Teaching Practices: A Qualitative Case Study on the Differentiated Instructional

Practices used in Teaching in a Virtual High School Classroom

Submitted by

Katherine Wenzlau

A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctorate of Education

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, Arizona

October 28, 2019





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 GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY

Teaching Practices: A Qualitative Case Study on the Differentiated Instructional

Practices used in Teaching in a Virtual High School Classroom

I verify that my dissertation represents original research, is not falsified or

plagiarized, and that I accurately reported, cited, and referenced all sources within this

manuscript in strict compliance with APA and Grand Canyon University (GCU)

guidelines. I also verify my dissertation complies with the approval(s) granted for this

research investigation by GCU Institutional Review Board (IRB).

 Abstract

It was not known what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how

they are used in the virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore what differentiated instructional

practices are used by teachers and how they are used in the virtual high school classroom

to address the learning needs of students in Arizona. The theoretical framework was based

on Tomlinson’s model of differentiation and Kolb’s Experiential learning theory. Fourteen

teacher participants were selected from among the teachers in a charter high school in

Arizona. Individual interviews, classroom teacher observations and lesson plans were used

in data collection. Two research questions were developed for this study. RQ1: What

differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in the virtual

classroom to address the learning needs of students? RQ2: How are differentiated

instructional practices used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom to address the

learning needs of students. Four emergent themes include: differentiating instruction in

virtual learning environments, differentiated instructional practices teachers use,

differentiated instruction- bridging the learning gap and assessing student needs for

differentiation. The results of the study provided insight for educators, administrators, and

teachers as to the variety of differentiated instructional practices used in the virtual

classroom and how they were used. Consistency in applying differentiation to instruction

varied.

Keywords: Differentiated instruction, experiential learning, virtual classroom,

online learning, assessments, content, process, product, learning environment, scaffolding

 vi

Dedication

This dissertation is dedicated to the mentors, coaches and sages who have

influenced my life. One such influencer was Mrs. Watts, a strong and gentle soul, who

guided, shaped and inspired me and left her handprint of grace on my life.
 vii

Acknowledgement

During my dissertation journey, there were many people without whose support

and encouragement the dissertation completion would have not been possible.

First and foremost, I would like to thank the Lord Almighty for bestowing His grace,

wisdom and peace each day. Without His presence and provision, I would certainly have

not been able to accomplish walking across the finish line to a completed doctoral

dissertation. I would also like thank my husband, John for his love and encouragement

during this journey.

I would like to especially thank my academic supporters, coaches, and mentors in

this process namely my dissertation committee: Dr. Esther Silvers, Dr. Kaye Hansen and

Dr. David Cook for leading and guiding me to academic excellence. A very special thank

you goes to Dr. Kaye Hansen, who served as my first Residency Chair and assisted me as

I began the doctoral journey, pointed me in the right direction, coached me along the

when struggles occurred and believed in me during the entire journey.

Last, I would like to thank the many supporters who guided and assisted me in

this endeavor. Dr. Jane Mohsin, Dr. Lindsay Perez, Dr. Patty Vogel who believed in me

and always saw the best in me. They are true servant leaders whose commitment to

excellence encouraged me in my professional and academic goals.

 viii

Table of Contents

List of Tables ................................................................................................................... xiv

List of Figures ....................................................................................................................xv

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study....................................................................................1

Introduction ....................................................................................................................1

Background of the Study ...............................................................................................3

Problem Statement .........................................................................................................5

Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................7

Research Questions ........................................................................................................8

Advancing Scientific Knowledge and Significance of the Study ................................10

Rationale for Methodology ..........................................................................................14

Nature of the Research Design for the Study...............................................................14

Definition of Terms......................................................................................................18

Assumptions, Limitations, Delimitations ....................................................................20

Assumptions........................................................................................................20

Limitations. .........................................................................................................20

Delimitations.......................................................................................................21

Summary and Organization of the Remainder of the Study ........................................21

Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................25

Introduction to the Chapter and Background to the Problem ......................................25

Identification of the Gap ..............................................................................................29

Theoretical Foundations and/or Conceptual Framework .............................................33

Content. ...............................................................................................................36

Process. ...............................................................................................................36
 ix

Product. ...............................................................................................................36

Learning environment. ........................................................................................36

Experiential learning theory................................................................................37

The differentiation model. ..................................................................................39

Review of the Literature ..............................................................................................44

Historical background .........................................................................................45

Virtual learning. ..................................................................................................55

Possible themes. ..................................................................................................58

Methodology. ......................................................................................................70

Instrumentation. ..................................................................................................73

Summary ......................................................................................................................75

Chapter 3: Methodology ....................................................................................................81

Introduction ..................................................................................................................81

Statement of the Problem .............................................................................................82

Research Questions ......................................................................................................83

Observations. ......................................................................................................86

Semi-structured interviews. ................................................................................87

Lesson plans. .......................................................................................................88

Research Methodology ................................................................................................88

Research Design...........................................................................................................91

Population and Sample Selection.................................................................................94

Site authorization. ...............................................................................................94

Sample size. ........................................................................................................95

Sources of Data ............................................................................................................97

 x

Questionnaire. .....................................................................................................98

Observations. ......................................................................................................98

Teacher interview guide....................................................................................100

Artifacts. ...........................................................................................................105

Trustworthiness. .........................................................................................................106

Credibility. ........................................................................................................107

Transferability. ..................................................................................................108

Dependability. ...................................................................................................109

Confirmability. ..................................................................................................109

Data Collection and Management ..............................................................................109

Data Analysis Procedures ..........................................................................................112

Familiarizing yourself with your data. ..............................................................113

Generating initial codes. ...................................................................................114

Ethical Considerations ...............................................................................................116

Limitations and Delimitations....................................................................................118

Limitations. .......................................................................................................118

Delimitations.....................................................................................................119

Summary ....................................................................................................................120

Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Results ..............................................................................124

Introduction ................................................................................................................124

Descriptive Findings ..................................................................................................127

Participant demographics. .................................................................................127

Description of data sources. ..............................................................................129

Teacher observations. .......................................................................................130

Teacher interview guide....................................................................................131

 xi

Artifacts (lesson plans). ....................................................................................132

Data Analysis Procedures ..........................................................................................132

Data preparation and familiarization of data. ...................................................134

Coding data. ......................................................................................................137

Coding teacher interview transcripts. ...............................................................143

Coding observation sheets. ...............................................................................143

Coding artifacts. ................................................................................................144

Code overlapping ..............................................................................................151

Data compatibility.............................................................................................152

Searching for themes. .......................................................................................153

Reviewing themes. ............................................................................................154

Defining and naming themes. ...........................................................................155

Interpreting themes. ..........................................................................................156

Connecting themes to research questions. ........................................................156

Trustworthiness. ................................................................................................158

Credibility. ........................................................................................................158

Transferability. ..................................................................................................159

Dependability. ...................................................................................................159

Confirmability. ..................................................................................................160

Results ........................................................................................................................160

Narrative of thematic findings. .........................................................................166

Addressing research question 1. .......................................................................167

Addressing research question 2. .......................................................................182

Summary ....................................................................................................................195

Limitations. .......................................................................................................198
 xii

Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations ............................................200

Introduction ................................................................................................................200

Summary of the Study ...............................................................................................202

Summary of Findings and Conclusion.......................................................................206

Research question 1 ..........................................................................................208

Research question 2 ..........................................................................................215

Significance of the findings relative to significance of the study and advancing

scientific knowledge. ........................................................................................225

Theoretical implications. ..................................................................................226

Practical implications. .......................................................................................227

Future implications. ..........................................................................................229

Strengths and weaknesses of the study. ............................................................230

Recommendations ......................................................................................................232

Recommendations for future research. .............................................................233

Recommendations for future practice. ..............................................................234

References ........................................................................................................................236

Appendix A. Site Authorization Letter ............................................................................255

Appendix B. IRB Approval Letter ...................................................................................256

Appendix C. Informed Consent .......................................................................................258

Appendix D. Questionnaire .............................................................................................261

Appendix E. Teacher Interview Guide. ...........................................................................262

Appendix F. Teacher Class Observation Sheet................................................................265

Appendix G. Code Book ..................................................................................................267

Appendix H. Participant Quotes from Individual Interviews. .........................................268

Appendix I. Number of Coding References – All Data Sources .....................................271

 xiii

Appendix J. Coding Count – All Data Sources ...............................................................272

Appendix K. Word Cloud ................................................................................................275

Appendix L. Expert Panel Review Form and Permissions ..............................................276

Appendix M. Connecting Themes to Tomlinson Model and Kolb’s Theory ..................280

Appendix N. Expert Panel Members ...............................................................................281

 xiv

List of Tables

Table 1. Generating Codes- Example ............................................................................ 114

Table 2. Generating Themes- Example ......................................................................... 115

Table 3. Demographics of Study Participants - Teachers .............................................. 129

Table 4. Summary of Data Sources ............................................................................... 130

Table 5. Length of Teacher Interviews and Transcripts ................................................ 132

Table 6. Definition of how Codes were Assigned ......................................................... 141

Table 7. Teacher Interview Examples ........................................................................... 147

Table 8. Second Review - List of Codes from All Three Data Sources ........................ 149

Table 9. Overlapping Codes from All Data Sources ..................................................... 151

Table 10. Sample Codes to Show Triangulation Across All Data Sources ................... 152

Table 11. Final Review - List of Codes from All Data Sources .................................... 153
 xv

List of Figures

Figure 1. The model of differentiation by Tomlinson. ..................................................... 40

Figure 2. From codes to categories ................................................................................. 154

Figure 3. From categories to themes. .............................................................................. 155

Figure 4. What and how differential instructional practices are used by teachers. ........ 157

Figure 5. Connecting themes to research questions. ....................................................... 158

Figure 6. What differentiated instructional practices teachers use. ................................ 163

Figure 7. How teachers use differentiated instructional practices. ................................. 163

Figure 8. Emergent themes displaying what and how teachers differentiate. ................ 197
 1

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study

Introduction

Online education has increased considerably. As technology has become

affordable, more accessible, and more prevalent in today’s classrooms the pathway is

wide open for schools to provide education through the use of computers. In 2011-12,

virtual high school enrollment increased 38 percent in only two years (Barth, 2013).

According to Online Report Card, the observed growth rate from 2013 to 2014 of the

number of students taking at least one class in the virtual learning environment was 3.9%,

up from the 3.7% rate of the previous year (Allen & Seaman, 2016). Additionally, chief

academic leaders comment that online learning is a critical component of their long-term

strategy and has demonstrated small but steady increases (Allen & Seaman, 2016). With

the strong body of research that demonstrates growth in the virtual learning environment

also comes the need to explore teaching practices used in the virtual environment.

There is a gap in existing literature regarding the differentiated instructional

practices teachers use and how they use these practices to address the diverse learning

needs of students (Halverson, Spring, Huyett, Henrie, & Graham, 2017; Morgan, 2015;

Shabiralyani, Hasan, Hamad, & Iqbal, 2015; Smets & Struyven, 2018; Suprayogi,

Godwin, & Valcke, 2017). This qualitative single case study attempted to fill this gap by

exploring the differentiated instructional practices used by teachers and how they were

used in a virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students.

Differentiated instruction practices provide multiple pathways for teachers to focus on

essential, student-specific skills. Conducting this study added value to the premise that

differentiating instruction is useful in influencing student academic success.

 2

Halverson et al. (2017) found that there is little research on the use of

differentiated instructional practices in online education and how these practices address

the individual needs of students. Morgan (2015) suggested additional research is needed

on teaching best practices that will be a conduit to more favorable student academic

outcomes in the virtual learning environment. Similarly, Shabiralyani et al. (2015) found

that teaching/learning resources mostly used by high school teachers were textbooks and

teachers continued to rely heavily on these resources to teach. Their research identified a

gap in teaching methods and resources that teachers use. Suprayogi et al. (2017)

suggested that future research should build on observational data about actual teaching

practices to explore the teaching practices that were in fact used by teachers. Smets and

Struyven (2018) suggested that future research should include practice-oriented articles to

provide additional information on how pre-teaching or extended instruction contributed

to catering to the different instructional needs of students.

Research demonstrates that differentiated instructional strategies for teaching

students a concept has become a mainstay in education (Simpson & Bogan, 2015). Any

vision of excellence for teaching in the 21st Century classroom would require a plan to

robustly address the diversity that typifies today’s students (Tomlinson, 2015). In the

United States as well as other countries, 21st Century knowledge and skills not only build

on core content knowledge but also include information and communication skills,

thinking and problem-solving skills, interpersonal and self -directional skills and 21st

Century tools like information and communication technologies (Pearlman, 2010).

Differentiated instructional practices illuminated in this research included lesson plans

from activities that are matched to student learning to add depth and provide greater
 3

understanding. This research study included an overview of instructional practices used

in the virtual classroom. It included discussions on planning for and selecting appropriate

differentiated instructional practices to address the diverse needs of individual students in

today’s virtual education learning environments.

Chapter 1 provides a brief background of the topic and the purpose of the study,

leading to the problem statement. The chapter describes the research questions, the

investigative procedures, the methodology applied, data collection procedures, and how

the data will be analyzed. The chapter then concludes with a summary of the current

research.

Background of the Study

Online courses provide educational options for students to learn at their own pace,

work on courses at unspecified times, and choose different locations to complete

assignments (Morgan, 2015). This model of education can provide a significant benefit to

those who prefer a virtual learning environment over a brick and mortar school setting

(Toppin & Toppin, 2016). However, in these online learning environments, students

often have trouble communicating effectively, as well as, lack the discipline and time

management skills needed to be in these virtual classrooms. Additionally, struggling

students do not receive personalized instruction that is designed to address their

individual academic needs (Yen, Tu, Sujo-Montes, & Sealander, 2016). Research on

online programs suggests that online programs vary greatly in quality from traditional

programs (Means, Bakia, & Murphy, 2014).

Additionally, as the amount of accessible information continues to grow,

educational leaders need to focus on ensuring that it is not only information that is gained
 4

in the virtual classroom, but also gains are made in the application of knowledge of that

information (Domenech, Sherman, & Brown, 2016). Online learning can be especially

challenging for students because they not only need to learn a subject online but need to

learn how to learn online (Lowes & Lin, 2015, p.18). Furthermore, there is a marked gap

regarding the link between differentiated instructional practices and academic

performance (Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium, 2008). Sound instructional

practices that offer differentiated learning activities to enhance student engagement and

improve academic performance are integral to keeping pace with the attractiveness of the

accessibility of online education (Domenech et al., 2016). According to Tomlinson

(2016) the practice of differentiation involves making changes that enable students to

learn in an inclusive schooling system.

The focus of this study was to explore differentiated instructional practices used

by teachers and their influence on the academic performance of students in a virtual high

school classroom. In recent years online education has increased considerably (Morgan,

2015). However, research on online education teaching practices and how these practices

address the individual needs of students in the virtual environment is lacking (Halverson

et al., 2017). Morgan (2015) suggested additional research should be conducted on the

influence of online instructional practices on student learning and how they address the

individual needs of students. The need for considering what instructional practices are

used in the virtual classroom, and how they address the individual needs of students, is

particularly relevant in any discussion that centers on educational reform. The need to

provide high-quality learning opportunities is at the forefront of classrooms in school

 5

systems each day. Teachers and administrators are held accountable as they face the

mandate of preparing and equipping students with 21st Century skills.

Problem Statement

It is not known what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and

how they are used in the virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of

students. Virtual classroom environments offer a variety of options for student learning.

This qualitative case study expanded on current literature giving stronger awareness to

understanding the influence of differentiated instructional practices on student academic

success in a virtual learning environment. With the anticipated growth in virtual

education, the requirements are stringent for meeting the varied educational needs of

students from multiple cultures, backgrounds, and educational experiences.

The general population for this study was all teachers in charter school districts

who teach in virtual school environments in the United States. The target population was

all teachers in a charter school district in Arizona who teach high school students in

grades 9-12 in a virtual environment. The sample population included 14 teachers in

charter schools who teach high school students in grades 9-12 in a virtual environment, in

Arizona. The unit of analysis for the research study was teachers in a charter school

district in Arizona.

Many of the students in charter school districts represent a wide diversity of

cultures, languages, and learning gaps. These same students who enroll in the virtual

classroom often need additional instructional supports that address their specific learning

needs. One-on-one, semi structured teacher interviews, classroom teacher observations,

 6

and lesson plans were used to determine the influence of differentiated instructional

practices on the performance of high school students in the virtual learning environment.

According to Morgan (2015), more research is needed that addresses teaching

practices in the virtual classroom. If a student is given material to study and master

without having adequate support from instructional staff that embraces differentiated

pedagogical practices students are left to struggle and not achieve academic success.

Using differentiated instructional practices that target individual student learning needs

helps teachers to improve student academic achievement. Instructors in the virtual

learning environment must provide the same quality curriculum as their traditional

counterparts but must utilize different methods, strategies, and materials to do so (Marks,

2016).

According to Tomlinson (2016), differentiated instructional practices enable

students to learn in an inclusive schooling system. Students that are presented with

subject material without having the requisite skills or knowledge to master the material

and without having instructional supports provided to enable them to be academically

successful are at risk of falling behind in the class. Differentiated instructional practices

help the student and the teacher.

According to recent research, students experience success when materials are

provided in areas where there may be learning gaps and when instructional practices by

teachers are improved (Tomlinson, 2014). Metropolitan Educational Research

Consortium (2008) noted there is a lack of empirical evidence for the practice of

differentiated instruction in the classroom. This research endeavored to address this gap

in the literature and is important as it may add to the body of knowledge surrounding
 7

differentiated instructional practices in the virtual classroom and how such practices

address individual student needs.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore what

differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they are used in the

virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students, in Arizona. In

Arizona, virtual classrooms provide educational opportunities for high school students on

many high school campuses daily. This single case study explored differentiated teaching

practices in six virtual high school classrooms, using 2-3 teachers per school, in a

metropolitan area to understand the influence of those differentiated instructional

practices on the academic success of high school students. This study identified what

differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers in the virtual classroom and

how these practices may influence student academic success.

A teacher interview was conducted to explore the perceptions of teachers to learn

how they apply differentiated instructional practices in the virtual classroom. Classroom

teacher observations were conducted on what practices were used in the virtual classroom

and how they were used. Teacher lesson plans were also used to learn about the

differentiated instructional materials used to address the learning needs of high school

students.

This research explored the phenomena of differential instructions used by teachers

in virtual classrooms. Differentiated instruction is a method of teaching that

acknowledges the needs of different individuals and incorporates multiple paths for

learning (Tomlinson, 2014). Differentiated instructional strategies allow teachers to tap

 8

into the interest and abilities of the students through diverse tools (Cash, 2017). This

study focused on what differentiated instructional practices teachers use and how they use

these differentiated instructional practices in virtual classrooms in high schools in

Arizona.

Research Questions

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore what

differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they are used in the

virtual classroom to address the learning needs of high school students, in Arizona. It is

not known what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they

are used in the virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students.

The following two research questions guided this research study:

RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

The two research questions were developed using the support from the theoretical

framework of the experiential learning theory by Kolb (2014) and the differentiated

instruction model by Tomlinson (2016). The research conducted by Tomlinson (2016

and Kolb (2014) guided this research. Tomlinson’s model of differentiation describes

instructional planning in response to student learning needs (Tomlinson, 2016).

Differentiation plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition as it addresses

the learning needs of individual students (Vygotsky, 1978). According to Tomlinson’s

model, the teachers attend to the needs of learners through differentiated instruction. The
 9

model postulates that differentiation includes: content – that focuses on what is to be

learned, process – that involves how students acquire information, product – that includes

how students demonstrate learning considering the learning styles of students and

learning environment – that involves the climate of the classroom. RQ1 was developed

to see how teachers use scaffolding through differentiated instructional practices in the

virtual high school classroom to support the Student’s evolving understanding of

knowledge domains or development of complex skills that will help and address the

learning needs of the students.

RQ2 was developed using the concept of experiential learning. According to Kolb

(2014) learning involves the acquisition of abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly

in a range of situations. In Kolb’s theory, the stimulus for the development of new

concepts is provided by new experiences. Morgan (2014) postulated that it is important

for teachers to be aware of the diverse learning needs of the students to engage students

and encourage them to do their best. According to Coker and Porter (2015), experiential

learning provides a spectrum of learning opportunities when the diversity of students is

acknowledged. According to their research diverse, experiential learning opportunities

should be provided to the students according to their needs. Using these concepts, RQ1

was developed to explore what differentiated instruction practices are used by high

school teachers in the virtual classroom to help meet the learning needs of students.

Tomlinson (2016) outlines learning from instruction that provides specific

alternatives for students to learn as deeply as possible without assuming that student

learning is identical to another student. This research used the theoretical concepts from

the experiential learning theory and Tomlinson’s model of differentiation (2016) to

 10

understand how and what differentiated teaching practices are used by teachers in the

virtual classroom, providing support to answer the two research questions. Teachers and

their differentiated instructional practices will be identified through this investigation.

Additionally, teachers were individually interviewed regarding their pedagogical

practices. Teacher interviews were conducted to uncover their perspectives on

differentiated instructional practices and techniques implemented in the virtual

classroom. Classroom teacher observations were conducted, and field notes were

recorded as a supplement to the differentiated instructional practices. The researcher also

reviewed teacher lesson plans to learn about the differentiated instructional materials and

practices used by teachers.

Advancing Scientific Knowledge and Significance of the Study

According to Morgan (2015), there is a need for further research on teaching

practices that focus on differentiated instructional methods in the virtual classroom and

explore the influence of these methods on the academic performance and success of high

school students. Halverson et al. (2017) found that there is little research on the use of

differentiated instructional practices in online education and how these practices address

the individual needs of students. The research study endeavored to fill this gap by looking

at differentiated instructional practices used by teachers in the virtual classroom and how

those practices are used.

The current research study added to the body of knowledge in online education.

By exploring the differentiated instructional practices used by teachers in the virtual

classroom and how they use these instructional practices, the researcher hoped to bridge

the gap in the literature regarding differentiated instructional practices used in a virtual
 11

classroom to address the learning needs of individual high school students. Discussing

the use of differentiated instructional practices in the virtual classroom and understanding

how those practices are used will provide teachers with a model of pedagogical practices

used in meeting individual student learning needs. The researcher anticipated the findings

of the research study would help the education industry by providing evidence that

differentiation instructional practices enhance learning. Students and teachers who are an

important constituency of the educational industry may find benefit from the findings of

this study. Students gain access to more learning strategies and teachers have the

flexibility to address the diverse needs of learners through differentiated instructional

practices in virtual classrooms (Dack, 2018; Tomlinson, 2014).

This qualitative case study added to the existing body of knowledge by exploring

what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they are used to

address the diverse learning needs of high school students in virtual learning

environments (Morgan, 2015). The insights gained on content and knowledge learning in

the virtual classrooms provided stakeholders with information that pave the way for more

favorable results in the use of differentiated instruction practice in online learning

classrooms. This will be useful as results can then drive recommendations for new

content and /or best practices used in the virtual classroom environment.

The nature of the 21st -century classroom suggests that instructional methods and

strategies consider the broadening array of cultures, languages, and learning experiences

and do so in ways that provide equity of access to robust learning experiences

(Tomlinson, 2015). Differentiation is not simply the act of creating a variety of options

for students or making some activities more or less structured (Cash, 2017). The concept
 12

behind differentiation is to focus on individual learners, be aware of where they begin

their learning, and where they need to go. For the purpose of this study, differentiated

instruction is defined as a means of tailoring instruction to meet the various needs of

students (Tomlinson, 2014).

According to the experiential learning theory Kolb (2014) knowledge is created

through the transformation of experience. Tomlinson (2016) outlines learning from

instruction that provides specific alternatives for students to learn as deeply as possible

without assuming that student learning is identical to another student. To support the

answers to the research questions, the experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014) and

Tomlinson’s model of differentiation provided the theoretical and conceptual framework

for this study. Kolb (2014) postures that the process whereby knowledge is created comes

through the experience created in the learning. Similarly, the concept of differentiation

from Tomlinson’s model was used to explore how a teacher can support the student’s

evolving understanding of knowledge domains.

The conceptual framework of Tomlinson’s model (2016) was used to explore how

a teacher can support the student’s evolving understanding of knowledge domains

through differentiation. The researcher used the concepts of, “content”, “process”,

“product”, and learning “environment “to develop RQ1. These theoretical concepts

provided support to RQ1 which was developed to see how teachers use differentiated

instructional practices in the virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs

of high school students. The data collected to support RQ1 explored the student’s

evolving understanding of knowledge domains or development of complex skills that

 13

helped and enabled the students to succeed. This also added to Tomlinson’s model (2016)

by providing a new context of virtual learning environments in charter schools.

Similarly, the theoretical concepts of the experiential learning theory by Kolb

(2014) were used to explore how learning occurs when the learner is directly in touch

with the realities being studied. In this view, the emphasis is on direct participation in the

learning experience. Learning from instruction occurs best when specific alternatives to

learning are student-specific; understanding that individual student learning is not

identical to another student (Kolb, 2014). RQ2 was developed to explore how

differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in the virtual

classroom to help address the diverse needs of the students. Data collected to answer this

research question added to the theory of experiential learning by providing a new context

of schools that provided the stimulus for the development of new concepts through new

experiences of differentiated instruction in virtual learning environments.

The findings from the research added to the existing literature in several ways. It

aimed to explore how and what differentiated instruction strategies are used by teachers

to address the individual learning needs of students in chartered schools, in virtual

learning environments. Research is lacking in the field of virtual learning environments

to show what and how differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers to

address the individual learning needs of high school students in charter schools. The

findings from the current study addressed this gap by collecting and analyzing data to

provide support to the two research questions.

 14

Rationale for Methodology

The qualitative research methodology is the best approach and is a well-suited

design, to answer the questions of what differentiated instructional practices are used by

teachers in the virtual high school classroom, and how these differentiated instructional

practices are used to address the learning needs of high school students. The study

endeavored to understand and describe what differentiated instructional practices are used

by teachers in the virtual classroom and how the differentiated instructional practices are

used to address these diverse learning needs of high school students.

Evidence gathered in one-on-one-teacher interviews, classroom teacher

observations, and lesson plans provided rich data for analysis. Lesson plans, videos, and

other materials used in the virtual classroom were collected. A qualitative study was

appropriate for this research, as qualitative research methodology provides new

perspectives and insights in exploring the experiences of people in a natural setting

(Merrium, 1998). Qualitative methodology is exploratory and investigative in nature

(Yin, 2017). Quantitative research was not appropriate for the research as the purpose of

this research was not to establish relationships or determine cause and effect. Since this

research explored how and what differentiated instructional practices were used by

teachers to address the learning needs of high school students, a qualitative methodology

was ideal. The research collected data in a natural setting, therefore, the qualitative

inquiry was most appropriate.

Nature of the Research Design for the Study

A case study was appropriate as a design for this study because this approach

allowed for gathering rich, detailed descriptions of the participant’s experience in

 15

learning in the virtual environment (Yin, 2017). This qualitative single case study focused

on how differentiated instructional practices used by teachers in the virtual high school

classroom and what differentiated instructional practices are used. The methods of data

collection were classroom teacher observations, one-on-one-teacher interviews, and

lesson plans. Using a single case study design was a proper choice for addressing the

stated problem and questions that have been developed from the gap in the research.

Morgan (2015) suggested additional research is needed on teaching best practices that

will be a conduit to more favorable student academic outcomes in the virtual learning

environment. Additionally, teaching methods and resources in the classroom

(Shabiralyani et al., 2015), use of differentiated instructional practices in online education

(Halverson et al., 2017), and exploring teaching practices (Suprayogi et al., 2017) have

all been identified as research needs.

Yin (2017) recommends an approach to conducting a qualitative study using

direct observations and interviews and described case study research as an empirical

examination that explores an existing phenomenon within its actual surroundings.

Further, the case study approach is a common research strategy used in such disciplines

as psychology, social sciences, business, and economics. The case study approach adds

uniquely to our knowledge about the individual or social phenomena (Yin, 2015).

This approach allows for constructing rich, detailed information on how teachers

implement differentiated instructional practices and what practices are used in the virtual

classroom. Using a case study and collecting data through different sources provided

some depth of data. Each source added more data and the researcher also corroborated

the data across the data sources. For example, the teacher interviews provided data
 16

regarding the differentiation instructional techniques, lesson plans provided insight into

the different types of instructional practices, and observations provided data regarding the

effectiveness of the instructional techniques. The target population in this study

encompassed teachers who instruct high school students in grades 9-12 taking courses in

a virtual learning environment. The sample population was 14 teachers instructing

students enrolled in an online class at selected schools.

The unit of analysis for the research was teachers who provide differentiated

instruction to high school students in charter schools. Data were collected through

classroom observations, one-on-one teacher interviews, and lesson plans. In qualitative

research, observations and interviews are considered appropriate for the collection of data

(Yin, 2017).

