Differentiated Instruction: Professional Development Strategies

Introduction to Differentiated Instruction

Classrooms are diverse environments characterized by students from varying backgrounds and with varying needs and skill levels. It is from this diversity — and the recognition of how it contributes to the richness of a learning environment — that the concept of differentiated instruction arises. Through differentiated education, students representing that diversity have the opportunity to learn in environments that promote inclusion, unity, and understanding. An investigation into the effects of a differentiated instructional curriculum for a fifth-grade science class demonstrated that both teachers and students reported a significantly higher degree of satisfaction with the methods and materials used in differentiated instruction as opposed to typical instruction (McCrea et al., 2009). Similar results were found in a study that investigated the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in the realm of physical education curriculum (Kriakides & Tsangaridou, 2008).

Developing and putting into practice differentiated instruction curricula involves shifts in planning, execution, and assessment that require flexibility and willingness to change among teachers and administrators. There are several issues regarding challenges involving professional development associated with the implementation of differentiated instruction. The following discussion addresses these various issues and offers suggestions that lend themselves to successful transitions to implementing differentiated instruction in classrooms.

Differentiated instruction can be conceptualized as an approach to learning and teaching that offers a variety of options for students regarding how they take in instructional information, as well as how they formulate and understand ideas (Hall et al., 2011). The basis of differentiated instruction theory is that approaches used for teaching should vary according to the individual and diverse needs of students in the classroom, and this necessitates the utmost creativity, ingenuity, and flexibility among teachers (Hall et al., 2011). This instructional theory implies that learning is best achieved in diverse classrooms by tailoring the curriculum and how it is presented to students according to their needs, rather than expecting students to adapt and conform to a single style of instruction (Hall et al., 2011). The ultimate aim of differentiated instruction is to effectively enable a process in which students of differing abilities and needs can successfully learn in the same classroom, enhancing maximum individual growth for each student by accommodating each student's educational needs (Hall et al., 2011).

Core Features and Implementation Guidelines

According to Hall et al. (2011), there are several features integral to the successful implementation of differentiated instruction. Regarding the process used for this approach, several suggestions are made, including flexibility with class grouping, effective classroom management, regular assessment of students' learning and growth, maintaining active student engagement, and adjusting expectations and requirements for students. In regards to classroom management, the authors suggest that teachers must practice instructional strategies for differentiated education that benefit both teachers and students so that no one's needs or well-being are compromised (Hall et al., 2011). An important part of the effectiveness of these instructional strategies is the availability of educational products that promote diverse learning needs. An integral part of a differentiated instructional environment is the ability for students to process information in ways most suitable to them as individuals, and furthermore to express what they have learned through various means that are diverse in levels of difficulty, forms of evaluation, and scoring practices (Hall et al., 2011).

Several guidelines are suggested by Hall et al. (2011) regarding how teachers can successfully implement differentiated instruction in the classroom. First, the authors stress the importance of clarifying generalizations and main concepts for students with differing learning needs. It is the responsibility of teachers to effectively impart strong learning foundations in students that foster understanding and promote continual learning in the future (Hall et al., 2011). Teachers must ensure that students of all levels and backgrounds have a core comprehension of the key concepts being addressed in the classroom.

Second, it is suggested that effective differentiated instruction is promoted by using assessment to further extend instruction and learning, rather than merely to measure it (Hall et al., 2011). Assessments should occur regularly with all students, beginning before instruction even starts and continuing throughout the duration of the instructional period (Hall et al., 2011). These assessments should serve as a powerful tool for teachers, enabling them to recognize the most effective strategies for delivering instruction individualized to meet the diverse needs of students.

Third, critical thinking and creativity should be actively emphasized and promoted through the development of lesson plans (Hall et al., 2011). This requires a high level of innovation, understanding, and creativity on the part of the teacher in order to recognize how each student can most effectively be encouraged to learn concepts and to express that learning critically and creatively. One classroom may necessitate a variety of tasks, materials, supports, and equipment in order to tailor learning strategies to different students (Hall et al., 2011).

Fourth, Hall et al. (2011) emphasize the importance of ensuring engagement by all students regardless of what diverse learning needs they present. This again necessitates a high level of innovation and creativity among teachers in order to develop instructional strategies that motivate and engage classes of students with varying learning styles and requirements.

