Results of a teacher professional development program on differentiated instruction.

1. Introducting differentiated
instruction in secondary
education
Results of a teacher professional development program
Wouter Smets
Katrien Struyven
EARLI SIG11 21/JUN/2016

2. Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Method
3. Results
achievable and realistic strategies
concerns and successes
4. Discussion

3. Introduction

4. Student
diversity:
‘a problem in
the classroom?’
introduction
References:
(Crul and Holdaway 2009)
(Meissner and Vertovec 2015)
(Geldof 2013, Geldof 2015)

5. Introduction
Trend towards inclusive education
learning disorders
special needs
roots in migration
theory practiceLarge gap
Basic teaching competences
(Vlaams ministerie van Onderwijs, 2007)

6. Introduction
Differentiated instruction (‘binnenklasdifferentiatie’) is an
approach to teaching that takes into account differences
between students in a proactive, positive and planned way
in order to gain the maximum learning effect for each
student.
(Coubergs, Struyven et al. 2015)

7. Adapted from: Oaksford & Jones, 2001

8. Research questions
1. Which choices did the participating teachers make when trying to
realize differentiated instruction?
Which strategies and teaching methods are regarded by the participating
teachers as (not) achievable or realistic on the short term.
2. Which concerns and successes did the participating teachers
encounter hen trying to realize differentiated instruction?

9. Method

10. Sample
• 24 Teachers
• 4 schools: 3 urban, 1 peri-urban
• Teaching teams:
school A: diverse
school B: French, all grades
school C: (1) French, 8th grade
(2) history, all grades
• School D: team dropped out

11. Intervention: A differentiated instruction Professional
development Program
3 training days
- 1: (flipped) theoretical frameworks
- 2: DI as part of a learning cycle
- 3: DI as a teaching technique
‘Implement achievable and realistic strategies’
Follow up: coaching 4 months

12. Data
Interviews and fieldwork
Multiple-case: analysis within- and cross-case
Thematic analysis

13. Results:
Achievable and
realistic strategies

14. Achievable and realistic
strategies
Teacher-controlled
Low student self-
regulation
Teaching strategies A B C1 C2 D
cooperative structures x
collaborative work x X x
contracting work x X X
extended instruction
individualised tasks
project work x
case studies x
problem based
learning

15. Upper left =
Achievable and
realistic for beginners
Lower right =
Longer term
professional
development

16. Teacher professional development
towards differentiated instruction
skills
development:
•differentiated teaching
techniques and class
management
teaching cycle
development:
• begin assessment and assessment
of differentiated instruction
mindset development
•differentiated instruction
as a philosophy
•theoretical frameworks on
differentiated instruction

17. The cycle of teaching: on the role of
assessment
pre-assessment
formative assessment
differentiated summative assessment
not realistic?
no need?
no priority?
Realistic and achievable strategies: pragmatic phased
approach

18. Results: concerns
& successes

19. Concerns & successes
Facilities
• Classroom
• ICT
• teaching tools
Teachers’ concern
not teachers’ absolute need

20. Concerns & successes
Urgency for innovation
More and longer experience with diversity
More urgency for innovation
More experience with student-centered learning techniques
More enthusiasm for introduction of
differentiated instruction

21. Concerns & successes
Support
• Standards
• Team
• Externals: handbook writers, pedagogical consultancy,…

22. Concerns & successes
Mindset
• Teacher
• Students
>> Growth mindset: (Dweck 2008, Dweck 2015)
>> Selfdetermination: (Deci, Vallerand et al. 1991)

23. Implications for
teacher education

24. Implications for teacher
education
Professional development towards differentiated instruction
• Lies in the hands of a variety of actors (teacher education, curriculum
developers, handbook writers, school management, teaching teams,…)
• Takes a lot of time to be integrated as a basic attitude
or competence
• Should not be postponed until ‘experienced’
• ‘Mindset’ may be crucial succesfactor

25. Discussion

26. Discussion
Differentiated instruction is both a basic teaching
skill and an expert-teacher skill.
Differentiated instruction requires appropriate
mindset combined with extensive range of teaching
techniques.
How to adapt teachers’ and students’ mindsets?

27. Thank you.
Contact
E: wouter.smets@kdg.be
T: @wouter_smets
RG: Wouter_Smets