporating differentiated instructional practices on students’ achievement in the kindergarten classes. In this action research, the researcher sought to answer the following research question: Does incorporating differentiated instructional practices leads to significant increase in students’ achievement in the kindergarten classes? Two kindergarten classes with 38 students and 2 teachers participated in the study; one was assigned to an experimental group who received differentiated instructional strategies for 3 weeks and the other one to the control group who received traditional teaching practices. Data was collected, analyzed and compared using SPSS and independent sample t-test. Results revealed that there was no significant difference in student achievement results between the differentiated and non-differentiated classrooms. Findings of this study highlight the necessity for further explorations on the effect of differentiated instructional practices on achievement results in the kindergarten classrooms.