A final guideline suggested by Hall et al. (2011) for teachers implementing differentiated instruction is to maintain a balance in classroom tasks between those assigned by teachers and those selected by students. Teachers need to consistently assess this balance in the classroom and adjust instruction accordingly, with an understanding that the appropriate balance shifts according to the needs of different classes and the requirements of different lessons (Hall et al., 2011). The importance of student choice of tasks is also emphasized for its relation to instructional effectiveness (Hall et al., 2011).

Inclusive Classrooms and Multi-Level Planning

Inclusive classrooms necessitate instructional strategies that can effectively address diverse learning needs and abilities. Further suggestions and guidelines were offered by Lawrence-Brown (2004), who studied differentiated instruction in relation to strategies that could be used in the classroom to encourage inclusion and that prove beneficial to entire diverse classrooms. In particular, this author presents a manageable multi-level system of lesson planning as well as suggestions for effective instructional strategies, and specifically recognizes areas where teachers commonly struggle. It is often difficult for teachers to make effective decisions regarding multi-level instruction — that is, deciding which students learn at particular levels (Lawrence-Brown, 2004). Another area of common difficulty is the development of supplemental supports for struggling learners, particularly resources that do not require the constant presence of additional support staff in the classroom (Lawrence-Brown, 2004). Teachers may also encounter difficulty with providing appropriate, engaging instruction for gifted students, as well as devising instructional strategies most suitable for students with severe disabilities within a single inclusive classroom (Lawrence-Brown, 2004).

Inclusive classrooms in which students of varying learning needs and abilities receive their education side-by-side necessitate differentiated instruction. This type of instruction allows students to access a common curriculum through various means of delivery and assessment, and allows students to benefit from the existence of high expectations (Lawrence-Brown, 2004). The planning process involved in implementing differentiated instruction presents one of the most important challenges for teachers in the realm of professional development.

Lawrence-Brown (2004) describes how developing differentiated instructional strategies addresses two goals. The first goal is to attain the highest general curriculum standards at the appropriate grade level; the second is the provision of appropriate, adapted curricula for students who may need it in order to achieve certain standards. These goals are achieved through the planning and development of instructional strategies that provide support for struggling students and engaging lesson delivery for all students (Lawrence-Brown, 2004). Certain professional development factors contribute to the ways in which differentiated instructional strategies can most effectively be planned and implemented in order to achieve these stated goals.

Planning for differentiated instruction involves the development of high-quality general lessons to be used in the classroom (Lawrence-Brown, 2004). Lawrence-Brown (2004) describes high-quality lessons as having several defining attributes: the promotion of active learning, various hands-on experiences, representations that draw on different sensory experiences, cooperative learning, and the development of skills and concepts applicable to real-life situations. These lessons also effectively connect the topics under study with the individual interests, experiences, and communities of the students (Lawrence-Brown, 2004). Furthermore, effective differentiated lessons must incorporate diverse styles of learning and multiple intelligences (Lawrence-Brown, 2004). These factors together form the foundation of effective differentiated instructional strategies.

References

Hall, T., Strangman, N., & Meyer, A. (2011). Differentiated instruction and implications for UDL implementation: effective classroom practices report. National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum.

Holloway, J. H. (2000). Preparing teachers for differentiated instruction. Educational Leadership, September, 82–83.

Kyriakides, L., & Tsangaridou, N. (2008). Towards the development of generic and differentiated models of educational effectiveness: a study on school and teacher effectiveness in physical education. British Educational Research Journal, 34(6), 807–838.

Lawrence-Brown, D. (2004). Differentiated instruction: inclusive strategies for standards-based learning that benefit the whole class. American Secondary Education, 32(3), 34–64.

McCrea Simpkins, P., Mastropieri, M. A., & Scruggs, T. E. (2009). Differentiated curriculum enhancements in inclusive fifth-grade science classes. Journal of Special Education, 30(5), 300–308.

Santamaria, L., & Thousand, J. (2004). Collaboration, co-teaching, and differentiated instruction: a process-oriented approach to whole schooling. International Journal of Whole Schooling, 1(1), 13–27.