Other qualitative designs such as phenomenology, grounded theory, narrative, and

descriptive were reviewed, however, each of these designs were deemed not appropriate

for this study. Phenomenology was not selected as the purpose of this research is not to

identify the phenomena or to focus on subjective experiences and understanding the

structure of those lived experiences. Grounded theory was not selected as the purpose of

this research was not to develop a theory that explains a specific phenomenon (Strauss &

Corbin, 1990). The narrative design was not a method of choice for this research because

it collects a sequence of events from usually an individual or two to weave together in a

cohesive story (Flick, 2014). Another qualitative design, the descriptive analysis, was not

suitable for this research study as the purpose of this research is not to collect straight

descriptions of the phenomenon (Sandelowski, 2000).

 17

The choice of a single case design for the study was most appropriate as it

focused on a particular unit of analysis and offered flexibility to understand the

differentiated instructional practices used in the virtual classroom that contribute to

student success. The unit of analysis for this case study was high school teachers.

Implementing multiple data collection procedures with diverse data sources is a strength

of the case study design. The choice of a case study design for this research study was

driven by the problem statement and research questions.

The research study was conducted in Arizona. The unit of observation was

teachers, lesson plans, and classrooms. Data was collected through semi-structured

interviews, classroom observations, and lesson plans. Twenty teachers were recruited for

one-on-one interviews. Teachers who provided consent to participate were invited for

one-on-one interviews. The interviews included open-ended, semi-structured questions.

Probing questions were asked to add richness to data.

The researcher observed 14 teachers in virtual classroom instruction to see lesson

organization, content, knowledge, and relevance, presentation, teacher interaction with

students, collaborating learning activities, instructional materials, and lesson

implementation. The researcher collected 14 lesson plans with a minimum of one lesson

plan per teacher to gain understanding and learn about the perspectives of teachers on the

use of differentiated instructional practices. The researcher gathered data and reviewed

lesson plans to examine the content and materials such as videos, gaming exercises, and

other collateral materials. Raw data was transcribed and uploaded to NVivo 12 for data

analysis.
 18

Definition of Terms

Case study research. A case study is an empirical inquiry that investigates a

contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context especially when the boundaries

between the phenomenon and context are not clearly evident (Yin, 2017).

Content. Content refers to curriculum topics, concepts or themes. Content

presents essential facts and skills in particular course or subject (Tomlinson & Allan,

2000).

Differentiation. A strategy used in education tailoring learning to individual

student needs (Tomlinson, 2014). The differentiated instructional methods explored in

this study were teacher lesson plans used in differentiation instructional practices,

computer-based instruction, and classroom observation with teacher-student learning

activities and individualized learning materials or projects provided to students.

Diverse learners. Those students with various conditions such as English

language deficit, special needs, at-risk students and others with various conditions

(Tomlinson, 2015).

Interview instrument. The interview instrument is used in conducting teacher

interviews designed to generate participant perspectives and ideas about differentiated

instructional practices (Yin, 2017).

Learning styles. A learning style refers to the way individuals process

information and learn.

Multiple intelligences. Multiple Intelligences Theory is a framework that believes

that human cognitive competence is better described as a set of abilities, talents, or

 19

mental skills. Individuals differ in the degree of skill and nature of their combination

(Gardner, 2018).

Observation (classroom). A method used by the researcher which included taking

notes, using a checklist, or other materials designed to generate data on activities, and or

behaviors observed in the classroom (Yin, 2017).

Phenomenon. A behavior that is impressive or extraordinary in an environment

(Van Kaam, 1969).

Process. Process refers to how students make sense or understand the

information, ideas, and skills being studied and reflects students learning styles and

preferences (Tomlinson, 2014).

Product. Product tends to be tangible items, such as a report and reflects student’s

understanding (Tomlinson, 2015).

Teacher Lesson Plans. Materials used by teachers in the virtual classroom that

support the use of how and what differentiated instructional practices are used in the

virtual classroom.

Theoretical framework. Theories are formulated to explain, predict, and

understand phenomena and, often, to challenge and extend existing knowledge within the

limits of critical bounding assumptions (Merrium, 1998).

Virtual learning environment. A learning environment that is Web-based and

provides aspects of the course of study digitally (Hwang, 2014).

21st-century skills. Characteristics, habits, and traits generally considered by

educational professionals to be of critical importance to success in today’s society

(Pearlman, 2010).
 20

Assumptions, Limitations, Delimitations

Assumptions. Assumptions are facts accepted without proof. Assumptions in

research are those underlying ideas, which must be accepted as truth. Leedy and Ormrod

(2014) posited, “Assumptions are so elemental that, if they were eliminated, the research

problem itself could not exist” (p.62). Following are some assumptions for the research:

1. In conjunction with previous research, the researcher assumed that students learn
uniquely, differently, and have varied ways of acquiring knowledge.

2. Another assumption in this study was that educators would use differentiated
instructional materials and methods to enhance student learning and help them
make sense of what they learned. Students bring a broad range of experiences and
perspectives to school through diverse cultures and ethnicities. This diversity of
students offers a powerful resource for everyone to learn more—in different ways,
in new environments, and with different types of people (Dack, 2018). These
diverse needs are used by educators to include differentiation in instructional
materials.

3. The researcher assumed that interview questions were answered void of deception
and to the best of the teacher’s ability. Participation was voluntary and although
the participants could choose not to participate, higher participation is likely.

4. It is assumed that the participants in this study were not deceptive with their
answers and that the participants answered questions honestly and to the best of
their ability. Responses of the participants may not adequately represent the
sample as participation was voluntary and participants could withdraw from the
study at any time and with no ramification. The researcher endeavored to
minimize attrition by preserving anonymity and confidentiality and recruiting
more than the required sample.

5. It is assumed that this study is an accurate representation of the current situation

in Arizona.

Limitations. Limitations include those choices that may limit information

gathered from a particular study. A researcher cannot rule out inferences or assumptions

made in this study as alternative explanations found in the results. Limitations of this

study include the following:

1. The choice of a case study design and sources of data used in the study
(observations, interviews, and teacher lesson plans). A case study design
 21

uses a small sample and hence the results of the study cannot be
generalized.

2. This study was conducted with a specific group of teachers and was limited in the
ability to recruit a larger number of participants. Research was conducted with
teachers teaching a combination of courses ranging from Algebra and Geometry
to English and Science in a virtual classroom with 15 to 20 students in each
classroom.

Delimitations. Delimitations are specific boundaries when conducting research

that remains under the control of the researcher. This research intended to explore how

differentiated instructional practices used by teachers influence the academic

performance of students in the virtual high school classroom. Following are some

delimitation for this study:

1. This research specifically limited the scope to differentiated instructional methods

used in teaching in the virtual learning environment. The differentiated
instructional strategies were considered in terms of those strategies that instructors
indicated yielded the most effective means to address the diverse learning needs
of the students.

2. The target population was comprised of teachers teaching high school students,
grades 9-12, and enrolled in a virtual class. This delimitation allowed for a
manageable size and uniformity in the demographic.

Summary and Organization of the Remainder of the Study

According to the NEPC Annual Report on Virtual Education, in 2015 -16, 528

full- time virtual schools enrolled 278,511 students (Molnar et al., 2015). Given this rapid

growth in virtual education, the priority of understanding the diversity in today’s student

demographic is paramount as instructional strategies necessarily face change to enable

student academic success. While differentiated instructional practices designed and

implemented in the virtual classroom provide a promise of improving student academic

achievement, the commitment to, and training necessary for instructional staff remains

undeveloped. Chapter 1 introduced the research topic by identifying the problem

 22

statement: It is not known what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers

and how they are used in the virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs

of students. Virtual classroom environments offer a variety of options for student

learning. This chapter discussed the changing landscape of education, educational

mandates for today’s diverse student population, how education is delivered, along with

uncovering the educational needs of students today.

The student of the 21st Century is attracted to garnering learning through the

virtual education vehicle. The ability to access course instruction anytime anywhere

provides great flexibility. On the other hand, not all students learn in the same way and

often students need additional instructional support to help them be successful.

Morgan (2014) espouses that students tend to comprehend little and lose focus

when their teachers use of instructional strategies do not employ adequate use of supports

that aid and assist in individual learning. Teacher awareness in the use and delivery of

differentiated instructional practices is a must in today’s classroom that is culturally and

linguistically diverse. Presentation of learning materials that are strategically designed to

meet individual student needs is a mainstay in the 21st Century classroom. Yet not much

is known if the differentiated instructional practices influence the success of high school

students in virtual learning environments (Morgan, 2015). This qualitative case study

endeavored to fill this gap in the literature.

The target population for this research study was 14 school teachers who provide

differentiated learning instruction in a virtual learning environment. Purposeful sampling

was used to recruit the participants. Selecting participants purposefully allowed the

researcher to invite participants for the interviews who had knowledge and could share
 23

rich information that provided data to answer the research questions (Palinkas et al.,

2015). The researcher used semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and

lesson plans to collect data. One-one-one teacher interviews were conducted to explore

the perceptions of teachers to learn how they apply differentiated instructional practices

in the virtual classroom.

The researcher engaged in classroom observations to collect data. Classroom

teacher observations were conducted on what practices were used in the virtual classroom

and how they were used. According to Yin (2017), observations are a method used by the

researcher which includes taking notes, using a checklist, gathering other materials

designed to generate data on activities and or behaviors observed in the classroom.

The researcher also collected teacher lesson plans. The purpose of gathering

lesson plans was to collect data to see the organization, material, content, and outcomes

of the differentiated strategies that the teacher used. The researcher corroborated the data

collected and reviewed the lesson plans to see if the delivery of these lesson plans was

consistent in the classroom observations. Similarly, the data was corroborated with the

responses from the teacher interviews to determine the consistency and validity of the

data collected. According to Yin (2017), case studies are a triangulated research strategy

and add to richness and complexity when investigating the phenomenon. Using multiple

data sources allowed the researcher to triangulate data to enhance richness to data.

The research used the theoretical framework of the experiential learning theory by

Kolb (2014) and Tomlinson’s differentiation model (2016) to learn about how and what

differential learning instructional practices are used by teachers to address the learning

needs of high school students in virtual learning environments. Kolb (2014) postures that
 24

the process whereby knowledge is created comes through the experience created in the

learning. Similarly, the concepts of content, process, product, and learning environment,

from the differentiation model (Ismajli & Imami-Morina, 2018) were used to explore

how a teacher can support the student’s evolving needs and understanding of knowledge

domains. This research study provided evidence that could be useful for future research

in replicating this study using other research methods and designs in similar or different

contexts.

In Chapter 2, a review of the current literature presented outlines foundational

learning theories, a description of differentiated instructional practices and gaps,

presented in the literature in the use of those practices in the virtual classroom. Chapter 3

describes the qualitative case study method used to examine how differentiated

instructional practices influence the academic performance of students in the virtual high

school classroom. Yin (2017) explains case study research method as “an empirical

inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context; when

the boundaries between the phenomenon and context are not clearly evident and in which

multiple sources of evidence are used” (p.23).

Chapter 3 contains the methodology for the research. The chapter explains the

rationale for choosing the qualitative case study methodology and information on the

sample population, data collection procedures (one-on-one teacher interviews, review of

lesson plans, videos, and classroom observations). In Chapter 4, the findings of the study

are presented along with a discussion of emerging themes from the data. Chapter 5

concludes the study with a written case study summary of all findings, a discussion about

the implications of the research and researcher recommendations for further research.
 25

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Introduction to the Chapter and Background to the Problem

Chapter 2 includes a review of the foundations and development of the

experiential learning theory by Kolb (2014) and the differentiation model by Tomlinson

(2016). The chapter is organized by reviewing the background to the problem, theoretical

foundations, and conceptual framework. The chapter then contains a transition to the

literature review that includes the definition of differentiated instructional practices and

focusses on what differentiated instructional practices teachers use and how they use

these differentiated techniques in virtual learning environments. The problem and need

for the research are identified by the researcher through an extant literature review

leading to the methodology and instruments used to collect and analyze data. Finally, the

chapter concludes with a summary and a transition to chapter 3.

The overall goal of this chapter is to include an analysis of the theoretical and

conceptual frameworks in the existing literature to understand the teaching practices and

concepts of differentiated instruction in a virtual learning environment. The examination

of existing research demonstrates a gap in differentiated instructional practices used by

teachers in the virtual classroom. Following the review of extant literature regarding the

differentiated instructional practices used in virtual learning environments several

emerging themes were outlined by the researcher. A detailed discussion of the scholarly

literature on differentiated instructional practices used in high school classrooms is

included. This chapter includes the development of studies over the years regarding

differentiation instructional practices in virtual learning environments. Literature was

 26

synthesized to understand the existing knowledge of differentiation practices in virtual

learning environments that identify tensions and gaps in the existing literature.

Chapter 2 begins by establishing the historical and theoretical background on

differentiated instructional practices, outlines the rationale for the practice of

differentiated instructional practices in the virtual classroom, and describes challenges to

overcome in the practice of differentiation in the virtual learning environment. K-12

schools have a responsibility to prepare their students for success in the 21st Century. Our

global society requires that students possess effective communication skills, the ability to

think critically, work collaboratively with others, and understand the varied nuances of a

culturally diverse society. Additionally, with the advent of the versatility of providing

education to today’s students through the online environment, students learning

experiences are decidedly different and require instruction that is directed to meet their

specific learning needs.

This literature review demonstrates the efficiency of the practice of differentiated

instruction and gives evidence to the effectiveness of meeting the diverse learning needs

of all students. In many virtual classroom settings, students from multiple cultures, with

language barriers, sit next to other students who struggle in the same subject as them but

need individualized help different from their counterparts. Little rigorous research exists

regarding online differentiated educational teaching practices and how the individual

learning needs of students are addressed in virtual learning environments (Halverson et

al., 2017). This qualitative case study explored how, and what differentiated instructional

practices are used in a virtual high school classroom in Arizona.

 27

The academic databases such as Google Scholar, Education Research Information

Center (ERIC), EBSCO, Dissertation and Theses, ProQuest, Emerald Management,

textbooks, and the GCU library provided the researcher access to scholarly peer-reviewed

articles from diverse academic areas. More than 200 empirical studies, and over two

dozen dissertations and books were used in the compilation of this literature review. The

keywords used were: differentiated instructional practices, student learning styles, effects

of differentiated instruction, online learning, curriculum differentiation, personalized

learning, and online learning.

Virtual learning environments earliest beginnings can be traced back to the 1700s

when newspapers placed ads offering to send lessons to people at home (Kentnor, 2015).

These types of mail order efforts to deliver educational offerings continued well into the

1800s. The focus was mainly on the adult learners offering a wide variety of materials in

subject areas such as the sciences and mechanics. Since these earliest iterations of

educational programming provided outside of the traditional schoolhouse, dramatic

advancements have been made in accessing opportunities to learn.

Today, the educational learning environment has forever been changed with the

advent of the personal computer and development of the World Wide Web. The practice

of using computers in the classroom for instruction began in the 1980s. Since that time,

we have seen and experienced significant changes in instructional practices using

technology in the traditional brick and mortar school setting, as well as virtual learning

environments.

Virtual classrooms offer attractive options to students by providing educational

options for students to learn at their own pace, work on courses at unspecified times, and
 28

choose different locations for completing their work (Morgan, 2015). Additionally,

research on online programs suggests that online programs vary greatly in quality (Means

et al., 2014). As the amount of accessible information continues to grow, educational

leaders need to focus on ensuring that it is not just the information that is gained in the

virtual classroom but also gains are made in the application of knowledge of that

information (Morgan, 2015).

The 21st Century student will need a learning environment that enables them to

become more aware and responsive to a broadening array of cultures, languages,

experiences, and interests (Tomlinson, 2015). The nature of the 21st Century virtual

learning environment suggests that student skills must be developed so that the students

become problem solvers, thinkers, collaborators, consumers of information, and

confident in product knowledge (Tomlinson, 2015). This mandate requires that learning

in the classrooms is student-centered, providing supports to each learner in challenging

and meaningful ways so that achievement in academic success is realized.

Morgan (2015) suggested additional research is needed on teaching best practices

that will be a conduit to more favorable student academic outcomes in the virtual learning

environment. In recent years, online education has increased considerably (Morgan,

2015). However, research on online education teaching practices and how they address

the learning needs of students in the virtual environment is lacking (Halverson et al.,

2017). Morgan (2015) suggested that additional research should be conducted on the

influence of online instructional practices on student learning and academic performance.

The need for considering what instructional practices are used in the virtual classroom,

and how they address the individual needs of students is particularly relevant in any
 29

discussion that centers on educational reform. The need to provide high-quality learning

opportunities is at the forefront of classrooms in school systems each day. This research

attempted to fill this gap in the literature.

Identification of the Gap

Today, educational institutions face the challenge of providing education to a

diverse demographic that represents cultural and linguistic diversity along with gaps in

learning and skillsets. Prior research has focused on pedagogical practices in the virtual

classroom to understand the coordination of content, pedagogy, and technology

underlying the delivery of a virtual school course (DiPietro, Ferdig, Black, & Presto,

2010). The societal shift to online education demands that educational institutions adopt

meaningful and effective online instructional strategies and methodologies that meet the

learning needs of diverse student demographics (Frazier & Palmer, 2015). According to

DiPietro et al. (2010), there is a dearth of research relating to teaching and learning in

virtual schools.

Existing literature points to the value of increasing student engagement techniques

in online learning to enhance student success (Meyer, 2014). In a recent research study,

Jang, Vitale, Jyung, and Black (2017) found that direct manipulation of the virtual

environment facilitated the embodiment of the anatomical structure and helped

participants maintain a clear frame of reference while interacting, which particularly

supported participants with low spatial ability. The results of their study found that there

is added value for directly manipulating virtual 3-D structures. Similarly, Kahn,

Everington, Kelm, Reid, and Watkins (2017) found that learning in the virtual classroom
 30

represents concepts of learner centeredness through flexibility in when, where, and how

learning takes place, often providing content flexibility.

Shabiralyani et al. (2015) found that teaching/learning resources mostly used by

high school teachers were textbooks and teachers continued to rely heavily on these

resources to teach. Their research identified a lack of teaching methods and resources that

teachers used. According to their research, in this technologically advanced era of

learning teachers should use resources such as audio and visual aids, computers,

photographic materials such as film strips slides, photographs, flat pictures, and the

internet to enhance student learning. According to Allen and Seaman (2016), even though

the number of higher education students studying online and taking online courses

continues to grow, there is a lack of academic guidance that makes online learning more

complex. They posited that academic practices in virtual learning environments should

increase student engagement through online learning practices.

Although the literature highlights the significance of the practice of differentiated

instruction designed for the virtual classroom, there is a gap in the research that does not

explore those practices and delineate what those practices are and how they are used in

the promotion of academic achievement. According to Morgan (2015), there is a need for

further research on teaching practices that focus on differentiated instructional methods in

the virtual classroom and explore the influence of these methods on the academic

performance and success of high school students. Morgan (2015), suggested researchers

need to do more studies on the components of online courses that help at-risk students

learn and on the best practices of excellent programs and outstanding teachers. The
 31

author posited that new research combined with existing knowledge can pave the way for

more favorable results for K–12 students with online learning.

In another recent study, Halverson et al. (2017) found that there is little research

on the use of differentiated instructional practices in online education and how these

practices address the individual needs of students. The authors compared face-to-face and

blended or online learning and found insufficient research to identify the aspect of

blending that influences student achievement gains. Halverson et al. (2017) suggested

that further research is needed to understand how blended learning impacts factors such

as satisfaction, performance, and student engagement. The authors suggested that

additional research can investigate how to best prepare teachers to implement ways to

improve personalization as well as learning efficiency and effectiveness in K-12 and HE

education. The current research attempted to address this gap by exploring what and how

teachers use differentiated instructional practices to enhance the diverse learning needs of

students.

Suprayogi et al. (2017) examined the relationship between several variables such

as teachers’ self-efficacy, teaching beliefs, teacher background and classroom

characteristics and the reported level in differentiated instruction (DI) implementation in

primary schools in Indonesia. They found that teachers reported a relatively high level of

DI implementation with a significant association between DI implementation and

teachers’ DI self-efficacy and constructivist teaching beliefs.

Suprayogi et al. (2017) posited that teachers ‘talk’ about DI and the way they

cope with student diversity, but did not know to what extent teachers ‘walk the talk’ and

reply in a socially desirable way. Their research lacked such information to see how
 32

teachers implement DI and what DI practices they use. The authors suggested that future

research should, therefore, build on observational data about actual teaching practices to

explore the teaching practices used by teachers. The current research used teacher

classroom observations to fill this gap in the literature and to find how and what

differentiated practices were used to address the learning gaps of students.

Similarly, in a recent study, Smets and Struyven (2018) conducted a literature

review researching articles that focused on achieving educational equity through catering

for differences in students’ instructional needs. The focus of their study was on two

proactive strategies in which teachers cater for these differences, namely pre-teaching and

extended instruction. The authors reviewed only a web of Science-database articles. Their

study did not include practice-oriented articles and hence did not provide additional

information on how pre-teaching or extended instruction contributed to catering for the

different instructional needs of students. The authors suggested that future research may

bridge this gap. The current research study filled this gap in the literature by exploring

what and how teachers used differentiated practices to address the different learning

needs of the student

While there is some improvement in what is known about supplemental online

learning, there is a lack of reliable and valid evidence that supports the practices used in

teaching in the K-12 online learning environment (Molnar et al., 2015). Online learning

environments or virtual learning provide different tools to students which are appropriate

for their learning and can be accessed online (Beasley & Beck, 2017). Existing research

has a gap in determining what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers

in virtual learning environments and how they use these instructional practices to address
 33

the diverse learning needs of students (Halverson et al., 2017; Morgan, 2015;

Shabiralyani et al., 2015; Smets & Struyven, 2018; Suprayogi et al., 2017). The current

research attempted to fill this gap in the literature by exploring what differentiated

instructional practices teachers used and how they used them to address the diverse

learning needs of students.

Theoretical Foundations and/or Conceptual Framework

The practice of differentiation to accommodate student learning is a compilation

of many theories. This research considers theories and concepts that provide a rich

understanding of how teachers use differentiated instructional strategies and what those

strategies are that they use with their students. The researcher identified a theory and a

differentiation model as a foundation for the research study. Experiential learning theory

(Kolb, 2014) and the differentiation model by Tomlinson (2016) provide a theoretical and

conceptual framework for how students experience learning, thus giving guidance in the

areas of what instructional practices are the best fits for the diversity of students in the

virtual classroom, and how the teaching practice of differentiated instruction is used in

the virtual classroom.

Experiential learning theory by Kolb (2014) and the differentiation model by

Tomlinson (2016) provided the theoretical and conceptual framework and guided this

research. According to Kolb (2014) learning involves the acquisition of abstract concepts

that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations. In Kolb’s theory, the stimulus for the

development of new concepts is provided by new experiences. Morgan (2014) postulated

that it is important for teachers to be aware of the diverse learning needs of the students

to engage students and encourage them to do their best. According to Coker and Porter
 34

(2015), experiential learning provides a spectrum of learning opportunities when the

diversity of students is acknowledged. According to their research, diverse experiential

learning opportunities should be provided to the students according to their needs. These

concepts of the theory were used by the researcher to explore how differentiated

instruction practices are used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom to address

the learning needs of the students.

Tomlinson’s model of differentiation describes instructional planning in response

to student learning needs (Tomlinson, 2016). Differentiation plays a fundamental role in

the development of cognition as it addresses the learning needs of individual students

(Vygotsky, 1978). Tomlinson (2016) recognizes Vygotsky’s belief that social and

cultural contexts play a significant role in how students develop learning. In a recent

study, Mutekwe (2018) supported this belief by exploring the role of scaffolding and

linked it to mediated learning experiences to examine how mediation helps transform the

learners’ skills into executive functioning through the use of material, psychological, and

semiotic tools in the classroom.

The differentiation model of Tomlinson (2016) gets its support from Vygotsky’s

(1978) theory for students to enhance their understanding of new ideas and executive

functioning, the students need interactions with more knowledgeable other (MKO) who

could be peers, parents, or teachers. The differentiation model postulates that instruction

should be responsive to students’ individual readiness levels, a concept described by

Vygotsky (1978) as the zone of proximal development (ZPD). According to ZPD

(Vygotsky, 1978), the instruction should be a level above the readiness level of the

students, an area where they can grow in learning, as this level of learning is where there
 35

is potential ability to learn. This concept of student learning is based on the learning gap

that the teachers need to identify to differentiate instruction (Mutekwe, 2018). The theory

of Vygotsky (1962, 1978, 1987) emphasizes that teachers should provide scaffolded

instruction to support students in their learning needs, which is also the doctrine of the

differentiation model (Tomlinson, 2016). The differentiation model encompasses the

concept of ZPD, as it focuses on teacher instruction to be above the readiness level of

students to encourage learning and address the gaps in student learning.

According to the differential model by Tomlinson (2016), teachers can address

learning needs by adjusting the content, process, product, or the learning environment

(Tomlinson, 2003). Since the learning needs of students differ, Tomlinson (2003)

postulates that when planning differentiated lessons, teachers should be aware of the

learning profiles, needs, and interests of the students. Tomlinson’s model demonstrates

how the teachers attend to the needs of learners through differentiated instruction. The

model postulates that differentiation includes: content – that focuses on what is to be

learned, process – that involves how students acquire information, product – that includes

how students demonstrate learning considering the learning styles of students and

learning environment – that involves the climate of the classroom (Ismajli & Imami-

Morina, 2018).

Using the concepts of content, product, process, and learning environment from

Tomlinson’s model, the researcher explored what differentiated teaching practices

teacher use in the virtual high school classroom to support student’s evolving

understanding of knowledge domains or development of complex skills that will help and

enable the students to enhance their learning deficiencies. This research used the four
 36

concepts of the model to explore how and what differentiation strategies and instructional

practices are used by the teacher to address the learning needs of the students. The

following four concepts guided the research study and research question one.

Content. This concept focused on the differentiation practices of teachers to see

how the teacher differentiated content. Some examples of this could be using hands-on

techniques, journals, student/teacher conferences, using texts, computer programs,

recordings, and videos (Tomlinson, 2003).

Process. The researcher focused on the learning styles and practices that teachers

use and differentiate instruction to address student needs. Some examples include

independent activities, flexibility in the process, hands-on support, developing agendas,

and different materials that target student learning preferences (Ismajli & Imami-Morina,

2018).

Product. According to Tomlinson (2003), products are tangible reports,

brochures, and other resources that reflect student needs and understanding. Products in

differentiation should provide challenge, variety, and choice (Ismajli & Imami-Morina,

2018; Tomlinson, 2003).

Learning environment. This includes the climate of the classroom; the

researcher used this concept to focus on the differentiation practices that teachers used in

the classroom setting. Examples include preparing the classroom to minimize disruption,

establishing guidelines for independent work that match individual needs and alternative

seating (Tomlinson, 2003).

Today the schools focus a great deal of attention on linguistic and logical-

mathematical intelligence. Using a variety of intelligence when providing instruction,

 37

rather than just one or two, is important because students are diverse, learn in different

ways, and through many intelligences (Armstrong, 2017; Tomlinson, 2014). It is

important to recognize the diversity in the student demographics found in classrooms and

to understand that each learner is different (Gardner, 2018). Due to cultural and

demographic variances, information gathered in the classroom is different and it is

paramount in understanding and answering the questions of how and what differentiated

instructional practices contribute to addressing the diverse needs of students (Kieran &

Anderson, 2018).

Gardner (2018) conjectures that the idea of learning styles is simply a suggestion

of how individuals approach a range of materials. Parra, Orejuela, and Mosquera (2017)

noted that providing students with multiple ways to access content improves learning.

According to Tomlinson (2016), instruction should be informed as much as possible by

detailed knowledge about students’ strengths, needs, and areas of growth.

Experiential learning theory. Learning occurs when the learner is directly in

touch with the realities being studied. In this view, the emphasis is on the direct

participation in the learning experience (Kolb, 2014). The activities of teaching and

learning allow for diverse skills, abilities and prior knowledge of young adolescents,

cultivate multiple intelligences; draw on students’ individual learning styles and utilize

digital tools (Tomlinson, 2014). Kolb (2014) envisaged four stages of learning moving

from the concrete experience in the learning process to reflective observation, abstract

conceptualization, and active experimentation. Learners prefer one of the stages;

therefore, it is incumbent in instructional practices to ensure that each stage is

 38

experienced including the preferred one by the learner so that optimal learning is

achieved.

According to the experiential learning theorists, learning is the process whereby

knowledge is created through the learning experience that is created. Kolb (2014) posits

that learning is a process in which knowledge is created by way of the constant

adaptation to, and engagement with the environment. Common usage of the term

experiential learning comes in part from learning that occurs through life experience;

often contrasted with a lecture or classroom learning. Learning occurs when the learner is

directly in touch with the realities being studied. In this view, the emphasis is on direct

participation in the learning experience (Kolb, 2014).

