Differentiated Learning

Differentiated Learning

Charles Govero Chipika, Menard Musendekwa, Philemon Mahanya
Copyright: © 2023 |Pages: 15
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-8737-2.ch014
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Abstract

Implementing differentiated learning is an inclusive education perspective which is about incessant, systemic, and continual transformation not only of educational design but also of practices, cultures, and values. It is imperative that educational policies support and make possible inclusive education practices at the school level where modern-day classroom populations are characterized by human diversity that requires inclusive practices such as individualization and differentiation. To ensure successful implementation of differentiated learning, the first port of call is for national policy to unmistakably state that inclusive education is a right for all learners irrespective of their different backgrounds.
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Foreword

This chapter aims to make available insights into the knowledge and responsiveness of applying Differentiated Learning (DL) as an interventional apparatus for teaching diverse learners in mainstream classrooms, and in this manner encouraging inclusive teaching practices. It is critical to mention that DL requires proper planning, designing, preparation, and effort from both practitioners and all other relevant stakeholders. In his development of a zone of proximal development (ZPD), Vygotsky emphasized the inevitability of providing a well thought-out and supportive approach to learning (Kouzulin & Gindis, 2007). To this end, DL takes into thoughtfulness the non homogeneous developmental profiles of diverse learners while preparing and planning to teach a classroom activity. According to Davis (2009), DL is based on the principles that classroom practitioners should differentiate the main components of content, process, product and the learning environment according to learners’ interest, readiness and learning profile.

Research Methodology

Entrenched in a descriptive interpretivist presentation of the general idea of differentiated learning in education, this chapter utilized a qualitative methodology guided by the following sub-research questions:

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    How do teachers understand the concept of differentiated learning?

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    What is the rationale for differentiating learners in education?

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    What strategies do teachers use to implement differentiation in education?

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    What are the challenges encountered when implementing differentiated learning?

1.1 Definition of Terms

1.1.1 Differentiation

Differentiated learning or differentiated teaching or differentiated instruction are terms that can be used interchangeably in special and inclusive education discourses as the trio’s common denominator is the concept of differentiation. Differentiated learning is viewed as engaging learners in teaching through ‘different approaches to learning, by appealing to a range of interests, and by using varied rates of instruction along with varied degrees of complexity and differing support systems’ (Tomlinson, 2014:3). Eikeland and Ohna (2022) define differentiating learning as the adaptation of teaching to individuals in heterogeneous classes by offering diversity in terms of goals, content, tempo, progression, working methods, and teaching methodology. Differentiation as individualization is characterized by an emphasis on the uniqueness of each student’s learning process as essential for teaching (Dalland & Klette, 2014; Martin, 2013; Prain et al., 2013; Zuljan, 2016).

1.1.2 Inclusive Education

Inclusion in education or inclusive education is a practice where all learners feel accepted by their school communities through supported teaching and learning for them to equally participate for meaningful learning (Australian Department for Education and Child Development, 2018). Consistently, Florian (2011) refers to inclusion in education as a means of increasing the participation of diverse children including those with disabilities at the same time reducing their exclusion from the culture and curriculum of their school communities. While Farrell (2010) refers to inclusion in education as a process in which school communities with collaboration from local and government authorities eliminate barriers to interaction, participation and learning in schools, UNESCO (2009) refers to inclusion in education as a response to children’s diversity and their unique needs and abilities through the promotion of individual participation and the elimination of all types of discrimination. In this chapter, inclusion in education or inclusive education is a process that promotes acceptance by teachers and the school system of children with diverse backgrounds through removal of barriers to their access, participation, acceptance and success in ordinary/mainstream/regular classrooms in their neighbourhood schools. against this background, the subsequent section presents the origins of the need for differentiated learning in education.

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