Differentiated Instruction in the English Subject. A qualitative study of teachers’ approaches to differentiated instruction and the factors that affect their ability to differentiate

Abstract

In this thesis I have investigated the following research question: How and to what extent do a selection of English teachers differentiate their instruction according to their students’ needs, and which factors affect their ability to do so? This study investigates how a sample of English teachers differentiate instruction through content, product, process, and affect/environment according to the students’ readiness, interests and learning profile. Further, the study explores the different factors that affect the teachers’ ability to differentiate instruction. To answer my research question, I have collected data using a qualitative approach where I conducted interviews with three English teachers. The data were analysed according to Tomlinson’s (2017) framework for differentiated instruction, which illustrates differentiated instruction as differentiation of content, process, product, and affect/environment according to the students’ readiness, interests, and learning profile. My findings indicate that the participants differentiate to some extent, mostly through content and process. Moreover, the findings show that all participants emphasise the importance of differentiating instruction according to the students’ needs. Apparently, the factors that affect the participants’ ability to differentiate instruction are aspects of their own working conditions, competence concerning how to differentiate instruction, the students’ knowledge gap, and limited resources.