Differentiated instruction is a way of recognizing and teaching according to

different student talents and learning styles (Morgan, 2014). As a teaching practice,

differentiation is used to accommodate individual student learning thus enabling students

to learn in an inclusive schooling system (Tomlinson, 2014). While numerous examples

of differentiated instructional practices abound in the literature, there is a gap in empirical

evidence on the link between differentiated instructional practices and addressing student

learning in the virtual environment (Halverson et al., 2017).

The process of learning involves the construction of understanding and

application, which requires individuals to make meaning of that learning (Biddulph &

Carr, 2017). Gregory and Chapman (2013) write that differentiated instructional practices

require the building of community, reflection, and validation of the experiences of all

learners, and provide for students a pathway to integrate new knowledge into their unique

perspectives and backgrounds. In consideration of understanding what differentiated

 39

instructional practices are used in the virtual classroom, and how those practices

influence student learning and address student learning needs, the aforementioned theory

provides foundational support for this study.

The differentiation model. The differentiation model by Tomlinson (2016)

describes strategies for teachers to address the learning needs of students. The practice of

differentiation as an instructional practice in the classroom is not new. Since the era of

the one-room schoolhouse, educators have faced the challenge of teaching content to

learners in ways that they understand. If a student cannot learn effectively with one mode

or with one type of content, the effective teacher looks for a different learning mode or a

bridge to the content to help the student learn (Sousa & Tomlinson, 2011). Vygotsky

(1978) describes the idea of scaffolding, which refers to the specific strategies or

structures that help people move along in their development (Brownfield & Wilkinson,

2018). Scaffolds have been referred to as “intellectual supports needed to reach new

levels of understanding” (Mcniff & Aicher, 2017). Below is a model of effective

differentiation that served as a framework in this research:

 40

Figure 1. The model of differentiation by Tomlinson.

As shown above (Figure 1), the differentiation model displays how a teacher

responds to the needs of all learners through differentiation. Effective differentiation

instruction depends on teachers’ beliefs that students can master content. Based on the

needs of the students the teachers differentiate instructional strategies to address the

deficiencies in learning. Tomlinson’s model of differentiation can modify four elements

based on student readiness, interest and learning profile.

 41

Teachers modify the content or what students learn, teachers modify the process

or how students learn or what activities they will use to make sense of the material

presented, teachers modify the product or how students demonstrate what they have

learned, and last teachers modify the effect with attention to students’ feelings and

emotional needs. Tomlinson and Imbeau (2010) describe differentiation as an

instructional approach that “results in an ongoing process of trial, reflection, and

adjustment to the classroom itself.” (p.13).

Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether

teachers differentiate content, process, products or the learning environment, the use of

ongoing assessment and flexibility grouping makes this a successful approach to

instruction (Tomlinson, 2016). Teachers who effectively use differentiation pedagogy

consistently assess student progress in multiple ways, are knowledgeable about effective

pedagogy practices, how students learn and how to meet student needs (Parsons,

Dodman, & Burrowbridge, 2013).

The research expanded on the concepts of the differentiation model by Tomlinson

(2016) to solicit information from teachers. The research endeavored to explore the

differentiated learning strategies in virtual learning environments used by teachers and

how the teachers believe that these instructional practices enhance the learning skills and

needs of students. The research used the concepts of content, product, process, and

learning environment that teachers use for differentiated strategies to provide support to

the student’s evolving understanding of knowledge domains or development of complex

skills, to address their learning needs.

 42

According to the concepts of the differentiation model, the students learn more

when they feel that they can control and interact with the differentiated tools in the virtual

environments (Morgan, 2014). The research explored the differentiated learning

strategies that support the learning needs of the students in virtual learning environments.

Morgan (2014) postulated that it is important for teachers to be aware of the diverse

learning needs of the students to engage students and encourage them to do their best.

The following two research questions were developed using the support from the

differentiation model by Tomlinson (2016) and the theoretical framework of the

experiential learning theory by Kolb (2014).

RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

The two research questions were developed using the support from the theoretical

framework of the experiential learning theory by Kolb (2014) and the differentiation

model of Tomlinson (2016) that guided this research. Tomlinson’s model of

differentiation describes instructional planning in response to student learning needs

(Tomlinson, 2016). Differentiation plays a fundamental role in the development of

cognition as it addresses the learning needs of individual students (Vygotsky, 1978).

According to Tomlinson’s model, the teachers attend to the needs of learners through

differentiated instruction. The model postulates that differentiation includes, content –

that focuses on what is to be learned, process – that involves how students acquire

information, product – that includes how students demonstrate learning considering the
 43

learning styles of students and learning environment – that involves the climate of the

classroom. RQ1 was developed to see how teachers use scaffolding through

differentiated instructional practices in the virtual high school classroom to support the

student’s evolving understanding of knowledge domains or development of complex

skills that help and address the learning needs of the students.

RQ2 was developed using the concept of experiential learning. According to Kolb

(2014) learning involves the acquisition of abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly

in a range of situations. In Kolb’s theory, the stimulus for the development of new

concepts is provided by new experiences. Morgan (2014) postulated that it is important

for teachers to be aware of the diverse learning needs of the students to engage students

and encourage them to do their best. According to Coker and Porter (2015), experiential

learning provides a spectrum of learning opportunities when the diversity of students is

acknowledged. According to their research diverse experiential learning opportunities

should be provided to the students according to their needs. Using these concepts RQ1

was developed to explore what differentiated instruction practices are used by high

school teachers in the virtual classroom to help the learning needs of students.

Tomlinson (2016) outlines learning from instruction that provides specific

alternatives for students to learn as deeply as possible without assuming that student

learning is identical to another student. The research used the theoretical concepts from

the experiential learning theory and Tomlinson’s model of differentiation (2016) to

understand how and what differentiated teaching practices are used by teachers in the

virtual classroom, providing support to answer the two research questions. Teachers and

their differentiated instructional practices were identified through this investigation.

 44

Review of the Literature

Along with the growth surge in the demand for online education, the number of

courses offered via the internet, and the wide variety of degrees that may be obtained in

the virtual learning environment, comes considerable interest in the quality of online

instruction (Manuel & Freiman, 2017). Some major concerns are how instructional

practices used in the virtual learning environment influence academic success and what

instructional practices utilized in the virtual environment influence student academic

achievement (Dack, 2018). Across the globe, virtual educational experiences are

providing learning opportunities for students from kindergarten to college.

Two foundational theories serve as the framework for this qualitative case study.

Experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014) and the differentiation model by Tomlinson

(2016). Kolb’s experiential learning theory serves as a basis for differentiated learning

and provides an understanding of learning and differentiated learning practices.

Kolb (2014) espouses learning as the process whereby knowledge is created and comes

through the experience created in learning.

Experiential learning is often posed in sharp contrast to traditional learning theory

where the teacher is a subject matter expert who transmits information and knowledge to

the student (Kolb, 2014). This “outside-in” approach is positioned in stark contrast to the

“inside- out” approach of experiential learning where student’s interest and intrinsic

motivation becomes a building block of their prior knowledge and experience building,

reflecting and making meaning from previous learning experiences (Kolb, Kolb,

Passarelli, & Sharma, 2014). It outlines learning from instructional practices that provide
 45

student-specific alternatives that deepen learning without assuming that student learning

is identical to other students (Parra et al., 2017).

Tomlinson’s model of differentiation describes instructional planning in response

to student learning needs (Tomlinson, 2014). Differentiation plays a fundamental role in

the development of cognition as it addresses the learning needs of individual students

(Vygotsky, 1978). According to Tomlinson’s model, the teachers attend to the needs of

learners through differentiated instruction. The model postulates that differentiation

includes, content – that focuses on what is to be learned, process – that involves how

students acquire information, product – that includes how students demonstrate learning

considering the learning styles of students and learning environment – that involves the

climate of the classroom.

Historical background. In the 1700’s virtual learning environments were created

when the newspapers placed ads and offered to send lessons to people at home (Kentnor,

2015). The mail-order deliveries of educational lessons continued well into the 1800’s

where adult learners received various educational materials and lessons in many subjects.

Over the years there has been a substantial change in providing educational programming

in ways other than the traditional schools. As technology advanced, so did the

educational practices that were geared to the needs of learners.

With the invention of personal computers and the World Wide Web, education

took a different meaning. The resources available to learners made education accessible

through different media. The practice of using computers in the classroom for instruction

began in the 1980’s. Since that time, we have seen and experienced significant changes in
 46

instructional practices using technology in the traditional brick and mortar school setting,

as well as virtual learning environments.

Prior research has focused on pedagogical practices in the virtual classroom to

understand the coordination of content, pedagogy, and technology underlying the

delivery of a virtual school course (DiPietro et al., 2010). Technological advances

required educational institutions to make a shift to online education and adopt meaningful

and effective online instructional strategies that meet the learning needs of diverse

student demographics (Frazier & Palmer, 2015). The focus of educational institutions and

teachers started shifting to differentiated instruction in virtual learning environments.

Differentiation involves adapting the content, process, product or learning environment to

effectively address the variety of student interests, learning preferences, affective needs

and readiness levels in today's classrooms (Tomlinson, 2015).

The 21st Century student is challenged with creating learning environments that

will enable them to become more aware and responsive to a broadening array of cultures,

languages, experiences, and interests (Tomlinson, 2015). The demands of the 21st

Century virtual learning environment require that the cognitive skills of students must be

developed and empowered to make the students successful (Tomlinson, 2015). Therefore,

learning environments must meet the needs of students and provide support to the needs

of each learner.

Differentiating practices. The practice of differentiation in instruction helps

students and teachers alike. Goddard, Goddard, and Kim (2015) found that school norms

for teaching practices consistent with differentiating instruction were positively and

significantly associated with differences among schools in mathematics and reading

 47

achievement. Providing a variety of classroom activities and a range of assignment

alternatives are key approaches to differentiation instruction. Differentiation helps

students by addressing their individual learning needs to meet educational requirements,

additionally, it helps teachers address educational requirements and meet individual

students’ needs using varied avenues to enhance learning.

In the practice of differentiation, teachers recognize the individual student, their

individual learning needs, and respond accordingly to maximize learning (Manuel &

Freiman, 2017). According to Tomlinson (2016), differentiated instructional practices

involve making changes and adjustments in the learning environments such that students

can learn alongside their peers in an inclusive classroom setting. Differentiation in

instructional practices allows for students to learn as deeply as possible and as quickly as

possible (Tomlinson, 2016). It is matching work to the individual student and their

individual capabilities. The single most important aspect of differentiation is beginning

the instruction where students are (Tomlinson, 2016).

Additionally, Tomlinson (2016) posits three elements that guide differentiated

instruction: content, process, and products. Content and process involve the student’s

need to learn and their opportunity to master learning in different ways, while the product

represents the result of student learning, a reflection of student understanding of subject

content. Tomlinson (2016) posits that educators could reach students in several ways and

offered educators suggestions for how they could create a differentiated learning

environment. Tomlinson (2016) postulated that educators must liken themselves as

hunters and gathers, seeking to discover as much as possible about their students and then
 48

using that information to implement a variety of learning options to address the learning

needs of students

Although heterogeneous instruction is appealing because it addresses the notion

of equity of opportunity for a wide range of students, mixed-ability classrooms do not

meet the mark of academic quality unless the teacher addresses student variances and

individual learning needs (Hapsari, Darhim, & Dahlan, 2018). As society and

educational institutions continue to evolve and endeavor to answer the call of providing

education to diverse student demographics, effective pedagogy will have to meet the

needs of a montage of learners. Differentiation in instructional practices is a pedagogical,

rather than an organizational approach (Dack, 2018)

According to Academic Literacy instruction for adolescents: A guidance

document from the Center on Instruction, there is strong evidence that knowledge related

to the content of the text being presented leads to better reading comprehension. Students

are expected to learn from increasingly technical expository texts during adolescence and

their knowledge base must continue to grow to meet the demands of the text (Torgesen et

al., 2007). To increase students’ depth of understanding and to increase their knowledge

base efficiently, texts that students encounter in the higher grades are written using

increasingly significant assumptions about what they already know. Thus, students who

do not keep pace with the increasing demands of content-area texts placed on prior

knowledge will fall further and further behind in their ability to construct meaning out of

the text.

While research is abundant in educational instruction in different environments,

some researchers argue that differentiation in instruction does not refer to the difference
 49

in learning outcomes but rather to different strategies in achieving those learning

outcomes (Dack, 2018; Dixon, Yssel, McConnell, & Hardin, 2014). The argument for

traditional classroom instruction postulates that traditional instruction ensures that

substantial learning goals for all students are consistent. However, differentiated

instruction offers products that are intended to provide learning opportunities based on

the needs of individual student’s so that they can engage and be motivated to choose their

learning objectives through different sources available to them.

Differentiated instruction practices offer the students an opportunity to choose

learning products outside formal learning setting such as a school classroom (Parra et al.,

2017). According to recent research, there is a shift of content in virtual environments

that replaces formal classroom lectures to more of a learning style that includes the

interaction between the teachers, students, and instructional materials (Madathil, et al.,

2017). Differentiated learning strategies in virtual learning environments provide a

variety of instructional material in various environments including school libraries and

home environments (Dack, 2018).

The premise of differentiated instructional practices used in the virtual classroom

includes elements that support individual student needs with differing abilities, therefore,

maximizing individual success (Dixon et al., 2014). According to Tomlinson (2016),

effective learning environments consist of teachers who are committed to the students

they teach, where they are teaching (the learning environment), what they are teaching

(the content), and how they are teaching (methods of instruction). Research indicates that

learning in the virtual environment can be as effective as learning in the traditional format

when the teaching methods are appropriate, and the student-teacher interaction is
 50

meaningful and balanced with appropriate and timely feedback (Neto, 2017). Heitner and

Jennings (2016) conducted a quantitative study of the quality and efficacy of online

teaching and learning. They found that cultural differences between faculty and their

students can create important challenges in online teaching and learning. Their research

found that online teaching and learning can be enhanced through culturally responsive

pedagogy. They posited that when teachers have the knowledge and skills to implement

best practices in meeting the needs of diverse learners the virtual learning is enhanced.

Challenges in the implementation of differentiated practices. During the last

twenty years, the demand for flexible, convenient learning modalities has increased

significantly. Technology has opened the floodgates for students to access education

without the constraints of time and space (Madathil, et al., 2017). While this has been an

advantage in meeting the flexible educational demands of students, the challenge to

ensure that student learning is accommodated so that academic success can be realized is

daunting (Kuhlthau, Maniotes, & Caspari, 2015).

Today, large numbers of students who are not achieving academically become

increasingly important as schools grapple with the varied and complex interests,

strengths, and educational needs of diverse student populations. The challenge facing

today’s educators is the challenge of preparing students for learning, living and thriving

in a dynamic, cluttered and chaotic information environment of contemporary society

(Kuhlthau et al., 2015).

In spite of the widespread call and support for differentiated instructional

practices, the consistent and systematic implementation of differentiated teaching

practices are the exception rather than the rule in many of today’s classrooms
 51

(Tomlinson, 2014). Although the fundamentals of instruction are the same from

traditional classrooms to the virtual classroom, instructional practices in the virtual

learning environment often call for different skills and dispositions (Yuzer & Eby, 2014).

The need to design and establish instructional standards and practices in the virtual

learning environment is a challenge to the implementation of differentiated instructional

practices yet is essential to long-term success (Tomlinson, 2016). Organizations

responsible for teacher education programs need to emphasize teacher preparation

training (Yuzer & Eby, 2014). DeCoito and Richardson (2018) posit that teacher

professional development initiatives and the need to address not technology knowledge

as much as the interdependence of technology, pedagogy and subject content matter.

Many teachers have had little-to-no experience teaching in the virtual environment. Roy

and Boboc (2016) comment that the skills for teaching in a face to face environment are

not always transferrable. There is a pointed change in the way teaching takes place in an

online format. This calls for an understanding of the teacher role and the competencies

prompted by the paradigm shift. Also, it is possible that some teachers, depending on

their age or years in the field of education, may not have ever had the opportunity to take

an online course as a student (Yuzer & Eby, 2014).

Similarly, Morgan (2015) discussed the challenges in the need to explore

differentiated instructional practices used by teachers and how the learning needs of

students are addressed in a virtual high school classroom. According to Morgan (2015),

as online educational formats have increased, the need to consider the implementation of

consistent differentiated teaching practices that influence student academic success is

paramount. Research on online education teaching practices that employ differentiated

 52

teaching strategies in the virtual environment is lacking (Halverson et al., 2017). Morgan

(2015) directs attention to what we currently know about differentiated instruction, which

is based partly on Vygotsky’s work in the 1970s.

Tomlinson (2016) lead the way in current research in 40 years’ worth of research

on differentiated instruction. Vygotsky (1978) strongly believed that the community

plays a major role in the process of “making meaning” of information. Adults serve as the

conduit for communicating intellectual information while children internalize shared

information during the interactions.

Vygotsky’s hallmark concept, the zone of proximal development, is important as

it relates to the difference between what a child can learn independently and what they

can achieve with guidance and encouragement. Vygotsky (1978) views interactions as

effective ways to develop skills and strategies and suggests that teachers develop and use

cooperative learning strategies to help children develop skills. These strategies appear to

be effective when children who are less competent in an area are helped by more skillful

peers.

The notion that there is diversity in learning abilities, the idea that students learn

differently from one another is not a new concept (Dixon et al., 2014). According to

Tomlinson (2016), instruction that provides specific alternatives for students to learn as

deeply as possible, without assuming that student learning is identical to another student,

is a key component in successful differentiation instructional practices. Teaching a mixed

ability class is a difficult and complex task, especially when instruction is delivered in a

virtual format. Additionally, Morgan (2015) posits that although differentiated instruction
 53

is designed to benefit all students, it requires extremely hard work by knowledgeable and

well-prepared teachers.

Yet other researchers have focused on the beliefs of teachers and the challenges

that they encounter in implementing differentiation in instructional practices (Birnie,

2015; Morgan, 2015). Aftab (2016) surveyed 120 teachers with the intent to uncover

teacher beliefs toward implementing varied instructional strategies to meet diverse

learner needs. The results revealed that 95% of the teachers were willing to implement

differentiated instructional strategies, however, only 40.8% actually implemented those

strategies. Teachers believe that the implementation of differentiated instructional

strategies enhances the academic success of students, motivates students to engage in the

learning, and enhances students’ interest in learning, however; there is a gap in the

implementation of differentiated instructional practices (Morgan, 2015).

The research by Birnie (2015) is in line with recent research and indicated that

differentiated instruction has been around for years. Teachers in one-room schoolhouses

used differentiated instructional practices long before it was called by the name. They

taught children who varied not only in interests but also varied in backgrounds and ages.

Effective teaching methodology has always addressed varying needs and interests of

students and as long as this remains the primary goal in teaching, differentiated

instruction will be the primary means to achieve it (Birnie, 2015).

Research has focused on the professional development of teachers to stay abreast

of technological advances and increase the effectiveness in instructional practices through

differentiation. Ruggiero and Mong (2015) conducted a study and surveyed 1,048

teachers from over 100 school corporations that answered six questions about classroom
 54

technology tools and professional development involving technology. They found that

while technology integration was pervasive in the classroom, the predominant tool used

was PowerPoint. Follow-up interviews were conducted with teachers to examine the

relationship between teachers’ daily classroom activities and the use of technology. The

results indicated that teachers with student-centered technology activities were supported

by student-centered pedagogical practices in other areas. Teachers indicated there were

barriers to the integration of teaching practices and the use of technology primarily due to

lack of training, restricted curriculum, and overcoming barriers from peers.

Recommendations were made for restructuring professional development and other

teaching strategies for better contextualization of technology in the classroom to meet

student learning needs (Ruggiero & Mong, 2015).

Similarly, this literature review indicates that there is evidence in research that a

mismatch between the teaching style of instructors and the learning style of students can

result in decreased student learning with the student being less interested in the subject

matter. According to Kise (2017), the rapidity of change in education calls for educators

to meet the increasingly diverse needs of students and be accountable for high levels of

academic success. Learning is something that we do almost every moment of the day, as

we assimilate and adapt to the environmental influences around us (Mueller, 2017).

According to Mueller (2017), “Man learns best when he most urgently needs and wants

to know. He learns best when he feels good about what he is learning” (p 1). The practice

of providing a variety of classroom assignments that offer alternative approaches to

learning and understanding content is a key approach in the use of differentiated

instructional practices.
 55

Virtual learning. The demand for virtual educational formats is worldwide.

Virtual learners are diverse and demanding, presenting opportunities and challenges for

educators to undergird the variety of cultures in the classroom, learning styles, and

educational gaps as they respond to individual learning needs (Manuel & Freiman, 2017).

The goal of this research was to explore what differentiated instructional pedagogy

practices are used in the virtual learning environment and how those practices influence

student academic success.

Over the years of extensive research in virtual learning environments has gained

popularity in the use of educational environments to enhance the needs of a diverse

student population. Researchers have looked at virtual learning environments from the

viewpoint of both the students and the teachers. In a recent research study, Parra et al.

(2017) found that students were motivated and felt enthusiastic about virtual learning

environments. Their research indicated that students desired the use of technology in their

lessons.

While recent research has focused on technological advances and increasing the

use of the technology and virtual learning environments in education and lesson plans,

not all research indicates that virtual learning environments are beneficial in enhancing

educational opportunities for students. In a recent research Makransky, Terkildsen, and

Mayer (2017) found that while virtual learning environments are expected to create a

paradigm shift in the educational world, there is little or no evidence that it has

educational value. In their research, they found that virtual learning environments could

be overwhelming and may be distracting to learners and may diminish their learning

opportunities. Along the same lines, Markowitz, Laha, Perone, Pea, and Bailenson (2018)
 56

indicated that the effectiveness of virtual learning environments as an educational tool is

undermined if the users have limited access or experience of the use of technology. They

posited that the integrity of the virtual world must meet the expectations of the users so

that they can maximize the benefits of such educational tools.

Despite varying perspectives in research regarding the use of virtual learning

environments, there is evidence that the use of technology in education is beneficial and

can be used to maximize learning. McKnight, et al. (2016) researched the successful use

of technology and how the benefits to the digital instructions can be maximized. They

posited that the effectiveness of virtual learning is not determined by the technology,

rather by how technology enables teaching and learning. Along the same lines,

Vishwanath, Kam, and Kumar (2017) found that virtual learning created engagement and

interest in students when used in an effective manner. Their research indicated that

regular classrooms that lacked virtual learning opportunities did not generate as much

interest in students and the students considered those as boring.

Online education is no longer a trend. Today, all 50 states, as well as

Washington, D.C., offer some virtual learning experience in K-12 education. According

to Online Report Card, the observed growth rate from 2013 to 2014 of the number of

students taking at least one class in the virtual learning environment was 3.9% up from

the 3.7% rate of the previous year (Allen & Seaman, 2016). The total of 5.8 million falls

2014 distance education students are composed of 2.85 million taking all of their courses

online and 2.97 million taking some, but not all, courses by way of this educational

pathway (Allen & Seaman, 2016).

 57

Online education offers opportunities to a wide variety of individuals seeking

educational pathways that are flexible and accessible (Sirakaya & Cakmak, 2018). The

anytime, anywhere education is here to stay. While the evolution of online educational

opportunities continues to be a viable choice for many students, there is a need to explore

how differentiated instructional practices influence the academic performance of students

in the virtual classroom and how those differentiated instructional practices are used

(Morgan, 2015).

The multiplicity in accessing educational opportunities is plentiful; from

homeschooling to private schools, there are many school choices and venues where

students can obtain an education. Alongside these varied educational settings comes the

diversity of instructional leadership and instructional strategies. The diversity of the 21st

Century classroom mandates the need for instructional staff to balance the requirements

of state-mandated student achievement scores against meeting the diverse needs of

students within the classroom (Manuel & Freiman, 2017).

According to the 26th Annual Report to Congress on the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act, 96% of general education teachers have students with a

learning disability in the classroom. Additionally, teachers have the added responsibility

of working with students in the classroom irrespective of traditional or virtual

environments. Whether it is in a brick and mortar setting, or an online environment,

students come from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds (Mahoney & Hall,

2017).

The demand for quality educational formats offered to students in the virtual

learning environment is a current theme discussed in recent literature. Veletsianos (2016)

 58

comments that over the past 20 years, the demand for virtual educational formats has

expanded and the appetite for emerging platforms continues to increase. Additionally,

Marks (2016) discusses the delivery of quality learning systems in the virtual educational

format. The quality of instructional practices demonstrates skilled instructors utilize

methods, materials, and strategies to enhance instruction. Furthermore, Dixon et al.

(2014) sharpen the focus in the literature on teacher practices and processes highlighting

differentiated instructional practices to enhance student skills and proficiency. Today, the

horizon of educational reform is both bleak and bright.

Educators face the daily demand for educating students who come from diverse

backgrounds representing a global culture. The mandate to understand the needs of

students and provide successful pathways for individual learning is critical, as these

students must be prepared to succeed in the global marketplace. Our robust technological

advancements have made access to education available for all students. This access is

flexible, providing students the option to learn at their own pace, without the structure of

time and/or designated classroom.

Possible themes. Several thematic topics emerge in the exploration of research on

differentiated instructional practices and the influence of those practices on student

academic achievement. The research by Dixon et al. (2014) focused on teacher practices

and processes used in differentiating instruction and student learning skills in the virtual

classroom. Veletsianos (2016) considered today’s changing student demographics and

opportunities presented in virtual education. Veletsianos (2016) suggested that over the

past 20 years’ demand for virtual education formats have expanded and the appetite for

emerging learning platforms continues to increase. Marks (2016) considered the systems
 59

of delivery of differentiate instruction along with materials and strategies used in the

virtual learning environment. Marks (2016) commented that the quality of instructional

practices demonstrated how skilled instructors utilized methods, materials and strategies

to enhance instruction. Some possible themes that emerged from the literature review are

addressed below:

Teacher instructional practices in virtual classrooms. There are several factors

that have contributed to the changing landscape of classroom learning and the delivery

systems of that learning (Dack, 2018). Some of the factors that have influenced student

learning in the classroom have occurred due to federal mandates such as the Common

Core Standards, Every Student Succeeds Act or the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act. Each one of these acts holds as a fundamental platform that each and

every student should be afforded equal access to learning.

Classrooms today are filled with students who represent a wide range of cultural

and linguistic diversity. Teachers face the task of presenting learning material while

recognizing and undergirding differing learning styles and multicultural diversity

(Madathil, et al., 2017). The diversity and uniqueness of today’s students mandates that

students and teachers work together toward a common goal of thinking proficiently

(Parra et al., 2017). The ability to take in and make sense of new information, connect

and apply that information, reason and create new knowledge, is foundational in the

learning environment (Cash, 2017).

Over the years of extensive research, the definition and meaning of differentiation

of instructional practices were viewed differently in traditional classrooms and virtual

learning environments. Researchers identified differentiated instruction in standard

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classrooms as stable and unified learning goals for all students in one setting (Dack,

2018; Tomlinson, 2014). However, several researchers had a different view of

instructional practices in virtual learning environments.

Dixon et al. (2014) posited that teachers who differentiate their instruction

respond to learners needs in ways that provide for them to present content (content

differentiation) recognize the way content is learned (the process dimension) and explore

the ways students respond to the content (product dimension). Along the same lines,

Beasley and Beck (2017) posited that a foundational goal in differentiation instructional

practices in the classroom is to ensure that teachers focus on effective student learning

using instructional modifications that enhance, support and influence student academic

achievement. Similarly, Tomlinson (2016) postulated that at its most basic level

differentiating instruction means “shaking up” what goes on in the classroom so that each

student is provided with multiple options of taking and making sense of the information,

making sense of ideas, and having the opportunity to express what they have learned.

The 21st Century classroom faces the challenge of providing meaningful learning

experiences for every student in the face of addressing learning gaps, cultural diversity,

and very diverse learning styles. The students in the 21 Century have grown up in a fast-

paced digital world. They easily tune out traditional classroom-based lectures, opting for

learning opportunities that can be accessed at any time, anywhere (Madathil, et al., 2017).

Traits of students in the 21st century may be defined as special, sheltered, confident,

team-oriented, conventional, pressured and achieving (Phillips & Trainor, 2014). They

expect to have what they need to succeed academically and their reliance on technology

is without question an integral part of their lives. Kivunja (2014) argues that a shift is
 61

needed in pedagogy and curriculum towards an emphasis on critical thinking and

problem- solving. Zimlich (2015) found that educational technology use with students is

shaped by factors such as teacher attitudes and expertise, available equipment and

support, and pedagogical decisions related to working with technology.

Effective best practices in the virtual classroom are proactive, as instructional

practices are robustly planned so that each learner’s needs are adequately met

(Tomlinson, 2014). Effective best practices are student-centered and connect the learner

to content, understanding how students go about making sense of the information and

demonstrate what they have learned (Beasley & Beck, 2017). In the virtual learning

environment, where students may often be isolated by distance from peers or teachers, it

is incumbent on teachers to actively engage with the student, the material and provide

optional pathways for mastering content so that student academic success is realized

(Meyer, 2014). These collective relationships are crucial for individual student success.

Effective teaching practices in the virtual learning environment have a sharp focus on

what is required for the student to know and be able to do, are determined to address

individual learning experiences so that essential competencies are mastered (Cash, 2017).

The theme, teacher instructional practices in virtual classrooms, is in alignment

with recent research and gets its support from the theoretical frameworks of the

experiential learning theory by Kolb (2014) and Tomlinson’s (2016) model of

differentiation. Recent research has demonstrated that differentiated instructional

practices enhance learning outcomes and perceived engagement with the technical

curriculum (Madathil, et al., 2017). According to Kolb (2014) learning involves the

acquisition of abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations and
 62

the stimulus for the development of new concepts is provided by new experiences. The

role teachers play in virtual classrooms through differentiated instructional practices will

provide new concepts and experiences for students to engage and be motivated to

succeed.

Similarly, using the concepts of the differentiation model by Tomlinson (2016)

this research will explore what differentiated teaching practices teachers use in the virtual

high school classroom to support the students’ learning needs.

Virtual learning enhances student learning experiences. Worldwide,

educational systems are facing enormous shifts as a result of today’s socio-cultural,

political, economic, demographic, and technological changes (Veletsianos, 2016). Social

media, gaming, adaptive software, and other emerging technologies have provided

pathways for students to access digital learning and digital learning contexts in a myriad

of ways. The demand for emerging approaches to educational delivery systems continues

to grow.

According to The Distance Education Enrollment Report conducted by Digital

Learning Compass, there are now over six million students enrolled in an education

course through virtual learning (Allen & Seaman, 2017). According to the National

Education Policy Center growth in the number of students enrolling in a virtual

educational learning environment increased by 17,000 students in the calendar years of

2015 and 2017 (Miron, Shank, & Davidson, 2018). Christensen, Horn, and Johnson

(2008) posited that by 2019, fifty percent of all high school courses will be delivered in a

virtual (online) educational environment. The proportion of academic leaders who report
 63

that online learning is critical to their institution’s long-term strategy for growth has

grown from 48.8% in 2002 to 70.8% in 2015 (Allen & Seaman, 2015).

Alongside the demand for virtual learning formats is the need for educators to

design learning opportunities using the virtual formats in ways that provide for content to

be presented flexibly, be student-centered and engaging, maximizing student interests

(Meyer, 2014). The old paradigm of people learning and working in isolation is passé.

Today, a wide array of people take part in online communities where they share opinions,

ideas, insights, plans, goals, and aspirations (Meyer, 2014). Social media has transformed

teaching and learning environments. Instagram, Flickr, and Twitter offer dazzling

opportunities to share the latest experiences and upload to the virtual world

instantaneously. Accessibility, convenience, and flexibility are key factors in the

selection of a virtual education format. The student demographics today have grown up in

an environment immersed in technology, where access to technology in life is the norm

(Domenech et al., 2016).

According to Serdyukov (2017), the need for educational innovation has become

acute. Serdyukov (2017) posits that education is a social institution, indispensable to

society. It should be superb and sustainable as well as continuously evolving to meet the

ever-changing needs of students and teachers. Hapsari et al. (2018) posit that the

selection and coordination of pedagogy, technology, and content is a primary task for

educators to provide students with quality online learning opportunities. Today’s

educational systems are required to be both efficient and effective, reaching mandated

goals. According to Hapsari et al. (2018), differentiated instruction is not easy to

implement. Teachers need to be able to constantly assess the students and have good
 64

knowledge of pertinent materials and instructions. Even though it is time-consuming the

teachers still have to adequately prepare the instructions.

According to Alhalabi (2016), the pressure to increase equity and improve

educational outcomes for students continues to grow both nationally and internationally.

Innovations that are leaving an indelible print on educational institutions and thus

creating the demand for virtual formats in education are the globalization of the economy,

new information landscape, new and ever-changing technologies, and increased hyper-

connectivity (Makransky et al., 2017). Online educational systems must be outfitted with

hardware, software, and curricula designed to promote a collaborative learning

environment. Rich and meaningful learning experiences offered in the virtual setting

allow students to relate, respond and realize academic success. The motto at the state-run

Florida Virtual School (FLVS), “any time, any place, any path, and any pace”, speaks

volumes to the multiple levels of personalization possible in virtual schools and the

critically important need to provide student-centered learning experiences.

Recent studies on online instruction, e-learning, and student satisfaction found

students rated their online experiences as satisfactory, with convenience being the most

cited reason (Dack, 2018). Parra et al. (2017) reviewed the characteristics that contribute

to the success of virtual education programs. According to their research, virtual learning

environments that help students gain new concepts and skills and prepare students for

success is optimal.

Quality of learning in the virtual classroom. The fast-paced technological

advances make virtual learning environments quite challenging. The types of knowledge

acquisition and development of skills require innovative approaches in instructional

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practices to foster academic success (Parra et al., 2017). For quality education to occur in

the classroom, consideration of the unique abilities, interests, and needs of learners in the

virtual classroom must take center stage (Dack, 2018). Consideration of the way learners

learn and the use of practical applications of differentiated instructional practices enhance

and support student learning. Learning in the online environment requires efficient

strategies to provide effective learning experiences for the learner (Meyer, 2014).

According to Kolb (2014), the avenue whereby knowledge is created comes

through the experience created in the process of learning. On the other hand, Tomlinson

(2016) espouses that learning from instruction comes when alternatives are provided to

students to learn as deeply as possible within the bounds of their individual learning

styles. Quality education is supported by three key initiatives: ensuring access to quality

teachers, providing access to the use of quality learning tools, which support academic

success, and ensuring a safe and supportive quality learning environment (Tomlinson,

2014). Any group of students is very likely to demonstrate considerable differences and

characteristics in learning.

Hapsari et al. (2018) considered classroom teaching practices to prevent school

failure. These authors investigated how educators could differentiate instruction to

improve students’ comprehension of the material presented. Their research found that

educators might change content, process, and product of teaching to assist diverse

learners, implement lessons aligned to individual students’ prior level of knowledge,

critical thinking, and expression styles but maintain the foundations of content.

As classrooms of the 21st century continue to become more culturally diverse,

populated with students whose skills and expertise in a subject range from novice to
 66

expert or no experience at all, it becomes more imperative that instruction is

differentiated. Teachers incorporate quality learning platforms by providing pathways for

students to learn through modifying instruction which allows for increased academic

success and improvement. Modifying instruction to tap into student interests is likely to

result in greater student engagement, higher levels of intrinsic motivation, higher student

productivity, greater student autonomy, increased achievement and improved self-

competence (Dack, 2018). Motivation is critical in learning (Kim, Park, Cozart, & Lee,

2015). Students generally engage in learning when teachers differentiate instruction to

accommodate their individual learning differences and learning gaps (Hapsari et al.,

2018). The process of differentiation not only requires the understanding of what students

know and should be able to do, but it also requires a different orientation for pedagogy

and pathways to learning in the virtual classroom.

Kolb (2014) describes learning as a complex combination of thinking, feeling,

perceiving and behaving. Learning is a major process of human adaptation. This concept

is much broader than commonly associated with the school classroom. It occurs in all

human settings, from schools to the workplace, from the research laboratory to the

management in the boardroom, in personal relationships and aisles of the grocery store. It

encompasses all life stages, from childhood to adolescence, to middle and old age.

Therefore, it encompasses other, more limited adaptive concepts such as creativity,

problem-solving, decision making, and attitude change that heavily on one another of the

basic concepts of adaptation.

There is a strong connection between how students learn and what they learn.

Prior research studies confirm teaching and learning environments matter (Fraser, 2015).
 67

Instructional strategies that focus on higher-order thinking, as well as personalize the

learning to meet individual students’ specific needs, are critical elements on-demand in

the virtual classroom. Kuhlthau et al. (2015) posited that technology tools have become

part of our everyday life and provide great benefits however; there are potential dangers

as well. The advantage of immediate access to quick answers has also created a lazy

approach to getting answers. The gap between a question forming in your mind and an

answer appearing at the top of your screen is getting smaller and smaller.

Instructional strategies should include opportunities for students to ask deep,

critical thinking questions and search for meaningful answers (Melville, 2015). In a study

conducted in Texas with at-risk high school students, researchers found that students

learned significantly more in an interactive instructional environment studying quadratic

functions than those in a control group who studied the same concepts by way of

traditional lecture, note-taking and drill and skill practice (Coubergs, Struyven,

Vanthournout, & Engels, 2017). Students who worked with teachers alongside their

online experience were much more likely to develop an interest in the subject, increase

their engagement with the materials and increase their academic success (Darling-

Hammond, Zielezinski, & Goldman, 2014).

Initial efforts to identify K-12 instructional best practices are scarce. One case

study conducted by Borup and Stevens (2017) conducted interviews among students and

found students valued teachers’ efforts to develop caring relationships, facilitate dialogue,

design and organize engaging learning activities and provide personalized instruction.

However, in this same case study, students found teachers varied considerably in their

ability to effectively perform activities (Borup & Stevens, 2017).

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Teachers often struggle to provide tailored learning activities, that are well suited

for their students. Researchers have focused on how teachers handle these challenges in

providing differentiation strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners. Coubergs et al.

(2017) found that teachers use flexibility in the extent to which the teachers differentiated

their instruction related to the interests of students, the readiness of the students and the

learning profile of the students. Understanding instructional best practices in a virtual

learning environment require new and different skills for teachers. In 2012, Minnesota

enacted a bill (MN S 1528) requiring teacher preparation programs include the

knowledge and skills teacher candidates need to deliver digital and blended learning and

curriculum and engage students with technology (Molnar et al., 2015).

In a similar manner, Borup and Stevens’ (2017) research employed a case study

methodology using interviews to explain students’ perceived value of teacher efforts to

develop teacher-learner relationships. The case study methodology is appropriate for this

study as it investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth within its real-life context

(Yin, 2015). Conversely, Dixon et al. (2014) used quantitative research methodology to

quantify the relationship between instructional practices, teacher efficacy, and self-

efficacy beliefs.

This research on understanding what differentiated instructional practices are used

in the virtual classroom and how they are used was best addressed through the lens of a

qualitative case study. Differentiated instructional practices integrate into several themes

found in the research. As the demand for quality educational formats increases, quality

learning systems, and differentiated teaching practices will be integral to student

academic success. Educators wrestle with the complexities of differentiated instruction

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and although not a new concept it is increasingly important in schools where students are

not achieving the highest levels of academic success (Meyer, 2014)

Differential teaching techniques help address the learning needs of students.

Differentiated teaching techniques help learners by providing alternate and multiple paths

of learning. According to Parra et al., (2017), with technological advancement teachers

can use multiple tools and applications that contribute to the differentiation purpose. A

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is such a tool which is a source that can store many

applications and can connect to external websites and many other internet resources for

educational purposes.

Parra et al. (2017) found that students feel fervent and motivated towards the use

of VLEs. This is in alignment with the theoretical framework of the learning theory by

Kolb (2014) which posits learning concepts can be applied flexibly in a range of

situations and environments. According to this theory, providing new experiences that

develop new concepts can provide motivation and increase enthusiasm. The researcher

used these concepts of the theory to explore how differentiated instruction practices are

used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of

students.

Dixon et al. (2014) conducted a research study to investigate the relationship

between differentiated instructional practices and teacher efficacy and a sense of self-

efficacy beliefs. They found the number of professional development hours in learning

differentiated instruction was positively correlated to the teacher’s sense of efficacy

beliefs. They researched teacher practices and processes used in differentiating

instruction and student learning skills in the virtual classroom.

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Similarly, the differentiation model (Tomlinson, 2016) uses differentiation

strategies in the process of learning and interaction. Using the concepts of content,

product, process, and learning environment, of this model, the researcher explored what

differentiated teaching practices teachers use in the virtual high school classroom to

support the learning needs of students. A possible theme that may emerge from this

exploration could be, Differential teaching techniques help address the learning needs of

students.

Methodology. The researcher reviewed several similar empirical articles to see

the research methodology and design, and to learn about the data collection procedures

and instruments to select a method most appropriate for the research. Borup and Stevens

(2017) used a qualitative methodology to identify efforts to identify K-12 online

instructional best practices and standards in a cyber-chartered high school. Similarly,

Beckman, Bennett, and Lockyer (2014) used a qualitative methodology to understand

students’ use and value of technology for learning. A qualitative methodology was

appropriate for these studies as the purpose of the research was not to identify cause and

effect or establish relationships between variables as done in a quantitative method.

Since the goal of the current research was to explore how differentiated instruction may

influence academic success, a qualitative methodology was more appropriate for the

research.

Robinson and Maldonado (2014) used a qualitative methodology for investigating

perceptions of teacher participants from elementary, middle and high school successfully

differentiating instruction. Data collection included interviews, surveys, and other

documents. The study discussed how differentiated instruction meets the needs of all
 71

students. Robinson and Maldonado (2014) posited that differentiation creates lessons for

all students based on readiness, interests and prior learning.

According to Yin (2015), qualitative research methods are empirical inquiries that

investigate a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context; this is especially

beneficial when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clear or

evident, and in which multiple sources of evidence are used. Qualitative research is by

definition subjective (but non-judgmental) in nature and most investigations are

performed in a natural setting where the participants are most comfortable and where the

topic can be examined in the environment where it is commonly observed (Kruth, 2015).

Therefore, the research study endeavored to understand the differentiated approaches the

teachers use in virtual high school classrooms, and how these approaches influence the

academic success of students. Since the research seeks to help readers understand what

differentiated instructional approaches are used and how they contribute to student

academic success, a qualitative methodology was deemed more appropriate for the

inquiry.

A quantitative inquiry was not appropriate for the study as the purpose of this

research was not to establish relationships or determine cause and effect. Quantitative

research methods make predictions and test theory, rather than understanding the

phenomena. Research studies that employ quantitative methods use numerical and

statistical analyses to interpret data. Dixon et al., (2014) conducted quantitative research

investigating the relationship between differentiated instructional practices and teacher

efficacy and a sense of self-efficacy beliefs. Their study intended to examine the
 72

relationship between two variables and hence the choice of a quantitative methodology

was most appropriate.

Additionally, Madathil et al. (2017) conducted a quantitative study to investigate

the extent to which virtual reality-based education enhances learning outcomes and

perceived engagement with the technical curriculum. They used a quantitative method as

this method was appropriate to establish a cause-effect relationship among a group of

variables in the research study. The research intended to control for all variables except

the independent variable which would be manipulated. The effects of the independent

variable on the dependent variable were collected and analyzed for a relationship.

Similarly, Shabiralyani et al. (2015) used a quantitative methodology to establish

a relationship of visual aids to motivation in student learning. They used closed-ended

questions to collect data. Since the research is not establishing a relationship between

variables, testing theory, or making predictions a quantitative method would not have

been appropriate for this research study.

This research study used a qualitative case study to explore the differentiated

instructional practices used by teachers in virtual learning environments. The study

explores how the teachers use these techniques to enhance the learning and success of

high school students in charter schools. According to Yin (2017), the uniqueness of a case

study method comes from its ability to be combined with other qualitative methods. This

case study provided an intensive analysis of a phenomenon and therefore it is appropriate

for this research study.

Lampard and Pole (2106) posited a case study design is best suited when the

researcher seeks to explore and understand rather than to validate and quantify. Prior
 73

research studies have used a case study design to explore differentiated instructional

practices and how it influences academic success and learning of students. In a recent

study, a single case study design was used by Swan, et al., (2015) to investigate a virtual

learning lab (VLL) in a rural school district. This virtual learning lab was created to better

meet the unique needs of exceptional students who are considered gifted. Researchers

used multiple data sources which included focus groups, classroom observations, and

interviews. Borup and Stevens (2017) employed a case study methodology to explain

students’ perceived value of teacher efforts to develop teacher-learner relationships. In

the same manner, this current research utilized a case study design to explore the

differentiated instructional instructions used by teachers and how these techniques

enhance the learning and success of high school students.

Instrumentation. In a recent research study, Borup and Stevens (2017) employed

a case study methodology and used interviews to explain students’ perceived value of

teacher efforts to develop teacher-learner relationships. Data collection in qualitative

studies involves various methods such as interviews, case study, artifacts, observations,

personal experiences, introspection, productions, and visual texts (Yin, 2017).

Quantitative methods use surveys and artifacts to collect data. Beasley and Beck

(2017) used a survey to collect data from 118 participants to understand how online

teachers meet the needs of diverse learners in two cyber schools. Similarly, Shabiralyani

et al. (2015) collected data using surveys and artifacts to collect data from teachers to

understand the impact of visual aids in enhancing the learning process of students.

This research used questionnaires, teacher interviews, teacher observations, and

lesson plans to collect data for this qualitative research study. The research used a
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questionnaire to select potential teachers for participation in the subsequent one on one

in-depth interview. Twelve to fifteen participants from chartered schools in Arizona were

invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. The open-ended questions allowed

the teachers to provide the researcher with data on their views and beliefs of

differentiated instructional practices and how they believe these practices address the

learning needs of students in the virtual learning environment. Data collected from this

source provided rich information to answer RQ1 and RQ2.

In the study, the researcher reviewed 14 lesson plans with a minimum of one

lesson plan from each teacher. The lesson plans provided an opportunity to learn about

the differentiated instructional plans the teachers use. Data collected was corroborated

with data from other sources. For example, the review of lesson plans might indicate the

use of a video game strategy which allows the student to engage through online gaming

response to a particular challenge in a course. This lesson plan was compared to the

observations and the teacher interview to see if these provide consistent data regarding

the learning experiences of the students. Lesson plans provided data to answer RQ1 and

RQ2.

The researcher engaged in classroom observations to collect data. Classroom

teacher observations were conducted on what practices were used in the virtual classroom

and how they were used. The researcher made notes of the observations to determine

differentiated instructional practices in the virtual learning environment. The classroom

observations provided information about student engagement with their online course,

observe first- hand how teachers use additional instructional supports to enhance learning

and how those additional supports contribute to course material understanding to address
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the needs of the students. According to Yin (2017), observation is a method used by the

researcher which includes taking notes, using a checklist, gathering other materials

designed to generate data on activities and or behaviors, observed in the classroom. The

researcher used multiple sources of data to collect rich data and triangulated data across

different sources.

Summary

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore what

differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they are used in the

virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students, in Arizona. It is

not known what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they

are used in the virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students.

The focus of this study was on what differentiated instructional practices are used in the

virtual classroom and how those differentiation instructional practices are used to address

the learning needs of the students.

Differentiated instruction is largely acknowledged as a viable instructional

strategy in the classroom. Pedagogical practices that create learning environments

promoting individual student learning and are critical to the virtual learning environment.

This study focused on addressing evidence of differentiated instructional practices used

in the virtual classroom and how those differentiated instructional practices address the

learning needs of students in the virtual classroom.

Although the literature highlights the significance of the practice of differentiated

instruction designed for the virtual classroom there, is a gap in the research that does not

explore those practices and delineate what those practices are and how they are used in
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the promotion of academic achievement. Morgan (2015) advised more research to be

conducted on teaching practices and their influence in online courses, student learning

and addressing the learning needs of the students. It is evident that all learners are

different, and this creates a need for all teaching to be differentiated (Hapsari et al.,

2018). In a recent research study, Jang et al. (2017) found that direct manipulation of the

virtual environment facilitated the embodiment of the anatomical structure and helped

participants maintain a clear frame of reference while interacting, which particularly

supported participants with low spatial ability. The results of their study found there is

added value for directly manipulating virtual 3-D structures. While there is evidence in

the existing literature that differentiated instructional practices are used in virtual

classrooms, research is lacking on what instructional practices are used by teachers and

how these differentiated instructional practices enhance learning and address the earning

needs of students in virtual environments (Morgan, 2015).

In a recent study, Kahn et al. (2017) found that learning in the virtual classroom

represents concepts of learner centeredness through flexibility in when, where, and how

learning takes place, often providing content flexibility. Existing literature points to the

value of increasing student engagement techniques in online learning to enhance student

success (Meyer, 2014). According to Allen and Seaman (2016), even though the number

of higher education students studying online and taking online courses continues to grow,

there is a lack of academic guidance which makes online learning more complex. They

identified the need to guide academic practices in virtual learning environments can

increase student engagement through online learning practices. Today’s students are a

visually oriented generation. To robustly engage with students, the teacher should
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incorporate technology such as videos, cell phones, and the Internet. The C stands for

Connected. Today’s student is more socially and technologically connected than ever

before (Pittman & Edmond, (2016).

In a recent research study, Shabiralyani et al. (2015) found teaching/learning

resources mostly used by high school teachers were textbooks and teachers continued to

rely heavily on these resources to teach. Their research identified a gap in teaching

methods and resources that teachers use. Morgan (2015) suggested additional research is

needed on teaching best practices that will be a conduit to more favorable student

academic outcomes in the virtual learning environment. The research endeavored to fill

this gap. The following two research questions guided this research study:

RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

The two research questions were developed using support from the theoretical

framework of the experiential learning theory by Kolb (2014) and the differentiation

model of Tomlinson (2016). Tomlinson’s model of differentiation describes instructional

planning in response to student learning needs (Tomlinson, 2016). Differentiation plays a

fundamental role in the development of cognition as it addresses the learning needs of

individual students (Vygotsky, 1978). According to Tomlinson’s model, the teachers

attend to the needs of learners through differentiated instruction. The model postulates

that differentiation includes, content – which focuses on what is to be learned, process –

which involves how students acquire information, product – which includes how students
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demonstrate learning considering the learning styles of students and learning environment

– which involves the climate of the classroom.

For this qualitative case study three sources of data were used a) Classroom

teacher observations were used to collect data regarding the differentiated instructional

practices used by teachers to meet individual student learning needs. b) One-on-one

teacher interviews were conducted to explore the perceptions of teachers regarding the

use of differentiated instruction in virtual environments and how they believe these

practices address the learning needs of the high school students, c). Lesson plans such as

lesson plans, videos, gaming videos, and other differentiated instructional materials were

reviewed to collect data on how teachers prepare the differentiated instruction plan which

is learner specific and designed to boost the learning of high school students.

Additionally, an initial questionnaire was used to gather demographic information of the

participants and select participants for one-on-one individual interviews using purposeful

sampling. This was not a data source to collect data used to answer the research

questions. Emerging themes found in the research point to the demand for quality virtual

educational formats (Veletsianos, 2016), quality learning systems in the virtual classroom

(Marks, 2016), teacher practices and processes used in differentiating instruction and

student learning skills in the virtual classroom (Dixon et al., 2014). Classrooms that

balance structure and flexibility make room for student variances thus enabling student

engagement with complex content and understanding (Tomlinson, 2015).

This qualitative case study methodology was chosen to contribute to and advance

scientific knowledge on what differentiated instructional practices are used in the virtual

classroom and how those practices address the learning needs of the students.
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Differentiated instruction stems from the belief that there are differences in individual

learning experiences (Kolb, 2014) and that learning occurs best when alternatives to

content is presented in ways which address the individual and their specific learning

needs (Tomlinson, 2014). The elements of differentiated instructional practices include

flexibility in the choice of presentation of materials, creativity within those choices to

enlist student engagement and continued instructional support provided to struggling

students.

The mandate for educators and educational institutions lies in the urgency to

prepare all students with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the demands of the

21st century and the ever-increasing demands for virtual education. This will require a

shift in instructional practices to one which supports and believes all students can succeed

when given a chance to experience learning designed to enlist, engage and empower them

in purposefully designed learning opportunities. This study aimed to explore the

differentiated instructional practices used by teachers in virtual learning environments

and how these differentiated instructions address the learning needs of high school

students in charter schools in Arizona.

Therefore, this qualitative case study explored using in-depth interviews to gain

insight into the views of teachers regarding differential instructions in virtual learning and

to collect rich and detailed data to study the differentiated instruction practices used by

teachers in virtual learning environments in charter schools in Arizona. Data was

collected through a questionnaire, in-depth interviews, teacher classroom observations,

and lesson plans. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis-the details of which are

found in chapter 3. Chapter 3 provides the justification for the methodology used, the
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instrumentation, population and sample selection, data collection and management, data

analysis procedures and will discuss ethical considerations. The chapter also discusses the

limitations and delimitations of the study and concludes with a summary of the chapter.
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Chapter 3: Methodology

Introduction

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore what

differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they are used in the

virtual high school classroom to address the learning of high school students, in Arizona.

A review of literature indicated there is need to explore what differentiated instructional

practices are used by teachers and how they are used in the virtual high school classroom

to address the learning needs of students (Halverson et al., 2017; Morgan, 2015;

Shabiralyani et al., 2015; Smets & Struyven, 2018; Suprayogi et al., 2017). The goal of

the current research was to explore what differentiated instructional practices were used

in the virtual learning environment and how those practices contributed to the diverse

learning needs of students, to fill the existing gap in the literature.

Virtual educational experiences have gained popularity across the globe.

Education is now not limited by distance and the demands for virtual educational formats

are worldwide. Virtual learners are diverse and demanding, presenting opportunities and

challenges for educators to undergird the variety of cultures in the classroom, learning

styles and educational gaps as they respond to individual learning needs (McKnight et al.,

2016). The practice of differentiation allows teachers to accommodate the requirements

of students who come from different backgrounds, preferences, and needs (Manuel &

Freiman, 2017). Building on the theoretical framework of the experiential learning theory

by Kolb (2014) and the differentiation model by Tomlinson (2016) the current research

study explored the various instructional and differentiation methods used by teachers to

address the individual learning needs of students in the virtual learning environments.
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Differentiation allows students to have multiple options for learning and a differentiated

classroom provides different avenues for students to acquire content, to process ideas,

and to use diverse learning products so each student can learn effectively (Ismajli &

Imami-Morina, 2018).

Chapter 3 begins by presenting the research topic, purpose, the problem statement

and reintroduces the research questions which are guided by the literature review. Next,

the research method and research design for the study are presented. The chapter then

moves to the research population and the sampling methods used. An interview guide,

observations, and lesson plans which were used for data collection are discussed in detail.

Additionally, the chapter discussed the trustworthiness of the instruments. Following this

section is a discussion of the steps and procedures for data collection, data management,

and data analysis. The chapter then discussed the ethical considerations for conducting

this research study, followed by the limitations and delimitations of the study and

concluded with a detailed summary.

Statement of the Problem

It is not known what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and

how they are used in the virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of

students. Previous research has identified a gap in the area of teaching best practices

(Morgan, 2015; Suprayogi et al., 2017), teaching methods and resources in the classroom

(Shabiralyani et al., 2015), and use of differentiated instructional practices in online

education (Halverson et al., 2017). The anticipated growth in and demand for virtual

educational formats requires a thorough understanding of student educational needs,

learning gaps and how to effectively and efficiently meet those needs so that academic
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success can be realized (Coker & Porter, 2015). The student demographics in today’s

schools are culturally and linguistically diverse and present a wide variety of learning

challenges in the classroom (Serdyukov, 2017). The need for additional instructional

supports is significant; Dack (2018) expounded on the need to incorporate differentiated

instructional strategies in the delivery of instruction to address the learning needs and

interests of each learner.

Differentiation approach could have substantial consequences for the learner

based on the instructional decisions being made by the teachers. Multiple approaches are

coiled into the lessons when instruction is differentiated in the classroom (Manuel &

Freiman, 2017). An example of this could be that the learning experiences are repeated in

different forms or students are grouped and regrouped for course placement and learning

activities. Based on the need of the students, their learning profiles, the readiness of the

students to learn or their interests; the teaching approaches may focus on some type of

differentiation to meet these needs of the students (McKnight, et al., 2016). The study

explored how and what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers in the

virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of high school students.

Research Questions

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore what

differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they are used in the

virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students, in Arizona. This

research explored how these differentiated instructional strategies address the learning

needs of individual students. Two research questions guided this qualitative case study:
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RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

To determine what differentiated instructional practices are used in the virtual

classroom and how those practices will address the learning needs of students, one-on-

one teacher interviews with specific questions regarding teaching practices and learner

needs were administered. Classroom teacher observations were conducted. Additionally,

teacher lesson plans were reviewed to gain an understanding and perspective on the use

of differentiated instructional practices. Lesson plans such as videos, gaming exercises

and other instructional materials were gathered.

The two research questions were developed using the support from the theoretical

framework of the experiential learning theory by Kolb (2014) and the differentiation

model of Tomlinson (2016) guided this research. Tomlinson’s model of differentiation

describes instructional planning in response to student learning needs (Tomlinson, 2016).

Differentiation plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition as it addresses

the learning needs of individual students (Vygotsky, 1978).

According to Tomlinson’s model, the teachers attend to the needs of learners

through differentiated instruction. The model postulates that differentiation includes,

content – which focuses on what is to be learned, process – which involves how students

acquire information, product – which includes how students demonstrate learning

considering the learning styles of students and learning environment – which involves the

climate of the classroom (Ismajli & Imami-Morina, 2018). RQ1 was developed to see
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how teachers use scaffolding through differentiated instructional practices in the virtual

high school classroom to support the student’s evolving understanding of knowledge

domains or the development of complex skills that will help and address the learning

needs of the students.

RQ2 was developed using the concept of experiential learning. According to Kolb

(2014), learning involves the acquisition of abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly

in a range of situations. In Kolb’s theory, the stimulus for the development of new

concepts is provided by new experiences. Morgan (2014) postulated that it is important

for teachers to be aware of the diverse learning needs of the students to engage students

and encourage them to do their best. According to Coker and Porter (2015), experiential

learning provides a spectrum of learning opportunities when the diversity of students is

acknowledged. According to their research, diverse experiential learning opportunities

should be provided to the students according to their needs. Using these concepts, RQ1

was developed to explore what differentiated instruction practices are used by high

school teachers in the virtual classroom to help the learning needs of students.

Learning is a process. Knowledge is gained through the learning experience.

Tomlinson (2016) posits that differentiated instructional practices enable students to learn

in an inclusive schooling system. Students who are presented with instructional materials

without having the skills or tools necessary to master the learning materials are

positioned for underachievement academically.

Data was collected using the following data sources: a) semi-structured teacher

interviews, b) teacher observations and c) lesson plans. Data collected from individual

interviews with teachers provided thick and rich descriptions and was contextually
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suitable to serve as the basis of the single case study. Teachers shared their views on

differentiated instructional practices and how they believe these practices help in

addressing the learning needs of high school students. The teacher observations allowed

the researcher to gain insights into the differentiation practices used in the virtual learning

classroom. The review of lesson plans also provided data regarding the differentiated

instructional practices and provided insights on how content, process, product, and

learning environments are differentiated by teachers to address the learning needs of

individual high school students in the virtual classroom.

Observations. According to Yin (2017), observation is a method used by the

researcher which includes taking notes, using a checklist, gathering other materials

designed to generate data on activities and or behaviors as seen in the classroom. The

researcher engaged in classroom observations to collect data. Classroom teacher

observations were conducted on what practices were used in the virtual classroom and

how they were used. The researcher made notes of the observations to determine

differentiated instructional practices in the virtual learning environment. The classroom

teacher observations provided information about the online course, observing first-hand

how teachers use additional instructional supports to enhance learning and how those

additional supports address the learning needs of high school students through

differentiated instructional practices. This approach provided the researcher with an

opportunity to observe, record, and analyze the communication between teacher and

student through classroom teacher observations. The information gathered from this data

source was corroborated with other data sources. The data collected from this source

guided the answer RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high
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school teachers in the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students? and

RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in the

virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

Semi-structured interviews. The researcher conducted one-on-one semi-

structured interviews with 14 classroom teachers who use differentiated instructional

practices in the virtual classroom. According to Kolb (2014) learning involves the

acquisition of abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations. In

Kolb’s theory, the stimulus for the development of new concepts is provided by new

experiences. Similarly, Tomlinson’s model of differentiation describes instructional

planning in response to student learning needs (Tomlinson, 2016). Differentiation plays a

fundamental role in the development of cognition as it addresses the learning needs of

individual students (Vygotsky, 1978). According to Tomlinson’s model, the teachers

attend to the needs of learners through differentiated instruction. The model postulates

that differentiation includes, content – which focuses on what is to be learned, process –

which involves how students acquire information, product – which includes how students

demonstrate learning considering the learning styles of students and learning environment

– which involves the climate of the classroom.

The interview questions were developed by the researcher using the theoretical

framework of the experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014) and the differentiation model

by Tomlinson (2016). The open-ended questions allowed the teachers to provide the

researcher with data on their views and beliefs of differentiated instructional practices

and how they believe these practices address the learning needs of individual high school

students in the virtual learning environment. A field test was performed to test the
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accuracy of the data source. An expert panel committee composed of three doctoral

leaders in the field of education also reviewed the interview guide (see Appendix N).

Data collected from this source provided rich information to answer RQ1 and RQ2. Data

was triangulated across other sources to see the consistency and determine the

effectiveness of differentiation instructional practices.

Lesson plans. The researcher reviewed 14 lesson plans with a minimum of one

lesson plan from each teacher. The lesson plans provided an opportunity to learn about

the differentiated instructional plans the teachers used. Data collected was corroborated

with data from other sources. For example, the review of lesson plans might indicate the

use of a video game strategy that allows the student to engage through online gaming

response to a particular challenge in a course. This lesson plan was compared to the

observations and the teacher interviews to see if these provided consistent data regarding

the learning experiences of the students. Lesson plans provided data for the answers RQ1

and RQ2.

Research Methodology

Selecting the best research method to support this qualitative study required

consideration of feasibility, contribution to the academic body of knowledge and

viability. A qualitative research methodology is the best approach for this research and is

a well-suited design to answer the questions of what differentiated instructional practices

are used by teachers in the virtual high school classroom and how those differentiated

instructional practices influence students’ academic success. Patton (2002) stated that

qualitative research engages in naturalistic inquiry and real-world settings, obtaining a

rich narrative. This research endeavored to understand and describe what differentiated
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instructional practices are used by teachers in the classroom and how the differentiated

instructional practices address the learning needs of individual students. This qualitative

approach provided the researcher with an opportunity to observe, record, and analyze the

communication between teacher and student through virtual classroom observations.

A qualitative study was an appropriate approach for research methodology as it

can provide new perspectives and insights in exploring the experiences of people in the

natural setting (Merrium, 1998). According to Yin (2017), qualitative research methods

are empirical inquiries which investigate a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life

context; this is especially beneficial when the boundaries between phenomenon and

context are not clear or evident, and in which multiple sources of evidence are used.

Quantitative research methods make predictions and test theory, rather than

understanding the phenomena (Johnson & Christensen, 2014). Research studies that

employ quantitative methods use numerical and statistical analyses to interpret data. This

methodology is not sufficient for an in-depth investigation of participant experiences in

the phenomenon of interest. Quantitative methodology is more appropriate for

investigations that attempt to measure the strength of relationships between variables

through numeric values or establish cause and effect between variables. Data collection

and analysis in quantitative methods involve hypothesis, testing cause, and effect. and

statistical tests, whereas the purpose of this research is to examine and explore

perceptions and phenomena to collect rich data in natural settings.

A quantitative inquiry was not appropriate for the study as the purpose of this

research was not to establish relationships or determine cause and effect. Quantitative

research methods make predictions and test theory, rather than understanding the
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phenomena. Research studies that employ quantitative methods use numerical and

statistical analyses to interpret data. Dixon et al., (2014) conducted quantitative research

investigating the relationship between differentiated instructional practices and teacher

efficacy and a sense of self-efficacy beliefs. Their study intended to examine the

relationship between two variables and hence the choice of a quantitative methodology

was most appropriate.

Several qualitative empirical studies are examining the influence of differentiated

instruction in virtual learning settings. In a recent study, McKnight et al. (2016) used a

qualitative methodology to identify five roles technology plays in enhancing teaching and

learning. Similarly, Beckman et al. (2014) used a qualitative methodology to understand

students’ use and value of technology for learning. Likewise, this research study seeks to

understand the differentiated approaches the teachers use in virtual high school

classrooms, and how these approaches influence the academic success of students. Since

the research seeks to help readers understand what differentiated instructional approaches

are used and how they contribute to student academic success, a qualitative methodology

is deemed more appropriate for the inquiry.

Mixed-method of research is another methodology that was not used because it

involves using both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect and interpret data.

Using both methods may provide more comprehensive data as it will include both

statistical results and narratives which can be used to overcome any inherent weakness

that one or another method may have (Schoonenboom & Johnson, 2017), However, the

researcher did not consider using mix-methods because this would add complexity and

challenges a novice researcher, as doctoral learner, may not be able to overcome.

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Choosing an appropriate design is one challenge the researcher might face when using

mixed methods of research (Johnson, & Christensen, 2014). An example could be that the

timespan required to complete the research study with both methods will add more

funding needs which may cause hindrance in the completion of the doctoral dissertation.

Another reason for not choosing the mixed-methods was the complexity involved in

integrating data. According to Schoonenboom and Johnson (2017), data integration can

be complex as it requires multiple levels and sources of integration.

Research Design

In a case study design, observations and interviews are considered appropriate for

the collection of data (Yin, 2017). Since the researcher is interested in exploring

differentiated instructional practices used in the virtual classroom that influence student

academic success, a case study allowed for an understanding of the evaluation of these

practices and influences. This qualitative case study focused on how differentiated

instructional practices are used by teachers in the virtual classroom to address the

learning needs of individual high school students and what differentiated practices are

used. This research study is a naturalistic approach that seeks to understand perceptions

in context-specific settings (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). Using a case study approach

allowed the researcher to gather rich, detailed descriptions of teacher differentiated

instructional practices in the virtual classroom and how those practices influence

learning.

Lampard and Pole (2016) posited a case study design is best suited when the

researcher seeks to explore and understand rather than to validate and quantify. Prior

research studies have used a case study design to explore differentiated instructional
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practices and how it influences academic success and learning of students. In a recent

study, a single case study design was used by Swan et al., (2015) to investigate a virtual

learning lab (VLL) in a rural school district that was created to better meet the unique

needs of exceptional students who are considered gifted. They used multiple data sources

which included focus groups, classroom observations, and interviews. In the same

manner, this research used multiple sources of data to collect rich data.

Methods of data collection were one-on-one teacher interviews, classroom teacher

observations and teacher surveys on differentiated instructional practices. Teacher lesson

plans, videos, and other lesson materials will be gathered. According to Yin (2017), case

studies are a triangulated research strategy and add to richness and complexity when

investigating the phenomenon. The case study approach can increase confidence,

reliability, and reduce uncertainty (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015).

The researcher reviewed other qualitative designs such as phenomenological,

grounded theory, narrative, ethnography, and descriptive; however, each was deemed not

appropriate for this study. A qualitative phenomenological study was reviewed but not

chosen because this design is best suited for studying collective, shared experiences with

a single phenomenon (Padilla-Díaz, 2015). Classroom differentiated instructional

practices vary widely in addressing specific student learning needs in the quest to

influence academic success. The goal of this study was to explore differentiated

instructional practices used by teachers in the virtual classroom. The purpose of the study

was not to explore the lived experiences of teachers. Therefore, a phenomenological

design that focuses on the meaning behind the lived experiences (Merriam & Tisdell,

2015) was not considered appropriate for this study.

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Additionally, grounded theory was not considered suitable for this study because

it deviates from providing a detailed description of phenomena, and instead emphasizes

constructing a theory (Khan, 2014). The goal of this research study was not to create a

theory, thus grounded theory design was rejected. A narrative approach did not apply to

this research because it involves the collection of a sequence of events usually from an

individual or more weaving together a cohesive story and the purpose of this research is

not storytelling (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). Another qualitative design that was reviewed

but not chosen for this research was ethnography. Ethnography was rejected because it

focuses on cultural descriptions and patterns of shared groups which was not the focus of

the research (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). An additional qualitative design, the descriptive

analysis, was considered but was discarded because it was not suitable for this research

study as the purpose of this research was not to collect straight descriptions of the

phenomenon.

The choice of single-case design for this study was most appropriate as it focused

on a particular unit of analysis and offers flexibility to understand the differentiated

instructional practices used in the virtual classroom that contribute to student success.

The unit of analysis for this case study was a bound group of high school teachers who

teach in virtual environments in charter schools in one school district. The unit of

observation was the teachers, classroom observation, and lesson plans. Implementing

multiple data collection procedures with diverse data sources is a strength of case study

design. The choice of a case study design for this research study was driven by the

problem statement and research questions.

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Population and Sample Selection.

The general population of interest in this qualitative case study encompasses all

teachers who teach high school students in a virtual learning environment. The target

population was teachers teaching students enrolled in a virtual course at selected schools

within one school district located in Arizona. The sample for this study was 14 school

teachers who teach high school students in the school district in Arizona. The teacher was

selected using purposive sampling. According to Patton (2002), purposeful sampling is

widely used in qualitative research. This type of sampling involves selecting research

participants who would provide relevant and rich information for the research. Teachers

who exclusively taught courses online and had at least a fundamental understanding of

differentiated instructional practices will be selected.

Site authorization. To conduct this research study, the site authorization process

required proper permissions from the superintendent of the school before conducting the

research. The researcher obtained written permission from the superintendent and a draft

letter requesting permission to conduct the study which includes the location of the study,

data collection processes, and itemized measures taken to protect all participants in the

study (Appendix A). In conducting this research, the researcher did adhere to the

principles in the Belmont Report which outlines the beneficence, justice, and respect for

all those participants involved in the research maintaining the rules of confidentiality.

The identity of the participants was protected by using an identifier attached to a

pseudonym on all their information, any information that could be damaging was

removed and no favoritism was shown toward any participant or individual during the

study. This research was conducted with the highest ethical consideration and in
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compliance with the GCU research standards, IRB approval was sought to conduct

research in the school and permission was sought to recruit and contact potential

participants to collect data. Teacher participant’s meetings were conducted with the

principals participating in selected schools. The study was explained with opportunities to

ask questions and establish rapport with the researcher and staff.

Sample size. Purposeful sampling was used to select 14 participants for this

study. According to Patton (2002), purposeful sampling is widely used in qualitative

research. This type of sampling involves selecting research participants who would

provide relevant and rich information for the research. The eligibility criteria to

participate in this research was that the teachers would exclusively teach courses online

and have at least a fundamental understanding of differentiated instructional practices.

Teachers who provided consent to participate in this research were provided with a

questionnaire to complete. The questionnaire asked questions pertaining to the

demographic profile of the participants. The last question asked the participants if they

are teaching courses online and if they understand differentiated instructional practices.

The teachers who answered “yes” to this question were eligible to participate in the

teacher interview. Those who answered “no” receive a thank you message and were not

be invited to participate in the interview process. Selecting participants purposefully

allowed the researcher to invite participants for the interviews who had the knowledge

and shared rich information that would provide data to answer the research questions

(Palinkas et al., 2015).

To account for attrition, the researcher did recruit more participants than the

required 14. This provided the researcher with an opportunity to replace a participant if
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he/she had to leave the research study due to unforeseen circumstances or if the

participants did not wish to continue on in the research. The researcher made every effort

to minimize attrition by explaining the purpose of the research study to all participants

and answering their questions regarding the study. The researcher conducted informative

meetings regarding the research with all teachers and their site administration at selected

schools. The study was explained, allowing teachers the opportunity to ask questions and

establish rapport with the researcher. The participants were provided with a good

understanding of the nature and purpose of the study that encouraged them to participate

in the study and stay through the completion of the research. Additionally, an alternative

plan would have been to increase the sample population if the required number of

participants is not met. The researcher did re-send recruitment letters so that those

participants who did not initially sign up to participate were provided additional

opportunities for participation. Additionally, the researcher extended the time frame for

participants to respond. The researcher also conducted other informational meetings so

that any questions regarding participation in the research were addressed.

Other data sources include 14 class observations where the researcher conducted

classroom teacher observations to learn the instructor’s goals and outcomes for the

observed differentiated lesson. The researcher conducted classroom observations for at

least one observation per teacher and transcribed notes during the process. The researcher

observed how the teacher organized the lesson, what materials were used, what

instructional strategies or teaching goals the teacher endeavored to address, content,

knowledge, presentation, and clarity of the lesson to determine what bearing these
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differentiated practices might have on the learning and academic success of high school

students.

An additional data source the researcher used as teacher lesson plans. The

researcher reviewed 14 lesson plans for a minimum of one lesson plan per teacher. The

purpose of gathering lesson plans was to collect data to see the organization, material,

content, and outcomes of the differentiated strategies teachers used. The researcher

corroborated the data collected and reviewed from the lesson plans to see if the delivery

of these lesson plans was consistent in the classroom observations. Similarly, the data

was corroborated with the responses from the teacher interviews to determine the

consistency and validity of the data collected.

A small sample size was used by Borup and Stevens (2017) to examine teacher

practices at a cyber-charter high school. The researchers conducted 20 interviews among

10 students enrolled in a cyber-charter high school; Yin (2017) recommends that due to

the rigorous methodology a small sample selection is appropriate for qualitative case

studies. Depending on the complexity of the study, the composition, and depth of data

collection, a sample size of 10-15 participants is appropriate for a case study (Ritchie,

Lewis, Nicholls, & Ormston, 2013). According to Malterud, Siersma, and Guassora,

(2016), a study will need the least number of participants when the aim of the study is

narrow, if the combination of participants is highly specific for the study aim, and if it is

supported by established theory.

Sources of Data

Yin (2017) notes case studies necessarily require information from multiple

sources of data, the development of a database and evidence that is consistently

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maintained. For this qualitative case study three sources of data were used a) observations

were used to collect data regarding the differentiated instructional practices used by

teachers to meet individual student learning needs. b) one-on-one teacher interviews were

conducted to explore the perceptions of teachers regarding the use of differentiated

instruction in virtual environments and how they believe these practices contribute to the

learning needs of the students, and c) lesson plans such as videos, gaming videos and

other differentiated instructional materials were reviewed to collect data on how teachers

prepare the differentiated instruction plan which is learner specific and designed to boost

the learning needs of high school students.

Questionnaire. The initial questionnaire instrument (see Appendix D) was

prepared by the researcher and includes 10 questions regarding the demographic profile

of the participants. The questions asked in this questionnaire pertained to the age, gender,

and the number of years teaching experience of the teacher participants. The last two

questions asked the teachers if they taught in a virtual learning environment and if they

were familiar with differentiation instructional practices. The participants who answered

“yes” to this question were eligible to participate in the next step of the one-on-one

interview questions. The teacher participants who answered “no” received a thank you

message for their time and were not be invited to the next phase of the individual

interviews. Using purposeful sampling to select participants who have knowledge

regarding the inquiry under investigation allowed the researcher to collect robust and rich

data to answer the research questions (Palinkas et al., 2015).

Observations. Teacher observations (see Appendix F) were used to collect data

regarding differentiated instructional practices in virtual learning environments. The

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researcher used an observation worksheet (see appendix F) developed by Braskamp and

Ory (1994), with permission granted from the authors. The researcher observed 14

teachers in virtual classroom instruction to see lesson organization, content, knowledge,

and relevance, presentation, teacher interaction with student, collaborating learning

activities, instructional materials, and lesson implementation. Classroom teacher

observations were conducted to collect information to observe first-hand how teachers

use additional instructional supports to enhance individual student learning and how that

additional support contributes to course material understanding.

During the observation process, the researcher took notes and used these notes in

the data analysis process to answer the research questions. The researcher triangulated the

data to establish consistency and trustworthiness in the study. Data revealed through the

observation process was compared to the lesson plans that were gathered to see if the

teacher delivered the lessons consistently with the lesson plan and allowed the researcher

to determine the consistency of the data. According to Yin (2017), converging data of

multiple sources promotes stronger evidence in the study. Triangulation increases the

validity of the research.

In the observation process the researcher reviewed certain key areas:

• Teacher’s Organization (Learning environment). The researcher endeavored to

understand if the teacher knew how to use educational technology needed for the
class. Were objectives clear? The researcher endeavored to understand if the
instructor gave specific expected outcomes for the course material. The
observation allowed the researcher to observe the learning environment and the
climate of the classroom. This included classroom management such as the
operation and tone of the classroom, such as rules, furniture arrangements,
procedures, and processes.

• Instructional materials and strategies (Content, Product). Data was gathered to

glean insights into the instructor’s choice of teaching techniques to see if these
were appropriate for the goals and outcomes. Observations allowed the researcher
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to see if the teacher used videos, websites, and other resource materials with a
clear purpose. The researcher observed the use of any handouts or digital
resources to understand if these were appropriate in number and subject.
Strategies used to enhance teacher/student engagement provided insight into the
role of teachers as facilitators to individual student learning needs.

• Content knowledge/Presentation (Process). The researcher used classroom

observations to gain insights into how the teacher communicates the strategy
behind the presentation of individualized learner lessons. The observation process
also attempted to learn about how the teacher engaged with active learning
techniques by identifying sources, perspectives, and strategies. The researcher
observed how teachers offered hands-on support and how they provide variety
and independent learning-based activities.

Teacher interview guide. The semi-structured interviews were completed to

obtain a deeper understanding of what differentiated instructional practices teachers use

and how they use these differentiated instructional practices in a virtual learning

environment. Prior to conducting teacher interviews, the researcher consulted the expert

panel and conducted a field test to validate the interview questions. The teacher

interviews also provided an understanding of the implementation of differentiated

instructional practices in the virtual classroom. The researcher conducted interviews with

14 teacher participants who were selected purposefully. The teacher interview guide (See

Appendix E) was developed by the researcher using the theoretical framework of

experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014) and the differentiation model by Tomlinson

(2016).

The first interview question, “Please share your knowledge of what differentiated

instructional practices are used to address the learning needs of students”, was developed

using the four constructs of the differentiation model by Tomlinson (2016). These four

constructs are content, process, product and learning environment. According to the

model, teachers address learner needs through different combinations of techniques to

enhance learning. The first interview question will solicit information on the
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differentiated instructional practices of teachers and thus provide support to RQ1: What

differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in the virtual

classroom to address the learning needs of students? Probing questions were asked to

increase the richness and depth of the responses provided by teacher participants.

Interview question two, Please share how differentiated instruction techniques

introduce new concepts to enhance student learning in your class?, was developed using

the concepts of the experiential learning theory by Kolb (2014). This question explored

the perceptions of teachers on how they believe new concepts and differentiated

techniques in virtual learning environments help the students become more confident by

enhancing their learning experience. The concept of the theory is that learning involves

the acquisition of abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations.

The stimulus of the development of new concepts is provided by new experiences and

was used to develop this interview question. Probing questions were asked to increase the

richness and depth of the responses provided by teacher participants.

Teachers shared the flexibility of differentiated learning practices and this

provided data on the kinds of differentiated instructional practices they use. Teachers use

differentiated learning practices to best fit individual instruction needs (Manuel &

Freiman, 2017). Interview question two endeavored to collect data on the perceptions of

teachers regarding the knowledge of differentiated instructional practices. Interview

question two was established to solicit information from teachers regarding their beliefs

about how differentiated instructional practices and techniques help to address the

learning needs of the students in virtual learning environments. Teachers shared their

knowledge of how instructional methods are used to address the individual learning needs
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of students thus providing data to support RQ2: How are differentiated instructional

practices used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom to address the learning

needs of the students?

Interview question three, What differentiated instruction techniques in virtual

learning environments can help address the needs of students? was developed to solicit

information regarding the instructional methods that teachers use in virtual learning. This

question was constructed using the concepts of the differentiation model by Tomlinson

(2016) that allows learning to be established in a range of situations. With this

assumption, the researcher endeavored to solicit the different techniques teachers use in

virtual learning environments. Teachers shared their knowledge of the content, process,

and products that they use in differentiating instructional practices to address the needs of

students thus providing support to RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are

used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the

students?

Interview question four, How do you see the role of virtual learning in the

development and understanding of knowledge and skills that address the learning needs

of students? was developed using the theoretical framework of the experiential learning

theory (Kolb, 2014). The theory by Kolb (2014) postulates that through differentiation

abstract concepts can be acquired that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations and

that the stimulus of the development of new concepts is provided by new experiences.

The researcher solicited information from teachers regarding the flexibility in developing

and introducing new concepts and ideas to address the individual learning needs of

students. The researcher asked probing questions to increase the depth and richness of
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data. Data collected from this interview question provided support to RQ2: How are

differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom

to address the learning needs of the students?

Interview question five, Please share how you develop a lesson plan through

differentiated instructional practices that you use in a virtual learning environment” was

developed using the concepts of the differentiation model of Tomlinson (2016) and the

theoretical framework of the experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014). The interview

question solicited information on the content, product, process and new concepts used in

the differentiation plan in virtual learning environments. Teachers were asked probing

questions regarding the strategies they used in developing the lessons and how flexible

they were in adding new concepts to the lesson plan.

Probing questions were asked so the teachers could share how they believe these

instructional practices enhance the learning skills of students by addressing their needs.

Teachers were asked to share their perceptions of the virtual learning environments and

how they assess situations and performance through web-based instructional component

in education. The probing questions added richness to data as they allowed the

participants to expand on their thoughts. Data collected from this question provided

support to RQ1 by addressing the content, process, and product; and RQ2 when teachers

shared the flexible plans with new ideas and concepts that were introduced through a

combination of differentiation techniques.

Interview question number six, Please share how you create a learning

environment or climate for students was also developed using the concepts of the

differentiation model of Tomlinson (2016) and the theoretical framework of the

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experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014). The interview question was developed to probe

teachers regarding the learning environments and the climate of the virtual classrooms.

The researcher solicited information regarding the look and feel of the classrooms, how

safe working environments are provided, and how teachers introduce new settings and

innovative techniques in their differentiation practices to match individual needs of the

students. Probing questions were asked to add richness to data as they would allow the

participants to expand on their thoughts. The responses from this question provided

support to both RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high school

teachers in the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students? and RQ2:

How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in the virtual

classroom to address the learning needs of the students? The last interview question,

number seven was designed to allow the participants to add any additional information

they feel is pertinent to the research study and may have not been covered by the

interview questions

The teacher interviews were conducted at a time and place that was convenient

for the participants. The interview was audio recorded with the permission of the

participants. The researcher used member checking to ensure the responses of the

participants were accurate and as intended by the participants. A field test was conducted

face to face with the two volunteers at a time that was convenient to them. The duration

of the interviews lasted about 60 minutes for the first volunteer and 75 minutes for the

second volunteer. The researcher transcribed the two interviews and returned them to the

volunteers for member checking to ensure the responses captured were transcribed

accurately.
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Artifacts. To gain understanding and to learn about the perspectives of teachers

on the use of differentiated instructional practices, the researcher gathered data and

reviewed artifacts, such as lesson plans, to analyze the content and material including

videos, gaming exercises, and other collateral materials. The researcher collected 14

lesson plans with a minimum of one lesson plan per teacher. The purpose of this data

source was to provide insight into how teaching and learning occurred in classrooms. The

data provided information on the various kinds of differentiated techniques teachers use

in virtual learning environments. The data from the lesson plans were used to determine

how the teachers use different strategies to help the learning of individual learners.

The theoretical concepts of the experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014) and the

differentiation model by Tomlinson (2016) was used when scanning through the lesson

plans to see how the teachers facilitated resources while guiding the high school students

through the discovery of new knowledge. The researcher also reviewed the content,

product, process, and learning environments that the lesson plan would address. The data

was used to learn about the efforts from the part of the teacher to integrate technology

into differentiated lessons and get insights on the significant benefits of the differentiated

instruction to the enhancement of the learning process.

The lesson plans were gathered and reviewed for organization, materials, and

strategies used, and to determine if they met the projected outcomes in addressing the

learning needs of the students through differentiation. The researcher collected data to

understand if the lesson plan helped develop critical thinking skills and problem-solving

ability to broaden student learning while addressing student learning needs. The review
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of the lesson plans provided data on differentiated strategies that reflected diverse

learning styles based on learner needs identified by the teachers.

Data triangulation involves using more than one option to gather data, such as

interviews, observations, questionnaires, and documents (Yin, 2017). The researcher used

data triangulation to triangulate data across multiple sources to enhance validity, and

richness of data. Data drawn from multiple sources broaden the researcher’s

understanding of the various issues underlying the phenomena being studied. For

example, the data collected from the lesson plans were compared to the data collected

from observations and interview questions to pool the responses to enrich data. The

triangulation of data enabled the researcher to see the influence of differentiated

instructions through virtual learning environments by seeing the role of the teachers and

the strategies they use for the academic success of the students.

Trustworthiness.

Trustworthiness is established in qualitative case studies by determining whether

the findings of the research are true and reflect an accurate picture. Trustworthiness is

critical to enhancing the credibility of a qualitative study during the research design and

implementation phases (Yin, 2017). Merriam and Tisdell (2015) note that trustworthiness

is evidenced by transferability, confirmability, credibility, and dependability. The value

of truth and integrity in qualitative research increases the of the results of the study. The

research study established trustworthiness by utilizing data triangulation, member

checking, peer debriefing, utilizing an audit-trail and following the ethical research

guidelines of Grand Canyon University and the Institutional Research Board (IRB)

procedures. The study used multiple data sources and triangulated data to confirm the
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findings. The researcher demonstrated trustworthiness through the four delegated criteria

of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability.

Credibility. Credibility in this qualitative research was established through

compatible findings from the data collected from teacher observations, semi-structured

teacher interviews, and lesson plans. Some threats qualitative researchers face is not

knowing that the results and findings of the research are true and accurate. The researcher

minimized the likelihood of such threats by triangulating data across different data

sources. The researcher also used member checking and an expert panel review

comprised of three doctoral leaders in the education field to minimize such threats (see

Appendix N). The researcher engaged with research participants during the interview

process and increased the richness, accuracy and validity of the research through member

checking. Some other strategies that the researcher use to ensure credibility were:

• Narrative truth. The researcher made every effort to maintain the ethical standards
and guidelines of GCU and IRB to represent trustworthy responses of the
participants. The researcher made every effort to ensure that the responses were
not misinterpreted. No misstatement or false meanings of participant responses
were included in the data. The participants validated the responses once they
reviewed the transcripts. This ensured that the comments and perspectives they
presented were accurate. Furthermore, data collected from observations and
lesson plans were also truthful and accurate.

• Triangulation. The researcher triangulated data using multiple sources.

Observations, semi-structured interviews, and lesson plans were used. The data
collected from all sources were pooled and cross-referenced to form the basis of
analysis (Yin, 2017).

• Member Checking. Yin (2017) described the member checking as integral in

strengthening the credibility of the results of a research study. Each teacher
participant was provided an opportunity to authenticate and add to the transcripts
of his or her interview before coding. Member checking leads to fewer errors
while ensuring the information for data analysis is correct (Noble & Smith, 2015).
The researcher maintained a logbook which was used to assist in gathering robust
and rich descriptions of responses from the participants.
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Transferability. Transferability in qualitative research is the ability to generalize

findings of research to other areas of related research (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015).

Transferability in qualitative research is the equivalent of external validity in quantitative

research. According to Yin (2017), transferability can be difficult to create in a single

case study. However, it can be reached through proper use of theoretical frameworks and

their relationship to each other and the research from which generalizations might be

formed. Merriam and Tisdell (2015) and Bernard, Wutich, and Ryan (2017) posit that the

one definitive goal of research is for the study to be designed with strong internal and

external reliability using procedures which will offset potential bias (Merriam & Tisdell,

2015; Bernard et al., 2017).

Yin (2017) notes that the strength of a qualitative study is its primary source of

evidence. Yin (2017) also asserts that researchers must ask suitable questions while

interpreting responses without interjecting biases. All procedures must be accurately

documented. Reliability is the trustworthiness of the procedures and data generated in the

study (Cypress, 2017). To ensure transferability, the study should include safeguards.

One such safeguard is that each teacher participant responded to the same set of

questions. This research study used multiple theories to support transferability:

• Thick description. The researcher made sure that the context of the participants
was described in a rich and detailed manner. According to Amankwaa (2016),
offering a renewed viewpoint on the research data and the progression of the
study allows researchers to examine research with greater objectivity. The
researcher provided a detailed account of the participant experiences.

• Sample sufficiency. The researcher used a sample size of 14 teachers which is

considered appropriate for a single case study. Case studies use a small sample
size according to Yin (2017). The sample size used for this research in addition to
other data sources was sufficient to provide insights into the differentiated
instructional practices that teacher use to enhance learning of high school
students.
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Dependability. According to Connelly (2016) dependability is the stability of

data over time and through the conditions of the study. Dependability relies heavily on

the consistency of data that is used. The researcher used the following techniques to

demonstrate dependability:

• Audit trail. In the current study, the researcher increased dependability by keeping
an audit trail from the start to the finish. According to Sarvimaki (2018),
maintaining an audit trail increases the integrity of the data as it allows for an easy
referral to the process.

• Evidence. The researcher kept evidence of all documents used in the research
process. Evidence includes documents with full transcripts, careful documentation
of data gathering sessions, audiotapes of interviews, transcripts, observations
notes, and lesson plans used.

• An in-depth methodological description. The researcher increased dependability

by providing a detailed account of how data was collected and analyzed. A
comprehensive step by step process of data collection from each data source was
outlined. Including the steps meticulously provides future researchers to replicate
the study (Sarvimaki, 2018).

Confirmability. Confirmability in qualitative research is the ability of others to confirm

or verify the findings (Brown, 2015). In the current research the researcher developed

confirmability through:

• Coding. The researcher used iterative coding process to code data using patterns,
similarities, or characteristics identified in data. Using clear and defined coding
can encourage including only the participants’ experiences and ideas as opposed
to the researcher’s preferences. Researcher reflexivity indicates the researcher
remains cognizant of the results as they develop. An expert panel review was used
during the coding process.

• Providing ample evidence. The researcher has enhanced the results of the study
by providing ample documentation which was collected through different sources
of data that support the findings of the study.

Data Collection and Management

Data for the research was collected from one charter school district in Arizona.

Data collection began following IRB approval (Appendix B). Additionally, prior to
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collecting data, a research request form was submitted to the district office to request site

authorization (See Appendix A). Once the request was approved research description

letters were sent to the six high schools in the district. The school leadership was

informed of the research, consent forms were sent to the teachers that teach in a virtual

classroom. On the consent form teachers were informed about the benefit of the research

study and benefits that could be gained in making decisions about effective differentiated

instructional practices, how those practices are used and how those practices influence

student academic success. Teachers who chose to participate in the research study were

informed by the researcher via email.

The researcher conducted a field test of the teacher interview guide (see Appendix

E). Two volunteer teachers who were non-participating members for the researcher study

were asked to participate in the field test. The purpose of the field test was to validate the

instruments before interviewing the virtual classroom teachers. The field test ensures the

interview questions were easy to comprehend without ambiguities. The researcher asked

probing questions to make sure that the interview questions were providing meaningful

and rich data. The field test was conducted face to face with the two volunteers at a time

that was convenient for them. The interview duration lasted about 60 minutes for the first

volunteer and 75 minutes for the second volunteer. The researcher transcribed the two

interviews and sent them to the two volunteers for member checking to ensure the

responses captured were as the volunteer participants had intended them to be. Upon

completion of the field test there were no needed changes made to the interview protocol.

All the teacher participants signed an informed consent form (see Appendix C).

The informed consent forms were distributed to all the teachers in the six schools. By
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signing the informed consent form the teacher participants agreed to participate in the

research study voluntarily. Those teachers who agreed to participate were assigned a

name identifier attached to a pseudonym to protect their confidentiality. The participants

were informed of the confidentiality and were assured that their actual names would not

be disclosed during any process of the research study.

The participants were made aware that they could leave the research process at

any time if they did not wish to continue in the study. The researcher also informed the

teacher participants that the data was encrypted and would be electronically stored for

three years after the completion of the dissertation. The researcher scanned all paper

documents and stored them on a personal computer in a password-protected file. The

paper documents were shredded and destroyed after scanning and retaining the electronic

copies.

The teacher interviews were conducted face to face or via skype at a date and

time convenient for the participants. The interviews were recorded on two audio devices,

with the permission of the participants. The researcher used member checking to ensure

the accuracy of the data by sending the transcripts to the participants so that they could

verify the accuracy of their responses.

Along with teacher interviews, the researcher collected data through classroom

teacher observations, and a review of the lesson plans teachers used. The data sources

provided data regarding the methods used by teachers to enhance student learning

through differentiated instructional practices. Classroom observations were conducted

with at least one teacher and one lesson per teacher. Fourteen teacher observations and

lesson plans provided data for this research study. The researcher observed in a classroom
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setting virtual tools for instruction, such as video games and other interactive tools to

foster student engagement. The researcher observed and took notes regarding teacher

organization, instructional materials used content and presentation. The researcher used

an observation data sheet (see Appendix F) to capture the information. Lesson plans were

provided to the researcher from the instructor of record. Lesson plans were aligned with

observations that were conducted.

Once data was collected. the researcher prepared raw data for analysis. Data was

transcribed using wreally.com, which is an economical and effective tool to convert audio

into text. Member checking was performed to ensure no data was missed during the

transcription process. The researcher read and re-read the transcripts to become familiar

with the data. The iterative reading process ensured the accuracy of the transcripts and

ensured data was not missed. The transcripts were then uploaded to NVivo 12 for

analysis.

Data collected from the observation sheets were reviewed and the data sheets

were used in further analysis. Similarly, the lesson plans were reviewed and read by the

researcher to gain familiarity and prepare this raw data for further analysis. The

researcher read the data several times and reviewed the data from both of these sources to

become familiar with how the teacher organized material and lessons, instructional

material and strategies used, and the content knowledge and presentation of the lessons.

Data Analysis Procedures

It is not known what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and

how they are used in the virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of

students. The following two research questions guided this research study:
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RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to influence academic success?

RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in

a virtual classroom to influence academic success?

Once the researcher completed all the data collection procedures the data was

organized and prepared for data analysis. Data from the teacher interviews was

transcribed using wreally.com. Once the data was transcribed the researcher became

familiar with the data by reading and re-reading the data.

Data from teacher observations and lesson plans were organized and transcripts

were prepared for data analysis. The transcripts from all sources were uploaded in

Nvivo12 for further analysis. The software allowed the researcher to manage and shape

unstructured data (Zamawe, 2015). This software package assisted in data analysis by

categorizing information across codes to help in identifying patterns and themes within

the data. The uploaded transcripts were reviewed for accuracy. The data analysis process

involved the six steps of thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). These six steps were:

a) familiarize yourself with your data, b) generate initial codes, c) search for themes, d)

review themes, e) define and name themes, and f) interpret themes. The thematic analysis

consisted of identifying patterns, insights, or concepts in the data that help explain why

those patterns exist. The process of pattern recognition within the data helps provide

insights into where categories that emerged, became themes for analysis (Clarke &

Braun, 2013).

Familiarizing yourself with your data. The first step in the thematic analysis

was becoming familiar with the data. This step involved several iterations of reading the
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data to gain familiarity. According to Saldaña (2016),the iterative reading process allows

the researcher to see the meaning of the data based on how it emerges from the responses

of the participants.

Generating initial codes. Once the researcher became familiar with the data the

next step was to generate initial codes form the data based on similar meanings,

characteristics, or patterns. The researcher made sure to identify as many codes as

possible that could contribute to the research. The researcher repeated the process until no

new codes were generated or saturation was reached. The researcher used NVivo 12

software to store and organize codes. Once the coding process was completed a codebook

was generated, extracted from the software and attached as an Appendix to this research.

Table 1.

Generating Codes- Example

Text Codes
The kids used video games to complete the work Content/Material
Virtual learning helps reasoning skills Differentiation techniques
Classroom engagement is encouraged Facilitator

Searching for themes. After the initial codes were developed, the researcher

collapsed these codes based on similarity and meaning and arrived at second level codes

or categories. The researcher then gave the categories a name based on their grouping

into a similar theme. As Braun and Clarke (2006) explain, there are no hard and fast rules

about what makes a theme. A theme is characterized by its significance. The codes

which were not important to the research study were reviewed one more time and were

discarded if they did not have similar characteristics as other codes or they could not be

merged into another category.

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Table 2.

Generating Themes- Example

Codes Possible Themes
Content/Material Differential teaching techniques
Differentiation techniques Virtual learning enhances learning experiences
Facilitator The role of teachers in enhancing student success

Reviewing themes. In this step, the researcher reviewed the themes. In this stage

the themes that are not important or relevant to the research study were reevaluated to see

if they needed to be renamed or if they did not have relevance to the research study. If

they were not relevant and would not contribute to the study, they were discarded.

Defining and naming themes. In this step the researcher identified the essence of

what each theme was about and determined what aspect of the data each theme captured

(Braun & Clarke, 2006, p.92). The themes were organized into a coherent and internally

consistent account, with accompanying narrative. The researcher may identify some sub-

themes in this stage where the themes are refined and defined. Once this was completed

the researcher interpreted the themes based on how they were reflective of the original

research questions.

Interpreting themes. The final step in the thematic analysis is to interpret the

themes and account for the contribution they make to the research. The logical narrative

of the themes provides a description of the data and makes an argument in relation to the

two research questions. The evolving themes were compared to the existing empirical

research to offer support to the findings from the data analysis. According to Braun and

Clarke (2006), a rigorous thematic analysis can produce trustworthy and insightful

findings. The conclusions derived from the data analysis have theoretical support and

foundation from empirical data leading to the findings in the study.

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The data analysis coding and pattern-seeking using analytic induction allowed the

researcher to make sense of data that was aided by the theoretical concepts of the

experiential learning theory by Kolb (2014) and Tomlinson’s differentiation model

(2016). The researcher hoped to discover new ideas and their associations which was

accomplished through thematic analysis. The data analysis allowed the researcher to

extract meaning from the data and interpret it in ways that enhance the understanding of

phenomena under investigation. The themes were tied back to theory and provided

support to the research questions.

Ethical Considerations

Understanding the critical nature of conducting a highly moral and ethical study,

the following steps were taken in performing all aspects of the study beginning with

required IRB approval. Site authorization was required and was granted from a district

official. A document of informed consent was disseminated to all those participating in

the research study with the request for consent confirming participation. The data

collection and interview process did not infringe on their rights of anonymity,

disengaging from the interview process or conducting the research without disturbing the

classroom settings.

The research study upheld the three principles of the Belmont report; respect for

persons was assured by providing autonomy and protection. The researcher allowed the

participants to choose if they wanted to participate in the study; an informed consent form

allowed them the opportunity to indicate their consent to participate voluntarily in the

research study. The researcher minimized all risks to participants by ensuring privacy

and confidentiality to all participants thus ensuring beneficence by eliminating risks and
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harm. The researcher selected participants purposefully to ensure equality in the

distribution of benefits and burdens to uphold the principle of justice as required by the

Belmont report.

Member checking was performed to ensure the accuracy of the responses

provided by the participants. The interview and data collection procedures provided an

environment that was trustworthy for the participants and allowed them to participate

willingly. The following steps were part of the ethical considerations when conducting

this research study:

• No harm to participants. All interviews were addressed with sensitivity to the

interviewee so as not to cause physical or emotional harm or undue stress. The
researcher took steps to safeguard against doing anything that could harm the
participants in the study and to ensure the participants would not have any adverse
reactions by participating in this research.

• Privacy and Anonymity. To ensure the privacy of the participants no identifying

information about the individuals was revealed. The interviews conducted with
teachers ensured anonymity. Pseudonyms and name identifiers were used to label
the data transcripts. The data with the original names matching them to the
pseudonym was available only to the researcher and was stored in a password
protected file only accessible to the researcher. The researcher attached the
identifier code to the pseudonyms to protect the confidentiality of the participants.
The participant questionnaire forms were labeled using the assigned numerical
number that was linked to the name. The link of name and number was only
accessible to the researcher.

• Confidentiality. The researcher ensured the teacher interview participants that the
information provided for this research is strictly confidential and that their names
would not be revealed to anyone. The researcher established guidelines for open
and honest communication with participants with full disclosure of how data was
to be used in the research project and how privacy was to be protected during and
after the data collection process.

• Informed Consent. Participants were informed of the nature of the study and that
they could choose whether to participate and would not be coerced. Participants
were given a form of informed consent (see Appendix C). The form explained the
purpose of the research and gave the details of confidentiality, data management,
and data storage; so that the participants were able to decide freely and without
any pressure whether he/she wished to participate in the study. The participants
were informed that this research does not have a cost to participate and they
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would get information regarding the length/duration and place of the interview.
The right of any participant to withdraw from the research at any time was
disclosed. If participants chose to withdraw, the data provided would be destroyed
immediately.

• Data Interpretation. The research was conducted in an objective manner, and

differences of opinion were given fair, unbiased consideration. One-on-one
teacher interviews and classroom teacher observations were conducted in a fairly
and objectively. All participants were advised regarding research results and
anonymity. The researcher avoided any misrepresentations of information
gathered in the data collection process by working with an outside expert and by
providing opportunities for teachers to review data gathered during interviews and
classroom observations.

• Storing data. The data from this study was stored in a private folder on the
researcher’s computer where the access is limited to the researcher only and is
password protected. Data was securely housed and will be stored for a minimum
of three years. After data is no longer needed, all documents will be destroyed
professionally. The researcher handled all data gathered in the research with high
security and limited access.

The researcher does not anticipate any conflict of interest to arise in this research

study. There is no known situation that can be influenced by a secondary interest, such as

financial gain or career advancement. The research study is being conducted for an

educational degree purpose only.

Limitations and Delimitations

Limitations. Limitations are those obstacles that surface during the process of

conducting the study that are inherent to the study that the researcher does not have

control over. The following are the limitations of the current research study:

1. One limitation exists with the selection of a single case study. Yin (2017) noted
that single-case studies are often criticized as less powerful and robust. The
sample only represented a small number of teachers in a small school district.
This is a limitation of the schools. Researcher subjectivity is another limitation
identified by researchers in case study designs.

2. The study identified limitations with sampling strategy and sample size.
Participants were selected using purposeful sampling. This type of sampling
involves selecting participants who have knowledge of the phenomena. This
limitation could lead to misinterpretation of results as other participants who were
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not aware of the phenomena will not be invited to participate. Additionally, the
relatively small size of 14 teachers could contribute to the lack of proper
representation.

3. Another limitation pertains to researcher bias. When gathering data, pre-existing

vision of the investigation could create a bias. Bias can also be present when there
is discomfort while interviewing the teachers, being inadequately organized in the
field, and conducting an unsuitable interview. To address the potential biases the
researcher conducted the interviews based on the interview questions in the
Appendix E and asked the interviewees for feedback upon the conclusion of the
interview.

Delimitations. Delimitations are specific boundaries when conducting

research which remains under the control of the researcher. This research is intended

to explore how differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers in the virtual

high school classroom. This research specifically limited the scope to differentiated

instructional practices used in teaching in the virtual learning environment. The

differentiated instructional strategies were considered in terms of those practices that

instructors indicated yielded the most understanding of the individual needs of

students.

Furthermore, the sample participants were limited to school teachers within a

school district in Arizona. Limiting participants using purposive sampling could have

resulted in omitting the rich experiences and perceptions of other participants from

other schools in other schools and districts. A broader sample population was

purposefully excluded from the sample due to the exclusionary criteria of the study.

The study was limited by geographic location. The singular location in Arizona did

limit the generalizability of the results. The researcher could not avoid these

delimitations as the inclusion criteria indicated the participants must meet the

requirements to qualify for the study. Every effort was made to recruit participants
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who were relevant to the study. Researcher bias was minimized by selecting

participants based on their experiences.

Summary

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore what

differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they are used in the

virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students, in Arizona. It is

not known what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they

are used in the virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students.

The focus of this study was on what differentiated instructional practices are used in the

virtual classroom and how those differentiation instructional practices are used to address

the learning needs of high school students. Existing gaps in the literature justified the

need for this study (Halverson et al., 2017; Morgan, 2015; Shabiralyani et al., 2015;

Smets & Struyven, 2018; Suprayogi et al., 2017).

With the strong body of research that demonstrates growth in the virtual learning

environment, also comes the need to explore teaching practices used in the virtual

environment. Morgan (2015) suggested additional research is needed on teaching best

practices in online courses and how they address the learning needs of students. The

need to provide high-quality learning opportunities is at the forefront of classrooms in

school systems each and every day. Teachers and administrators are held accountable as

they face the mandate of preparing and equipping students with 21st Century skills.

Empirical evidence is lacking in the practice of differentiated instruction in the

virtual classroom (Morgan, 2015). Students vary greatly in background, knowledge

learning preferences and skill level. Teachers need to personalize and differentiate
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instruction to boost achievement (Morgan, 2017). Sound instructional strategies which

offer differentiated learning activities to enhance student engagement and academic

success are integral to keeping pace with the attractiveness of the accessibility of online

education. According to Tomlinson (2016), the practice of differentiation involves

making changes that enable students to learn in an inclusive schooling system. This

research endeavored to fill the gap in the literature.

Differentiated instruction is an approach to teaching that recognizes students have

multiple paths for learning. Teachers are aware of the fact that students have different

learning styles and come with different backgrounds, preferences and needs. Teachers are

then faced with the challenge to address these individual needs through different teaching

methods and strategies to help students. With the increased technological advancements,

it is now possible to integrate these strategies into virtual learning environments and

determine the best fit for student’s needs. To address how and what differentiation

techniques teachers use to address the learning needs of students, the following research

questions guided this study:

RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to influence academic success?

RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in

a virtual classroom to influence academic success?

Using the theoretical framework of experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014) and

the differentiation model of Tomlinson (2016), this research explored the differentiation

instructional practices used by teachers to observe how the needs of high school students

in the school district located in Arizona are addressed. The researcher used a
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questionnaire to gain knowledge of the demographic profile of the teacher participants

and to select the participants using purposeful sampling. Classroom teacher observations,

teacher interviews, and lesson plans were used to collect data and to answer the two

research questions. Data was triangulated across the multiple data sources used for this

inquiry.

In this qualitative case study, the researcher used a sample of 14 teachers who

were recruited purposefully; 14 observations of differentiated instructional practices in

the virtual classroom, and 14 lesson plans such as lesson plans were reviewed. The

purpose of the classroom teacher observations was to collect data regarding the

differentiated instructional practices used by the teacher to encourage student engagement

and address the learning needs of the students. The teacher interviews provided an

understanding of the implementation of differentiated instructional practices in the virtual

classroom. To gain understanding and to learn about the perspectives of teachers on the

use of differentiated instructional practices, the researcher gathered data and reviewed

lesson plans to analyze the content and materials including videos, gaming exercises and

other collateral materials.

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore what

differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they are used in the

virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students, in Arizona. In

Arizona, virtual classrooms provide educational opportunities for high school students on

many high school campuses daily. This single case study explored differentiated teaching

practices in six virtual high schools and selected classrooms in the Arizona area to

understand the contribution of those differentiated instructional practices to address the

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learning needs of students. Chapter 4 provides a detailed account of the results of the data

analysis.
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Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Results

Introduction

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore what

differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they are used in the

virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students, in Arizona. It is

not known what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they

are used in the virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students.

Virtual classroom environments offer a variety of options for student learning. This

qualitative case study expanded on current literature giving stronger awareness to

understanding the influence of differentiated instructional practices on student academic

success in a virtual learning environment. With the anticipated growth in virtual

education, the requirements are stringent for meeting the varied educational needs of

students from multiple cultures, backgrounds, and educational experiences.

A qualitative methodology was deemed appropriate for this study as the purpose

of the study was to explore the perceptions of teachers regarding what differential

practices they use and how they use them in a virtual classroom. A case study was the

selected design for this study because this approach allowed for gathering rich, detailed

descriptions of the participant’s experience in learning in the virtual environment (Yin,

2017). This qualitative single case study focused on how differentiated instructional

practices were used by teachers in the virtual high school classroom and what

differentiated instructional practices were used.

Experiential learning theory by Kolb (2014) and the differentiation model by

Tomlinson (2016) provided the theoretical and conceptual framework that guided this
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research study. According to Kolb (2014), learning involves the acquisition of abstract

concepts that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations. In Kolb’s theory, the

stimulus for the development of new concepts is provided by new experiences. This

concept was used to explore what and how differentiated instruction was used by teachers

in high schools in Arizona. Furthermore, to explore and describe the phenomenon of

differentiated instruction, the researcher utilized the concepts of content, product,

process, and learning environment from Tomlinson’s model to explore what

differentiated teaching practices teachers used and how they used them in the virtual high

school classrooms. The research focused on understanding how teachers supported the

students evolving understanding of knowledge domains or the development of complex

skills that helped to enhance the learning deficiencies of students. The following two

research questions guided this qualitative case study:

RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

For this qualitative case study, the following three sources of data were used: a)

observations were used to collect data regarding the differentiated instructional practices

used by teachers to meet individual student learning needs. b) one-on-one teacher

interviews were conducted to explore the perceptions of teachers regarding the use of

differentiated instruction in virtual environments and how teachers believed these

practices contributed to the learning needs of the students, and c) lesson plans such as

videos, gaming videos, computer programs, online web programs, and other
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differentiated instructional materials were reviewed to collect data on how teachers

prepared the differentiated instructional plans that were learner specific and designed to

boost the learning needs of high school students. Yin (2017) notes that case studies

necessarily require information from multiple sources of data, the development of a

database, and evidence that is consistently maintained. Multiple data sources were used

for converging data on the same set of facts or findings. The triangulation of

observations, semi-structured interviews, and lesson plans validated the results of the

study.

After IRB approval was obtained (see Appendix B), descriptive data were

collected using a questionnaire. Data to answer the research questions was collected

using a teacher interview guide, teacher observations, and lesson plans. Informed consent

forms (see Appendix C) were signed by each participant and returned to the researcher

via email. Purposive sampling was used to select participants who had knowledge of

differentiated instruction in virtual environments. Data collected was transcribed using a

software wreally.com. Member checking and expert panel review were performed. The

raw data was prepared for further analysis. Initial coding was done manually and the

transcripts were then uploaded into NVivo 12 for further analysis. Second level codes and

categories were derived from the initial codes. The six-step thematic analysis by Braun

and Clarke (2006) was used. Themes that emerged from the data analysis were tied back

to the theoretical concepts to support the research questions.

Chapter 4 provides an in-depth description of how the researcher analyzed the

collected data. The chapter presents the results of the research study as summarized and

analyzed by the collected data which supports the research questions. This chapter starts
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with providing the methods of data collection; it then provides a descriptive analysis of

the population to explain the demographics of the participants in the study, such as age,

education level. It also explains how data were prepared for subsequent analysis and how

the results addressed the two research questions. The chapter also summarizes some

limitations identified during the course of the study and provides a summary of the

chapter. Chapter 4 then transitions to Chapter 5 where the interpretations of the results

are summarized and presented.

Descriptive Findings

This section provides a narrative summary of the sample characteristics and

demographics of the participants in the study. The study was conducted using 14 teacher

participants who were selected purposefully. Teachers were selected through screening

questions to see if they had knowledge of differentiated instructional practices in virtual

environments and if they were working in a high school in Arizona. Pseudonyms were

assigned to each participant to allow their responses to be anonymous. Identifiers were

used to protect and maintain the confidentiality of the participants. Teacher participants

were identified as T1 – T14. Each number assigned was matched to the name of the

participant to which only the researcher had access. The initial questionnaire was

completed by 22 participants, of these 22 participants five participants did not wish to

participate further and three were not eligible based on the eligibility criteria.

Participant demographics. Fourteen teachers participated in one-on-one

interviews, of these 14 teachers, 10 participants were male and four were female. The

length of the teaching experience of the participants varied. According to the U.S. Census

Bureau (2019), male secondary teachers in the year 2018 made-up 42% of the teaching
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population. In this study 71.4% of the teachers were men. This is higher than the national

average. Data collected from the demographic information provided by participants

revealed that three of the fourteen participants had been working in the Arizona charter

school for at least five years; whereas, eleven participants had been working in the

charter school for more than five years. All of the participants had been in the teaching

role for at least five years or more. All participants were currently teaching grades 9-12

and had experience in differentiated teaching practices in virtual learning environments in

their current or previous teaching positions. All of them were currently differentiating

instructional practices in the current teaching role. All the participants were teachers, and

a few were either acting as principals or had an administrative and teaching position.

Table 3 below shows the demographic characteristics of the teacher participants.

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Table 3.

Demographics of Study Participants - Teachers

Age Group
Education
Identifier Pseudonym Gender (range in Tenure (Years)
Level
years)
T1 Tom Male 45-54 Masters 5-10

T2 Hannah Female 35-44 Masters 1-4

T3 Brian Male 35-44 Masters 11-15

T4 John Male 45-54 Masters 11-15

T5 David Male 35-44 Bachelors 5-10

T6 Ray Male 35-44 Bachelors 1-4

T7 Mary Female 45-54 Bachelors 11-15

T8 Jesse Male 45-54 Doctorate 5-10

T9 Phillip Male 55-64 Masters 5-10

T10 Susan Female 35-44 Bachelors 5-10

T11 Alex Male 35-44 Bachelors 11-15

T12 Josh Male 35-44 Masters 1-4

T13 Cindy Female 65-74 Bachelors 5-10

T14 Mathew Male 45-54 Masters 11-15

Description of data sources. The researcher used three data sources to collect

data. The data sources included teacher observations, one-on-one individual teacher

interviews, and artifacts such as lesson plans. The average number of pages transcribed

from the individual interviews was 8.5 single-spaced pages of transcriptions that took an

average of 66 minutes per interview. The researcher also collected lesson plans and other

related materials used in the differentiated instruction that consisted of an average of five

pages per lesson plan for differentiated instruction for the 9-12 curriculum. In addition,
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an average of five pages of data was collected by the researcher through observations of

class teachers. Table 4. below lists a summary of data sources.

Table 4.

Summary of Data Sources

Source Participants Descriptive Data
Observations 14 14 Observations
Teacher Interview Guide 14 14 transcripts with an average of 5 pages, Duration of
interviews 45-75 min. Single spaced, Times new roman
Lesson Plans 14 14 Lesson plans

Teacher observations. The researcher conducted observations for 14 teacher

participants. The observations ranged from 35-45 minutes per classroom observation and

generated an average of about 70 pages of data. The observations were noted on an

observation form (see Appendix F) and included researcher journal notes that were taken

during the observations. The observation form had six sections that provided data relating

to lesson organization (process), content knowledge (content), presentation (learning

environment), collaborative learning (process and learning environment), lesson

implementation (process and product) and instructional material (content and product).

During the observations, the researcher was looking to see if the differentiated

instructional practices and materials used by the teacher were in alignment with the

teacher interview and provided evidence of what differentiated practice was used and

how it was used. For example, Participant T6 commented in the teacher interview that

when the teacher was working with a student struggling in a math lesson, the first step the

teacher took was to review the notes the student took. If the notes were not clear or

concise, the teacher provided the student with supplemental note-taking handouts and had

the student retake notes on the math lesson. The teacher provided the student with the

play-list of videos that demonstrated a step by step how to work the math problems the
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students were struggling with. Other video options were either provided to the student or

suggestions were given to the student instructing them to watch videos from a math

academy channel. The teacher would recommend which video would be the best to watch

based on what the student was struggling with.

During the observation, the researcher observed the teacher working one-on-one

with a student as they reviewed the student’s notes. The teacher-reviewed the playlist of

videos with the student and directed them to which one would be best. The teacher also

provided the note-taking handout used to streamline the note-taking process. The teacher

indicated they would follow up with the student to answer any questions they might have,

review the notes again, and check for understanding of the math problem.

If the teacher indicated in the interview they use videos as additional

supplemental material for differentiation with the lesson module on the computer when a

particular student was struggling with the material, then the researcher looked for the

evidence of video and video option presented to the student as what differentiated lesson

was used and how it was used during the observation. Based on these observations the

researcher corroborated the findings with the teacher interviews and the lesson plans.

Teacher interview guide. A teacher interview guide was used for individual

interviews with high school teachers to collect data regarding what differentiated

instructional practices were used and how they were used in virtual classrooms. The

interview protocol (see Appendix E) included semi-structured, open-ended questions

which allowed teachers to express their views freely and share the differentiated

instructions they used. Table 5 below lists the length of teacher interviews and the

number of pages of transcripts for each interview participant.

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Table 5.

Length of Teacher Interviews and Transcripts

Name Identifier Length of Interview (minutes) Number of transcript pages
T1 80 12
T2 75 10
T3 75 10
T4 75 10
T5 68 8
T6 50 6
T7 75 10
T8 65 7
T9 50 6
T10 70 9
T11 55 6
T12 75 11
T13 65 7
T14 45 5
Average 66 8.5

Artifacts (lesson plans). High school lesson plans relating to differentiated

instruction in virtual classrooms were collected from the high school teachers. Fourteen

teacher participants provided lesson plans which consisted of video links, computer

programs, math academy links and also videos on various subjects including Math,

English, Science, and History. The lesson plans were used to review the instructional

planning of teachers. The teachers planned instruction based on the assessments of the

learning needs and learning styles of students. The lesson plans were used to see how the

teachers planned to adjust and enhance instruction to meet the diverse needs of students.

The lesson plans were also collected to review how the teachers integrated technology to

facilitate learning.

Data Analysis Procedures

A six-step thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke (2006) was used to analyze data

for this qualitative case study. The procedures detailed in Chapter 3 were used for
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analyzing the data with no alteration to the procedures described. The six steps of

thematic analysis were: a) familiarize yourself with your data, b) generate initial codes, c)

search for themes, d) review themes, e) define and name themes, and f) interpret themes.

Thematic analysis procedure consisted of identifying patterns, insights, or concepts in the

data that helped explain why those patterns exist. The process of pattern recognition

within the data helps provide insights into where categories that emerged became themes

for analysis (Clarke & Braun, 2013). The analysis for this study involved preparing and

organizing data inductively by hand-coding before further analysis was conducted

through narratives.

A thematic analysis was suitable for this study because it aligned with the

research questions, supported a qualitative single case study design, and reinforced the

identification of major themes (Clarke & Braun, 2013), tying the emergent themes

directly to the overall research questions to explain what differentiated instructions were

used by teachers and how they were used. The six steps in the thematic analysis process

aligned with this qualitative case study and helped address all research questions. The

trustworthiness and credibility of data for this study were supported by data triangulation

across multiple sources. The data sources used were one-on-one interviews, teacher’s

observations, and lesson plans. Trustworthiness for this study was also established

through member checking and an expert review panel of experts in the related field. The

expert panel review was conducted using the Validation for Expert Panel Rubric form by

Dr. Simon and was used with the permission of the author. The Validation for Expert

Panel form and the permission to use the form are attached in Appendix L.
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Data preparation and familiarization of data. Once data collection was

completed and transcripts prepared and forwarded for member checking, the researcher

organized the data for further analysis. The three sources of data used provided rich data

for the current research study. The steps used to prepare data for analysis are described

below for each data source.

Preparing the artifacts. Artifacts collected were the lesson plans, which consisted

of several tools and supplemental materials teachers used to address the needs of the

students. Data collected through the lessons included supplemental materials consisting

of videos, scripts, essay outline planners, Khan Academy assignments, engagement and

interaction activities, instructor designed videos, Google docs, and other teaching

instruction used through scaffolding. The researcher picked up material or was emailed

the materials from the teacher participant. The researcher reviewed the material and read

through the lesson plans twice to become familiar with the differentiated instructional

practices used by the teachers.

The researcher parsed through the lesson plans to see what differentiated

instructional practices were used by the teachers and how they were used in a virtual

classroom. The review of the lesson plans provided evidence that teachers differentiated

the content, product, and process to create learning environments to enhance the

academic outcomes of students. Repeated reading iterations allowed the researcher to

understand the lesson plans used by the teacher participants to address the learning needs

of individual students through differentiated instruction tailored to the individual learning

needs of the students.

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The lesson plans aided the researcher during classroom observations. The

researcher used the lesson plans to observe what teacher differentiated instructional

practices were used in the classroom and how they were used. The lesson plans were

collected to review the instructional planning of the teachers. The instructional planning

of teachers was based on the assessments of student learning needs. Teachers assessed the

learning needs of the students and prepared their instruction for the classroom. They

differentiate based on the learning needs of the students. The assessments varied and

were done grouping strategies. Student’s needs were grouped based on how they learned,

the state testing results, or the economic needs indicated in entitlement programs for

student educational needs.

Preparing teacher observation data. Teacher observations yielded important data

regarding differentiated instruction used by teachers in virtual environments. The

researcher observed 14 teacher participants, documented observation sheets, and made

researcher notes during the observation process. The observation forms were used to

collect data from the classroom observation regarding the product, process, and content

and learning environment of the differentiated instructions used by teachers. The

observation form had six sections that provided data relating to lesson organization

(process), content knowledge (content), presentation (learning environment),

collaborative learning (process and learning environment), lesson implementation

(process and product) and instructional material (content and product).

The lesson organization section provided data for student learning needs by

pacing and adjusting lessons, therefore providing information on the learning processes

used for students. Content knowledge provided data of the content used by teachers in the
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application of the instructional materials. The section on a presentation provided data on

the processes used for varied options at different levels of difficulty based on differing

student interests.

Section four, collaborative learning, provided data for the learning environments

teachers created for their students to address their learning styles and needs.

Collaborative learning activities provide for "student choice" gives students an option as

to how they express required learning outcomes. The section on lesson implementation

also provided information regarding the learning processes used by teachers to

differentiate instructional practices. In the last section of the observation form,

instructional materials provided information on the products that teachers used in

differentiating instruction as well as the content.

The researcher observed the instructional strategies used by teachers and jotted

notes regarding the instructional practices. Once the data was collected, the researcher

reviewed the notes and typed them in a word document. The researcher then read and

reread the observation forms and the word documents with the researcher notes to

understand the data. The immersive reading allowed the researcher to better understand

what and how teachers used differentiated instruction in virtual learning environments.

Preparing teacher interviews. The researcher used wreally.com software to

transcribe data for teacher interviews. The transcriptions were sent for member checking

and once received back were ready for analysis. Member checking, as described in

Chapter 3, was completed. Teacher participants authenticated the transcribed interviews

and were allowed to provide feedback and/or elaborate on the results. According to

Stuckey (2014), the first step in data analysis is data transcription and it should be
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transcribed accurately. The researcher reviewed the transcripts thoroughly to match them

to the recordings and to ensure the verbatim responses of the participants were captured.

Member checking performed by the participants further enhanced the accuracy of

the data. The 14 participants were given one week to review and return the transcripts

with feedback and to suggest any changes if they deemed any inaccuracy. Eleven of the

participants reviewed indicated the transcriptions were accurate; however, three

participants indicated some minor corrections that were due to words that were

determined inaudible by the transcription software. The researcher made changes to the

required transcripts. Further, Yin (2017) suggested that member checking is a strategy

used by researchers to create an audit trail to enhance the trustworthiness of the results.

Coding data. After the member checking was completed, the researcher engaged

in the immersive reading of the transcripts to identify patterns. Identifying patterns

allowed the researcher to search across the one-on-one interviews, observation data, and

artifacts from lesson plans to identify patterns that were repeated and had similar

meanings (Saldaña, 2016). These were highlighted by the researcher for potential codes

(Clarke & Braun, 2013). The codes were established based on the frequency of use by the

participants. The other two data sources-observations and lesson plans were-also coded.

The researcher used the observation sheets and researcher notes to generate codes from

the observations. The observation forms were carefully reviewed, and the researcher

notes were matched to the forms to make sure all data was accurately captured.

The coding process involved defining the structure of codes and then assigning

the codes. To define the codes, the researcher referred back to the theoretical constructs.

In the differentiation model (Tomlinson, 2016) the content, process, product, and learning
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environment were identified as the constructs for the two research questions. The

experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014) provided guidance on how the new concepts or

learning tools enhanced the development of new concepts through concrete experiences

and experimentation. The researcher used the concepts of content, product, process, and

learning environment from the differentiation model of Tomlinson (2016) and the

concepts of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and

active experimentation of the experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014) to highlight

codes.

According to Tomlinson (2016), teachers differentiate the content by adjusting the

complexity of the curriculum in concert with the understanding level of the students. As

such, the coding process involved looking for content where the curriculum was adjusted

for complexity level or teachers adjusted the means through which students gain access to

the information, such as using supplemental material, visual aids, audio-recordings,

videos, and additional texts (see Table 6). The learning tools that were introduced in

differentiating instruction were therefore coded as content. The concepts of content and

concrete experience were used to assign codes to data that provided students with choices

to add depth to learning by giving students additional resources that matched their levels

of understanding through these concrete learning tools (Appendix M).

Teachers can also differentiate instruction through the “process” by adjusting the

means through which students can make sense of the information and newly acquired

concepts according to the understanding and needs of the students (Tomlinson, 2016).

The process refers to how students make sense or understand the information, ideas, and

skills being studied. The process reflects the learning styles and preferences of students
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and helps students to draw on key skills to make sense of the central ideas of the lesson,

such as activities and short assignments (see Table 6).

According to Kolb (2014), the process of learning allows the students to reflect on

new and concrete experiences. The researcher used the constructs of process and

reflective observation, to code data where differentiation of instruction reflected student

understanding and teachers provided varied options at different levels of difficulty (see

Appendix M). Hence, the researcher defined the codes under process where teachers

changed the learning process depending upon how students learned based on their

differing interests.

Another way of differentiating instruction is through the product (Tomlinson,

2016). When teachers differentiated instruction through the product, they provided the

students a vehicle to demonstrate their skills, understanding, and knowledge of the

information they learned by completing various activities or assignments (see Table 6).

According to Kolb (2014), when students conceptualize, they interpret their experiences

based on new concepts and hence demonstrate the learning and understanding through

the product. Therefore, the researcher used the concepts of product and abstract

conceptualization and assigned the codes that gave students options of how to express the

required learning and to encourage students to express what they have learned in varied

ways (see Appendix M).

An additional way of differentiating instruction according to Tomlinson (2016) is

through the learning environment which includes the operation and tone of the classroom

- class rules, furniture arrangement, lighting, procedures, and processes (see Table 6).

According to Kolb (2014), the learner applies their idea(s) to the world around them to
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see what happens through active experimentation. When new learning environments are

provided to the learners, they try out what they have learned. The researcher used the

concepts of “learning environment” and “active experimentation” to code data where

teachers provided a safe and positive environment for learning, allowing for individual

work preferences, by managing the learning space (see Appendix M). Once the codes

were defined, the researcher looked for these criteria to assign codes. The researcher

referred to the definition of the codes to place them in the category that matched closely

to the defined code. Table 6. below shows the definition of the codes and how codes were

assigned
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Table 6.

Definition of how Codes were Assigned

Content Product Process Learning Environment
Providing students Tends to be • Reflects student is the ‘climate’ of a classroom
with choices to add tangible, reports, learning styles and • Includes the operation and tone
depth to learning or tests, brochures, preferences. of the classroom - class rules,
providing students speeches or • Providing varied furniture arrangement, lighting,
with additional performances. options at different procedures and processes.
resources that match Reflects student levels of difficulty • Considering the look and feel
their levels of understanding. or based on of the classroom
understanding. • providing differing student • Providing a safe and positive
• Use ‘hands on’ challenge, variety interests environment for learning
activities for some and choice and • Offering different • Allowing for individual work
learners to help giving students amounts of teacher preferences
them understand a options and student support • Managing the learning space
new idea • allow students to for a task
• Use texts or help design • Giving choices
novels at more than products around about how students
one reading level learning express their
• Present intentions/goals understanding
information through • allow for varied • Varying the
both whole-to-part working learning process
and part-to-whole arrangements – depending upon
• Use a variety of alone, with a group how students learn.
reading-buddy • provide or
arrangements to encourage the use of
support and varied types of
•Re-teach students resources in
who need further preparing products
demonstration or • provide product
exempt students assignments at
who already varying degrees of
demonstrate difficulty to match
mastery student readiness
• Use texts, • work with
computer programs, students to develop
tape recordings and rubrics that match
videos as a way of and extend students’
conveying key varied skill levels
concepts to varied
learners

The interviews provided data on how teachers assessed the needs of the students

and what differentiated instructional practices were used to address these needs. The

interview questions were designed to solicit information on what instructional practices

teachers used (RQ1) and how they used these practices (RQ2) to address the learning

needs of the students. To gain depth into the type of differentiated practices that teachers
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used in virtual classrooms, the researcher collected artifacts, such as lesson plans, from

the teachers. The lesson plans which were collected were reviewed for the content,

product, process, and learning environment. The lesson plans provided data to show the

content and products used by the teachers.

Words or phrases that represented content and product provided data to answer

RQ1 – What differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in the

virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students? Similarly, the lesson

plans were reviewed to see how the teachers used differentiation to address the individual

needs of the students. For example, when a teacher mentioned in the interviews they used

videos to differentiate instruction, the lesson plans provided data on what type of video

was used and how the video would help to address the needs of the students. The

interview provided the code video and the lesson plan provided the code, Khan Academy,

adding depth to the data of ‘what’ differentiated instruction was used by the teachers.

The researcher also observed the teachers to see the process and learning

environments created by teachers. For example, the interview collected data regarding

what teachers use and how they use it (video), the lesson plan added depth by providing

codes as to what was used (Khan Academy), and the observation further revealed that the

teachers advised students to log in to the Khan Academy website to watch and follow

step by step instruction to learn the math problems. Hence the codes watch video and

step-by-step instructions were generated by the observations. The words and phrases that

referred to the process and learning environment provided data to answer RQ2: How are

differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom
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to address the learning needs of the students? The coding process for the three data

sources is described below.

Coding teacher interview transcripts. Data for the teacher interview guide was

prepared for the coding process once the member checking was complete. The immersive

reading process of the transcripts allowed the researcher to identify repeated words and

phrases from the participants, thus looking for patterns. According to Saldaña (2016),

pattern recognition within the qualitative data captures the richness of data. Codes were

created based on the frequency of the words used, ideas conveyed, and quotes made by

the participants. The coding process involved looking for codes based on the theoretical

concepts. Hence any quote or word that related to the meaning of content, process,

product or environment was highlighted in the initial coding process. The overarching

structures generated were based on the theoretical constructs and provided data to answer

the research questions. Commonly used words from the query that were captured and

deemed not relevant for the study were removed. For example, a query search identified

common words such as especially, appreciate, everything, definitely, specifically,

necessarily, and absolutely did not seem relevant to the study were still captured in the

initial coding process because teachers emphasized assessments, needs, or differentiation

through the use of these words. These words were deleted from subsequent coding levels

as they were not relevant to the study.

Coding observation sheets. A second data source that provided triangulation was

teacher class observations. Data from the teacher observations revealed 35 codes that

were overlapped by the codes from the interview transcripts. The researcher used

bracketing to ensure that researcher bias and perceptions would not create biased data
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from the observations. Journaling was used to minimize any bias and to increase

transparency and enhance trustworthiness (Vicary, Young, & Hicks, 2016). Bracketing is

a technique used to minimize the likelihood of presuppositions, biases, assumptions,

theories, or previous experiences in the research (Bengtsson, 2016). Additionally, coding

of the observation materials allowed the researcher to authenticate the information from

the interviews and artifacts as well as corroborate codes and potential themes. In coding

observation sheets, the researcher looked for elements that might be useful for coding and

help to address the research questions. The researcher observed teacher classrooms to see

the content, process, product, and environment. The overarching structure of the codes

was provided by the theoretical constructs and aligned to the research questions. In

searching for content, product, process, and environment. The researcher highlighted

overlapping codes found in the other two data sources. Codes such as videos, Khan

Academy, Google docs, and iLit were some common codes that were overlapping in all

three data sources, thus providing credibility through data triangulation. For example, the

researcher observation sheet listed the use of Khan Academy as a source for math

learning, the researcher observed the use of Khan Academy in class and this was also

reflected through the artifacts/lesson plans collected from the teachers.

Coding artifacts. Similarly, coding and data triangulation were also

accomplished through a third data source, the lesson plans. The lesson plans were

collected from all 14 participants. The curriculum of the lesson plans was based on high

school students in grades 9-12. The researcher reviewed the computerized lesson plans

and several companion websites such as Khan Academy, iLit 20, Videos and Catch Up
 145

Math .com that was submitted by the participants as a means of differentiated instruction

in their classes.

Artifacts, such as lesson plans, were collected from the teacher to see how

teachers addressed the needs through differentiated instructional practices and what

differentiated strategies the teachers used to address the individual needs of the students.

These artifacts were another data source used that assisted with data triangulation. In

coding the artifacts, the researcher looked for components based on the theoretical

constructs and would be helpful to address the research questions. The researcher

reviewed the lesson plans provided by the teachers and they found websites, video links,

audio/video programs, and computerized lesson plans. Several codes were identified from

this process. For instance, words and phrases mentioned by teacher participants in the

individual interviews were also captured in this lesson plan review. Some of these

overlapping codes that were identified were Cornell Notes, Chromebook, Google Docs,

Khan Academy, and video links.

During the review of the lesson plans the researcher looked for components or

segments of data that could be useful and started coding. The codes developed were

helpful to address the two research questions. Several codes were identified from this

process. For instance, words and phrases mentioned by participants in the individual

interviews were also generated in the observation data, and were mentioned in the lesson

plans such as chat forums, video links, hybrid models, and labs were subsequently coded.

The review of lesson plans generated 28 different numbers of codes. In addition, coding

of the observations and lesson plans allowed the researcher to substantiate information

from the individual interviews as well as support codes and potential themes.
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The multiple data sources were complementary to each other and were integrated

to provide a richer perspective of the differentiation techniques used by teachers to

address the learning needs of students. For example, it was important to learn how

teachers differentiated instruction in the classroom. As such, the knowledge of the teacher

assessments was gathered through the teacher interviews.

Teachers shared the different assessment techniques that were used. The data

provided through interviews was integrated with the review of lesson plans to see what

teachers differentiated and how they differentiated. The review of observations was

compared with the lesson plans to understand how they contained a variety of material

and what they contained to address the learning needs of the students. The tasks of

teaching identified on the lesson plans provided evidence relating to the differentiation

strategies used by teachers and these were observable through the classroom observations

and captured on the observation form during this process. Data from multiple data

sources was thus triangulated and the findings were verified in all the three sources

providing congruency and credibility. Table 7 below shows the quotes of participants

from the individual interviews.


Table 7.
Teacher Interview Examples
Interview Questions
What differentiated instructional
practices teachers used.
What differentiated instruction
techniques in virtual learning
environments can help address the
needs of students? (Tomlinson model,
content, process, product, learning
environment, RQ1)
How Teachers use differentiated
instructional practices
Please share how differentiated
instruction techniques introduce new
concepts to enhance student learning
in your class (experiential learning
theory, RQ2)
This process of immersive reading and highlighting data supported the thematic
analysis procedure and allowed the researcher to identify initial codes. The researcher
created 167 codes from this initial process. The collection of initial codes was captured in
147
Participant Responses
“They need to be able to click on a video and watch a teacher
kind of talk them through, you know, how to organize their
writing and different things, you know with math help them
work through problems and they need that sometimes every
different lesson they have because they continue because that
gives them extra reminders constantly and the more that gets
repeated to them those more they get those steps the more
that's going to kind of at some point kind of stick with them.”.
(Participant T4)
“We could implement more of that direct instruction, you
know supplement to the online curriculum, which again that's
one of the benefits of having our kids here as we get to work
with them in that way. We could do a similar thing in the
electronic environment, but it would need like webcam or
chat room or GoToMeeting or whatever the case may be to
have that level of interaction”. (Participant T7)
“I think one thing is to provide options. A lot of times in these
virtual learning environments. You got a canned curriculum
and instead of saying assignment option A, assignment option
B, assignment option C, and we have the technology now so
if you really want to get that essay out of a kid, you can start
eliminating those options as they pick other things, you know,
or have more essays pop up, but I think providing more
options specifically on assignments- because assignments are
part of instruction”. (Participant T12)
“We try to differentiate to make sure that kids are comfortable
and they know what they're going to get. Beyond that though,
you know, like student choice again is very important we
have now lots and lots of electives that we can choose we try
to encourage kids to think about like College and Career
Readiness”. (Participant T7)
“And in Geometry is a really good example that you really
have to keep those old skills sharp in the course. So, when
you start identifying and if I see the class in general is kind of
forgetting that stuff, I'll loop back around and take the whole
class back on another journey, but my experience for my
geometry class is they do pretty well keeping up with what
we're doing. I always do like I always put questions up on a
board which are the warm up questions and that is always the
link from what we did yesterday to what we're going today”.
(Participant T9)
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a codebook (see Appendix G). The codebook was helpful to sort through data by

identifying patterns and similarities and prepare data for further analysis.

Through the coding process the researcher identified codes that were descriptive

labels accumulated from the data. The selected codes added meaning to the phenomenon

of differentiated instructional practices. The highlighted transcripts and data were then

uploaded into NVivo 12 for further analysis. Utilizing the NVivo 12 software assisted the

researcher to identify the statements and quotes made by participants. A list of participant

quotes is provided in Appendix H. The frequency of which codes occurred is listed in

Appendix I.

In order to make data manageable, the researcher reduced the initial codes by

collapsing codes with similar meanings into overarching codes. Saldaña (2016) defines

two types of coding, lumping or splitting. The researcher analysis began with a single

overarching code for a paragraph or passage of text and then lumped the data together to

fit more data into fewer, broader codes. The most common types of codes came from the

perspective of the framework and research study questions. The researcher used open

coding which involved reading and re-reading data to see the meaning of codes based on

how the codes emerged from the responses of the teacher participants, the observations,

and the artifacts. For example, the codes that had something to do with learning such as,

algebra tiles, Grammarly, handouts, and posters, were all merged into the code, learning

tools. Similarly, the codes used to assess the needs and readiness levels of students such

as, checklist, skill level, map test, get to know students, and match interests, were merged

into the code Assessment. Likewise, the codes, define material, discipline, identify best
 149

practices, lesson objectives, and mastery of content were all grouped together to form an

overarching code, teaching strategies.

The researcher identified the relationship between these codes using axial coding.

These relationships were then used to arrive at emergent themes. Codes such as move

things around, modify, what works for them, and personalized learning were merged to

the codes adjustments, as they all were used to indicate some kind of accommodations

that were made to adjust the learning styles and needs of the students. Through several

iterations of this process, the researcher was able to collapse the initial 167 codes into 74-

second-level codes. Table 8 shows the second level codes created through this process.

Table 8.

Second Review - List of Codes from All Three Data Sources

Adjustments Rewording
Assessments Scaffolding Material
Bottom 25 Screen Shot
Brain Break Small Group Instruction
Brain-Fade Social Atmosphere
Chunk Social Emotional Wellness
Class Setting Specific Instruction
Coding Words Special Education
College/Career Readiness Student Buy-In
Community Involvement Student Needs
KUTA Text-To-Speech
Drawing Think Through Math
ECAP Title One Instruction
Electives Title One Kids
ELL Title One Math
Galileo Truncate
Grade Band Two-way Communication
Grouping Strategies Universal Design
Hybrid Model Vimeo
Individual Education Plan iLit 20 Virtual Lab
Imagery Virtual Learning
Interventions Whole Group Environment
Kinesthetic Widely Different Areas
Learning Styles Work at Your Own Pace
 150

Triangulation. The establishment of trustworthiness of this qualitative case study

required triangulation of the data. Triangulation is an important concept in case study

research because an investigation of the phenomenon from different perspectives

provides robust foundations for the findings and supports arguments for its contribution

to knowledge (Yin, 2017). Triangulation in the current research was accomplished

through the use of multiple data sources.

A teacher interview guide was used to capture the perceptions of teachers on what

differentiated strategies they use and how they use differentiated instructional practices to

address the needs of high school students. Seven open-ended interview questions were

developed with probing questions to explore the differentiated instructional practices

used by teachers. To complement the individual interviews, artifacts were collected to

understand what instructional practices were used by teachers and how teachers used

lesson plans to address the individual needs of high school students. The lesson plans

revealed the use of important instructional practices as mentioned by teachers in their

individual interviews.

Another data source that was used for triangulation was teacher classroom

observation forms. Teachers’ classroom observations were used to authenticate the

information collected from the individual teacher interviews and the artifacts. Teacher

observations were a valuable data source since they provided information regarding the

use of differentiated instructional practices the teachers mentioned in the individual

interviews and were also evident through the lesson plans that they had prepared.

The individual interviews provided data regarding the differentiated instructional

practices of teachers. Teacher participants shared how they addressed the individual
 151

needs of the students through differentiating instructions based on the unique needs of the

students. For example, if the student had a reading deficiency, then teachers would

provide reading tools in their lesson plans and would assist them in class through iLit 20.

Similarly, if there were learning deficiencies in math, the teachers mentioned they would

introduce how-to video links or refer the students to Khan Academy for problem- solving

techniques. This was evident in the lesson plans teachers prepared and was also observed

in the teacher classroom observations. Triangulating data across multiple sources allowed

the researcher to see if data merged across different sources to support the findings. The

data overlapped in several areas across all three data sources enhancing the credibility of

the study. Data triangulation was achieved in two ways: a) codes overlapped in multiple

sources and b) data sources complemented or provided additional support to codes form

other data sources. The two modes of data triangulation are discussed in detail below:

Code overlapping. Data collected through three different sources provided

several codes that were consistent across the three data sources. For example, 29 codes

were highlighted in all three data sources during the initial coding phase which were the

same. According to Denzin (2017), the focus of triangulation is the convergence of data.

Table 9 below shows the overlapping codes.

Table 9.

Overlapping Codes from All Data Sources

Answer questions Instructor videos Rephrase
Assignment Khan Academy Scaffolding
Content Note cards Supplemental material
Cornell notes Note taking Use of technology
Discussion Peer to peer work Use of videos
Email conversations Phone conversation Videos
Essay writing PLP Visual learning
Explain Probing questions Watching video
Google Docs R.A.C.E Write down notes
Graphic organizer Reflection
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Data compatibility. The coding process revealed that data was triangulated

across different sources. Each data source provided data to answer the two research

questions and provided unique depth and richness to data that complemented across data

sources. For example, the interviews provided information regarding the types of

differentiated instructional practices, the lesson plans collected provided additional depth

to the interviews to show what content, product, process, and learning environments were

used and how they were used. The observations provided more richness to data as the

researcher observed what was used and how it was used to differentiate instructional

practices. The examples in Table 10 show how data was corroborated across data sources

to provide triangulation. Through triangulation, data coming from different angles

provided support to answer the two research questions for the current research study.

According to Fusch, Fusch, and Ness (2018), the process of triangulation adds depth to

the data that are collected. Table 10 Below displays how data across sources merged to

provide thick and rich data to support RQ1 and RQ2.

Table 10.

Sample Codes to Show Triangulation Across All Data Sources

Codes from Interview Codes from Artifacts Codes from Observations
Cornell Notes (Content - How (RQ1) – Note Engaged with students (learning environment)
use texts, notes computer Taking
programs, tape recordings Explained material (Process)
and videos as a way of What (RQ2) -
conveying key concepts to
Supplemental material
varied learners)

Handouts (Product) Online instruction (Content)

How (RQ1) – Grouping

What (RQ2) – PLP

lessons
 153

Searching for themes. The researcher reviewed the second level codes through

another round of iterative review process. The second level codes were further collapsed

by organizing and grouping similarly coded data into categories because of their

similarities and the characteristics they shared through their meanings (Saldaña, 2016).

Codes such as, brain break, brain-fade, chunk or chunking, and coding words, all referred

to learning tools used to differentiate instruction in virtual learning environments.

Therefore, the researcher placed these codes with a similar meaning into one overarching

code representing the category, learning tools. In the same manner, a further review of

the codes allowed the researcher to merge other codes into broader categories. The

iterative review process allowed the researcher to reduce the 74- second- level codes into

31 broader categories. Table 11 below lists these categories which were developed from

reducing and merging the second level codes.

Table 11.

Final Review - List of Codes from All Data Sources

Ability Level Interventions Personal Learning Platform (PLP)
Adjustments Learning Environment Project-Based Learning
Assessment Learning Tools Scaffolding Material
Blending Strategy Lexile Levels Social Atmosphere
Community Involvement Mark it up Special Education
Diagnostic Tools Math Intervention State Mandated Plans
Electives McKinney Vento Supplemental Tools
Federally Funded Program Metacognitive Strategies Teaching Strategy
Grouping Organizational Strategies Virtual Learning
iLit 20 Outcomes
Individual Education Plan Parental Involvement

The codes, movie to a novel, multi-step equations, note-taking video, and online

content, were all codes that referred to the strategies used by teachers to differentiate

instruction based on the individual needs of students. Therefore, these codes were

categorized as, “Teaching strategy”. Table 9 above lists the codes that were categorized
 154

based on their similar characteristics and revealed the similarities in the meaning. Figure

2 below lists a sample of how the codes were merged into categories:

• (1) Learning Tools (2) Assessment (3) Interventions

Codes

• (1) Audio learning Blended learning Discussion forums Embedded

videos
Items • (2) AZ Merit Grade Level Checklist Map test
Discussed • (3) iLit Lexile Levels Skype Video chats

• (1) Teaching Strategies

• (2) Grouping
• (3) Metacognitive Strategies
Categories

Figure 2. From codes to categories

Reviewing themes. After the coding process was complete the researcher

reviewed all data sources to make sure no important codes were missed. Once this

process was completed, the researcher identified themes that would provide support to

the research questions. The coding process facilitated the process of developing themes.

The thematic analysis process involved searching for themes that emerged from

the descriptions in the phenomenon. The researcher sorted through codes and categories

to connect them into themes. The codebook established (see appendix G) provided

insight into the data and facilitated the development of themes.

The participant quotes (see appendix H) were used to justify the establishment of

themes. The researcher grouped codes into categories based on similarities in

characteristics and meanings. These categories and significant statements along with the

grouped codes helped in identifying the following themes: a) Differentiating instruction

in virtual learning environments, b) Differentiated instructional practices teachers use, c)

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Differentiated instruction – Bridging the learning gap, and d) Assessing student needs for

differentiation. Figure 3 below shows how the categories were developed into emergent

themes.

Theme 1-Differentiating Theme 2 - Theme 3 - Theme 4 -

instruction in virtual Differentiated Differentiated Assessing student
Instructional practices Instruction - needs for
learning environments
- teachers use Bridging the differentiation
learning gap

•Community •Federally Funded

•Blending Strategy •Ability level programs
Involvement
•Diagnostic Tools •Adjustments •Grouping
•Learning
Environment •Electives •Assessment •Individual Education
•Metacognitive •iLit •Learning Tools Plan
Strategies •Interventions •Mark it up •McKinney Vento
•Organizational •Lexile Levels •Outcomes •Personal Learning
Strategies •Parental
•Math Intervention Platform (PLP)
•Project Based Involvement
Learning •Scaffolding •Special Education
•Social Atmosphere Material
•State Manadated •Supplemental
Plans Tools
•Virtual Learning •Teaching Strategy

Figure 3. From categories to themes.

Defining and naming themes. Once the themes were developed, the researcher

began the process of reviewing and refining the themes. Themes were reviewed, relating

them to the research questions. The researcher identified the importance of what each

theme was about and determined what aspect of the data each theme captured. The

themes were organized into a logical and internally coherent manner which included an

accompanying narrative or description of what the theme represented. A detailed analysis

of each theme relating them to the original research questions was provided. During the

review and refining process of the themes, the researcher was able to clearly define what

the themes were and how they provided information relating them back to the research
 156

questions. The names of the themes were reviewed and were in the final analysis to

interpret the meanings of the emergent themes.

Interpreting themes. In this step, the researcher re-read all of the themes to make

sure a coherent pattern was formed. The themes were reviewed again and tied back to the

entire data set to determine the credibility and trustworthiness of those themes based on

the data collected. Once it was determined the themes connected to the narrative from the

data, the researcher defined and finalized the four emergent themes. The themes were

connected to theory and provided support to answer the two research questions. The

analysis provided enough evidence of themes within the data. The logical story of the

themes provided explanations of the data to support the two research questions. The

themes that emerged from data were compared to the existing empirical research to lend

support to the findings from this data analysis. The findings resulting from the data

analysis have theoretical support and foundations from empirical data and are prominent

in the findings of the current study.

Connecting themes to research questions. The two research questions that

guided this study found credible support from the four emergent themes of this study.

RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in the

virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students? was developed to explore

the differentiated instructional practices teachers used in virtual classrooms to address the

learning needs of students. The themes two and three answered this research question by

providing rich data regarding the content, process, product and learning environments.

RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in the

virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students? was developed to explore
 157

how teachers used differentiated instructional practices in a virtual classroom to address

the learning needs of students was supported by themes 1 and 4. The themes provided an

explanation of the new concepts and learning environments that were facilitated by

teachers to address the needs of individual students through differentiated instructional

practices. Appendix M shows the connections of themes to Tomlinson’s model (2016)

and Kolb’s (2014) theory. Figure 4 below shows what and how teachers differentiated

instructional practices:

Theme 2 - Differentiated
Instructional practices
teachers use.
Theme 3 - Differentiated
Instruction - Bridging the
learning gap
• iLit, Interventions Learning tools, Learning
styles, Student buy-in, imagery, Lexile
levels, Message boards, Chat rooms, Video
links, Webcams, Skype, Go to meeting,
Youtube, Computer labs, Mind maps, ELL,
Galileo

Theme 1-Differentiating • Assesments, Ability level, State Funding

instruction in virtual learning Programs, Bottom 25, AZ Merit, State
environments Testing, Grouping, Diagnostic assessments,
Theme 4 - Assessing student McKinney Vento, Cultural environment,
needs for differentiation Learning Environments

Figure 4. What and how differential instructional practices are used by teachers.

The information collected revealed the different techniques and assessments that

teachers used. Themes 2 and 3 emerged from the data to show what practices teachers

used to bridge learning gaps. Similarly, themes 1 and 4 emerged from data to reveal the

assessment techniques and learning environments teachers created to differentiate

instructional practices. Figure 5 below, shows how the themes were connected to provide

support and answer the two research questions.

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•Theme 2 - Differentiated Instructional RQ1: What differentiated

practices teachers use instructional practices are
used by high school teachers
in the virtual classroom to
•Theme 3 - Differentiated Instruction - address the learning needs of
Bridging the learning gap the students?

•Theme 1-Differentiating instruction in RQ2: How are differentiated

virtual learning environments instructional practices used by
high school teachers in a virtual
•Theme 4 - Assessing student needs for classroom to address the learning
differentiation needs of the students?

Figure 5. Connecting themes to research questions.

Trustworthiness. The researcher established trustworthiness through the four

delegated criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.

Trustworthiness is an important quality to enhance the credibility of a qualitative study

during the research design and implementation phases (Yin, 2017). The transparency of a

research study establishes the value and integrity of the research results as feasible. The

qualitative research is strengthened by its trustworthiness. Conducting meticulous

research openly and transparently manner is crucial to the trustworthiness of the research

study. The findings from this study established trustworthiness to provide credibility to

the findings of this study and for the research to be trusted. Merriam and Tisdell (2015)

note that trustworthiness is evidenced by transferability, confirmability, credibility, and

dependability.

Credibility. Credibility in this qualitative research was established through

compatible findings from the data collected from teacher observations, semi-structured

teacher interviews, and lesson plans. Some threats qualitative researchers face is not

knowing that the results and findings of the research are true and accurate. The researcher

minimized the likelihood of such threats by triangulating data across different data
 159

sources. The researcher also used member checking and an expert panel review to

minimize such threats. Furthermore, the researcher used bracketing to minimize

researcher bias. The researcher triangulated data using multiple sources. Observations,

semi-structured interviews, and lesson plans were used. The data collected from all

sources were pooled and cross-referenced to form the basis of analysis (Yin, 2017).

Transferability. To ensure transferability, the researcher made sure the context of

the participants was described in a rich and detailed manner. According to Amankwaa

(2016) offering a renewed viewpoint on the research data and the progression of the study

allows researchers to examine research with greater objectivity. The researcher provided

a detailed account of the participant experiences. Furthermore, the researcher ensured

sample sufficiency was established. The sample size used for this research in addition to

other data sources was sufficient to provide insights into the differential instructional

practices teachers use to enhance the virtual learning of high school students.

Dependability. According to Connelly (2016), dependability is the stability of

data over time and through the conditions of the study. Dependability relies heavily on

the consistency of the data used. The researcher used audit trail in the current study from

the start to the finish. According to Sarvimaki (2018), maintaining an audit trail increases

the integrity of the data as it allows for easy referral to the process. The researcher kept

evidence of all documents used in the research process. Evidence included documents

with full transcripts, careful documentation of data gathering sessions, audiotapes of

interviews, transcripts, observation notes, and lesson plans used. The researcher further

increased dependability by providing a detailed account of how data was collected and

analyzed. A comprehensive step by step process of data collection from each data source
 160

was be outlined. Including the steps meticulously provides future researchers to replicate

the study (Sarvimaki, 2018).

Confirmability. In the current research, the researcher developed confirmability

by using an iterative coding process to code data using patterns, similarities, or

characteristics identified in data. Using clear and defined coding can encourage including

only the participants’ experiences and ideas as opposed to the researcher’s preferences.

Researcher reflexivity indicates the researcher remains cognizant of the results as they

develop. The researcher further enhanced the results of the study by providing ample

documentation that was collected through different sources of data that support the

findings of the study.

Results

Two research questions guided this qualitative case study. RQ1: What

differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in the virtual

classroom to address the learning needs of the students? and RQ2: How are differentiated

instructional practices used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom to address the

learning needs of the students? To determine what differentiated instructional practices

are used in the virtual classroom and how those practices address the learning needs of

students, one-on-one teacher interviews with specific questions regarding teaching

practices and learner needs were administered to 14 school teachers. Teacher

observations were conducted in the classrooms to gain insight into the differentiated

instructional practices teachers use and how they use these differentiated practices to

address the needs of learners. Additionally, teacher lesson plans were reviewed to gain an

understanding and perspective on the use of differentiated instructional practices. Lesson

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plans such as videos, gaming exercises, computer programs, and other instructional

materials were gathered from the teachers.

The two research questions were developed using the support from the theoretical

framework of the experiential learning theory by Kolb (2014) and the differentiation

model of Tomlinson (2016) which guided this research. Tomlinson’s (2016) model of

differentiation describes instructional planning in response to student learning needs.

Differentiation plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition as it addresses

the learning needs of individual students (Vygotsky, 1978).

RQ1 was developed to see what teachers use as differentiated instructional

practices in the virtual high school classroom to support the students evolving an

understanding of knowledge domains or development of complex skills. RQ2: How are

differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom

to address the learning needs of the students? was developed using the concept of

experiential learning. According to Kolb (2014) learning involves the acquisition of

abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations. In Kolb’s theory,

the stimulus for the development of new concepts is provided by new experiences and as

such the new concepts and techniques introduced by teachers through differential

instruction were the focus of this study. An example of this can be seen through teachers

created innovative learning tools to develop interest in the students. For example, teacher

participant T2 created her own video learning library for math instruction. The library

provided a variety of new ways to learn and solve math problems. Students were allowed

to pick the tool they enjoyed most and thus the learning experiences were enhanced.
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Thematic analysis was used to analyze data the results of which yielded various

perspectives that addressed the two research questions. Participant quotes collected from

the data sources and their relevance to the themes are listed in this chapter. Four themes

emerged from the data analysis. These four themes were: differentiating instruction in

virtual learning environments, differentiated instructional practices teachers use,

differentiated instruction- Bridging the learning gap, and assessing student needs for

differentiation. Data collected showed teachers used assessments and diagnostic tools to

create learning environments and to introduce new concepts for students learning. Figures

6 and 7 below show the relevance of each theme and how each theme provided support to

the two research questions. Figure 6 displays how themes 2 and 3 provided support to

RQ1 indicating what differentiated instructional practices were used by teachers in a

virtual classroom, and Figure 7 shows how themes 1 and 4 supported RQ2 demonstrating

how differentiated instruction was used by teachers to address the needs of the students.

See Appendix M for connection of themes to Tomlinson’s differentiation model and

Kolb’s theory.
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Theme 2 - Differentiated iLit, Interventions Learning

Instructional practices
teachers use
Theme 3 - Differentiated
Instruction - Bridging the
learning gap
tools, Learning styles, Student
buy-in, imagery, Lexile levels,
Message boards, Chat rooms,
Video links, Webcams, Skype,
Go to meeting, Youtube,
Computer labs, Mind maps,
ELL, Galileo
RQ1: What differentiated
instructional practices are
used by high school teachers
in the virtual classroom to
address the learning needs of
the students?

Figure 6. What differentiated instructional practices teachers use.

Theme 1-Differentiating
instruction in virtual
learning environments
Theme 4 - Assessing student
needs for differentiation
Assesments, Ability level, State
Funding Programs, Bottom 25,
AZ Merit, State Testing,
Grouping, Diagnostic
assessments, McKinney Vento,
Cultural environment, Learning
Environments
RQ2: How are differentiated
instructional practices used
by high school teachers in a
virtual classroom to address
the learning needs of the
students?

Figure 7. How teachers use differentiated instructional practices.

The findings of this study are organized by research questions and display how

each theme supported the research questions. This section provides a summary of the data

analysis and themes and is organized by the themes. There is a detailed analysis of the

data and descriptions of themes showing how they relate to theory and are tied to the

research questions (see Appendix M).

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Data for this study was collected using three data sources, a one-on-one teacher

interview protocol was used to solicit information regarding the differential instructional

practices of teachers and how they were used. Teacher class observations were used to

collect evidence of the differentiated instructional practices of teachers. Lesson plans

were collected from teacher participants to learn about their different instructional

practices used to address the individual needs of students.

Data was triangulated across the three data sources. Member checking, field

testing, and expert panel review were performed to increase the credibility and clarity of

the interview protocol and to ensure it would collect sufficient data to answer the research

questions. Bracketing was used to ensure researcher bias and perceptions would not

influence the findings of this study.

The initial questionnaire provided information regarding the demographic profile

of the participants. The data from this source revealed all participants had been teaching

in the school for at least five years or more and all the teacher participants were currently

teaching grades 9-12. All the teacher participants had knowledge of differentiated

instruction practices and were currently using those practices to address the individual

learning needs of the students.

The interview protocol provided rich data on what differentiated instructional

practices were being used by teachers and how they were being used to address the

learning needs of the students. All teachers shared the knowledge about state-funded

programs such as McKinney Vento, Special Education (SPED), and Title One. For

example, McKinney Vento is a federal program geared to help students who have

economic hardships and provides subsidy for educational needs. This is important to
 165

know and understand as students are accessing education in a virtual environment and

access to the tools required to complete course work is critical. SPED is another

federally funded program for special education, and Title One is also a federally funded

program for education such as math but also ensures that all students are provided a fair

and equitable education.

Data collected from the interview protocol also revealed how teachers identified

the learning needs of the students. Participants mentioned tools such as AZ Merit, Bottom

25% of student population, MAP tests, Lexile level assessment, Galileo assessment

testing, homogenous grouping, IEP (Individual Education Plan) and iLit 20 (reading

levels) to share how they used a variety of student assessments to address learning needs

and styles of the students.

Teachers mentioned several differentiated instructional practices they used to

address the learning needs of the students. Some used hybrid models to blend

instructional practices using both online and in-class instruction to get the best of both

worlds, while others used audio/ video tools to help students visualize the learning steps.

Websites and training sites such as Khan Academy, YouTube, GoogleDocs, KUDA and

Catch Up Math.com, which are supplemental programs for math were described by

teachers as effective differentiated instructional strategies used to differentiate

instruction. Note-taking, recognizing student brain fade, chunking of learning material,

and journaling were also some tools that helped the teachers to differentiate instructional

practices to fit the learning needs of students.

Data collected from lesson plans and observing teachers in classrooms were

corroborated with the teacher interviews. Lesson plans that were either computer-based
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or manually prepared by teachers revealed how teachers used differentiated techniques

such as supplemental videos, handouts, weblinks, and interactive games, to help address

the learning needs and learning styles of the students. For example, teacher participant T2

shared a lesson plan that included video links for math instructions. The students could

click the link and follow step by step to understand the concepts of math. Similarly,

teacher participant 7 shared how the reading material was broken into smaller chunks to

help the student excel in reading levels. Teacher observations also revealed all the

teachers did use differentiated instructional practices to address the learning needs of the

students. The researcher observed that teacher participant two had created her own videos

to assist the student. The customized videos were geared to help the needs of the specific

student in areas where they were struggling with the material.

Narrative of thematic findings. The data analyzed for this study revealed four

emergent themes. The thematic analysis approach yielded meaningful codes and

categories which emerged into the four themes. Rich data collected through three data

sources supported the four themes which were: differentiating instruction in virtual

learning environments, differentiated instructional practices teachers use, differentiated

instruction- Bridging the learning gap, and assessing student needs for differentiation

were developed through the relevance and relationship of data. A codebook consisting of

167 initial codes from all three data sources was developed and is listed in Appendix G.

Codes were developed through the quotes of participants, observation data and review of

the lesson plans. Some sample participant codes are listed in Appendix H. The codes

generated were based on similar characteristics and meanings.

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The initial codes were merged into overarching codes and categories through

several iterations. Appendix I provides a bar graph displaying some important codes with

the number of times the codes appeared in the data. The code of counts is also listed in

Appendix J.

The final 31 codes that developed into categories were used to identify themes

that emerged from data and were justified through the quotes of the participants. The

themes were tied back to the original research questions. The findings and results of this

study were aggregated relating the findings back to the theory and providing support to

answer the research questions (See Appendix M). The four emergent themes are

summarized below as they provided support to the research questions:

Addressing research question 1. Research question one stated, “What

differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in the virtual

classroom to address the learning needs of the students?” The purpose of the first

research question was to explore what differentiated instructional practices were used by

teachers in the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students. The

teacher interview guide was designed to answer the research questions. The content of the

semi-structured interview was structured to solicit information from teachers regarding

the kind of differentiated instructional practices the teachers used. Teacher class

observations and artifacts were also used to validate what differentiated instructional

practices were used by teachers to address the learning needs of the teachers. In

addressing this research questions, two themes, Differentiated Instructional practices

teachers use and Differentiated Instruction - Bridging the learning gap emerged from data

collected through the individual interviews, teacher class observations, and artifacts.
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Theme 2: Differentiated instructional practices teachers use. Theme

2, differentiated instructional practices teachers use emerged from all data sources. Some

important codes discussed in this theme are blending strategy, diagnostic tools, electives,

iLit, intervention, Lexile level, math intervention, scaffolding material, supplemental

tools, and teaching strategy. Some important concepts that emerged from this theme were

assessments, interventions, and teaching strategies.

The code instruction which was merged with teaching strategy appeared 262

times in the data. The findings from this study revealed teachers used assessment

techniques to identify the learning levels, needs, or challenges students encountered in

their learning cycle. Using these assessment criteria allowed the teachers to focus on

interventions that could help the students to overcome the challenges they have in their

learning cycle. The teachers used these interventions to plan strategies that best met the

needs of the students.

Data collected also revealed the interventions and teaching strategies that teachers

focused on are based on the content, process, product, and learning environment.

Tomlinson’s model of differentiation describes instructional planning in response to

student learning needs (Tomlinson, 2016). Differentiation allows teachers to tailor their

instructional practices according to the needs and learning styles of the students (Morgan,

2014). The findings of this study aligned with the concepts of Tomlinson’s differentiation

model as teachers pointed out the differentiation techniques they used based on the

content, process, product, and learning environments. These four concepts are discussed

below through the evidence of data collected from all sources.

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Content. The findings from this study revealed that teachers used varied content

for differentiating instruction. Teachers mentioned using notes, audio, video, labs, and

other such content to blend teaching instructions in response to the needs of students.

Participant T1 shared:

Some of the instructional strategies that I've used were when I taught language

arts was using video. Students would- I know we have visual learners so I've

identified those students that just couldn't read strictly from the book. So, we use

video or we will use audio to help them read along with the book.

Participant 6 added:

We have decided to make Algebra 1 strictly through a supplemental single source,

which is Catch up math.com. We only offer it through Catch up math.com

because that'll put all of our students at the same spot who take Algebra 1 to

prepare them for Geometry and Algebra 2. We make sure that all of the topic

parts of Algebra 1 get covered even for the students who are slower and can't keep

up.

Participant 7 also shared that:

We get kids with such a wide variety of skill levels trying to get some of the

lowest of the lows anywhere to kids who are a little more advanced and just aren't

you know, what the schools are moving at the speed that they were looking for.

So, it's really important for us to kind of keep an eye on making sure that

everybody's getting accessible content at their level and we can always do that

with the whole group environment.

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Participant T10 differentiated content through videos and phone conferences. Sharing

these instructional practices, the teacher explained:

So, creating videos for some of the lessons in language arts myself, gathering

content from outside sources to scaffold for students for further explanation,

requiring different links of essays, or different strategies for writing the essay,

getting it down on the computer, and I did also allow- I had a couple of students I

allowed to hand-write papers because they really hated typing. They just

wouldn't do it if they had to type it. Phone conferences to delve further in the

start at the beginning to explain things and try to get them up to the level where

they can read the content themselves so they can understand it, comprehend it,

and answer the questions.

Teacher participants shared they used varied strategies to differentiate content.

Participant T11 mentioned the focus was mainly on reading and writing skills. In the

content, the students were required to use Cornell notes. Participant T 11 also mentioned

the lower Lexile levels were used instead of higher levels based on the needs of the

students. Participant T14 shared that computers, smart boards, videos, probability

activities, games, and practice websites have been effective content in differentiating

instruction to synchronize the learning styles of the students and the material

characteristics of the students. Using these differentiation strategies were geared to

achieve optimal learning outcomes.

The data collected from teacher observations revealed that the content teachers

used was consistent with what teachers explained in the individual interviews. The

researcher observed that teachers either worked one-on-one with the student in clarifying
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the questions they had regarding the lesson materials. For example, one teacher sat with a

student in the computer lab and explained the question or problem in more detail and

provided additional support such as hand-outs or other supplemental materials to support

the learning experience for the student.

Two teachers spoke directly with the students or conducted an email conversation

with them to clarify the questions the students had. If the student still was struggling they

directed them to online tutorial links or to videos or other websites that would assist them

and provide additional support in the learning process. One teacher was observed

working directly with those students needing additional math supports and worked one-

on-one with each individual student. Teachers were observed using content to fit the

needs of the students to optimize learning.

Data collected from lesson plans also provided evidence that the content teachers

use maximized learning opportunities to address the deficiencies of the students. Lesson

plans collected from teacher participants showed the use of video tutorials, online

learning programs such as ALS, Catch-up Math, Kuda Math, iLit, individual educational

plans (IEP), computer labs, and the personal learning platform (PLP).

Product. Regarding the products used in differentiating instruction, teacher

participants shared how they provided variety and choice to address the learning needs of

the students. T1 shared:

We looked at different products for the students to have at the end of the lesson

such as non-linguistic representations, and my style was to have different stations

such as a writing station a reading station non-linguistic station, which can be in

the form of acting. Act it out or acting the lesson out or whatever the content was
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or drawing- making some type of drawing for that lesson to give me an

understanding of their comprehension about the material that was being

presented.

Similarly, participant T10 shared:

For the product, that one was probably done more often requiring students to

answer fewer questions or right shorter essays- those type of things which are a

little bit generic but those are probably the things that we're done most often or

depending on it again, since it sits with special education students, a lot of times, I

would have to check with the special education department before moving

forward with those types of things to make sure that they're appropriate for the

students IEP.

T12 added:

I really leave the product up to the student a lot of times as long as it meets that

criteria set along in the original assessment and even depending on the

assessment. I'll look at the standard as well and if it meets the standards that it was

supposed to meet then I'm good with it. But I really feel like you know, you have

the whole Internet at your disposal.

All teacher participants shared how the product was differentiated to provide

variety and cater to the needs of the students. Teachers shared that they provided students

with options about how to express the required learning needs. Data collected through

one-on-one teacher interviews revealed teachers encouraged students to express what

they had learned in different ways by allowing for diverse working arrangements such as

working individually or in groups. As a matter of fact, grouping was a strategy widely

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used by teacher participants to address the learning needs of the students. Participant T3

mentioned:

When we group them together, they definitely have to learn interpersonal

relationship skills and breaking down goal-setting into like I said, I keep going

back to digestion chunks, but realistically I believe that success is incremental and

that there are benchmarks that you're supposed to be reaching and with these

supplemental instructions, it’s a lot easier to do that and create more enrichment

activities than just recall.

Data collected from teacher observations and lesson plans also revealed that

teachers encouraged the use of different types of resources in preparing differentiation

products. The researcher observed through teacher observations and review of the lesson

plans that the teachers provided product assignments at varying degrees of difficulty to

match the diverse needs of the student based on assessment results and readiness of the

students. A wide variety of assessments such as college readiness state assessments, AZ

Merit, and Galileo were used to work with students to develop rubrics that match the

varied skill levels of the students and addressed the student deficiencies.

Process. The process teachers used to differentiate instructional practices revealed

the learning styles and preferences of the students. Differentiation through the process

was achieved by providing various options at the levels of difficulty and was based on the

differing interests of students, as revealed through the assessments. Participants shared

how the process was differentiated. T4 shared that:

I think with reading one of the things that students struggle with reading is their

vocabulary. They have difficulty with words. They read the words- if they're
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fluent enough that they're reading the words then that's great. Sometimes it takes

so much energy just to read the word that their brain doesn't have enough energy

to kind of wrap themselves around like what the words mean. So, I think probably

repetition in seeing vocabulary definitions, like extra like in the lessons, you

know, not just the information. Participant T10 shared:

For one of my particular students, when she first began she had a really difficult

time writing even just a few sentences right down to punctuation, capitalization,

things- basic things that you know, a high school student should have been

working on since they were first-second grade. It was just really difficult for her.

So, we break it down so much at the beginning to answer questions instead of

requiring her to write a paragraph because to her that was very overwhelming. I

would ask her to write a sentence and then space down and write another sentence

and even though she was really writing a paragraph, to her, it was just asking her

to write four sentences, but as we went on and as her confidence built, I would

require more because she would ask me every time for this essay.

Participant T11 added:

I know that the student is never going to be able to understand The Great Gatsby

and so I would go in and go “Hey instead of this book. I'm going to have you read

this book because I know that it's going to cover the same reading standards, but

it's at a much higher either interest or readability level.

T12 stated:

Well, I have used that, several times students are uncomfortable doing a creative

artsy type of visual assignments and using the abilities that the computer has. So
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what I've done for them is asked them to create it on pencil and paper and colors

and whatever they want to do is to make it so they can do what they want to do or

if it asked them to create something that's more artsy outside of their wheelhouse,

I suggest that they could make a chart if they thought that they would be more

comfortable doing the information that way so I've allowed them to do charts and

I've allowed them to do their visuals offline on paper.

T13 also shared:

The computer program we have this year has videos embedded in it or if they're

not embedded in it, they're able to get to videos online. I think that has really

piqued their interest that that's the life, that's their environment and that that if

we're teaching, they're doing, they're teaching in their environment. They're more

willing to learn it with something that the comfortable with so I think the

embedded videos into the computer programs is very good.

Data collected from observations and lesson plans also revealed the teachers

differentiated the process by varying the learning process depending on the learning

needs and learning styles of the students. The researcher observed that teachers offered

hands-on support for students who needed support. The teachers developed activities that

targeted the awareness of student learners. In reviewing the lesson plans collected from

the teachers, the researcher noted that teachers differentiated the learning process through

project based learning activities, making the lesson plans flexible for independent and

group activities.

Learning environment. The learning or classroom environment was also discussed

by teacher participants. Teacher participants explained the importance of creating

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learning environments that would match the learning needs of the students and provide

optimal learning outcomes. The teachers created learning environments by managing the

learning spaces of individual students to fit their needs and also allowing flexibility for

the individual work preferences of the students. Sharing the learning environments and

how teachers differentiated these environments to optimize learning in virtual

environments T8 shared:

So, it's completely different when I'm in the lab whether the students physically

with me or the student is not with me on an online a completely online

environment. So, the approaches are different for me, but I'm trying to do

basically the same thing put the material in their words.

Participant T11 elaborated:

Okay, I'll let you work with your buddy, but you need to go back to your assigned

seat when you're done and it's maintaining those. It sometimes it's maintaining the

noise level in the environment. Sometimes it's trying to maintain the comfort level

of the environment and going, you know, it's really warm in here today or it's

really cold in here today and that becomes a distraction. I just like it would in any

environment. Sometimes it's trying to make sure that the technology is working

appropriately because technology every once in a while, there's a hiccup whether

the internet goes out or whether the there's a firewall issue or and it's going

through and being able to troubleshoot those problems to the best of your ability.

Talking about setting out clear guidelines for independent students that harmonizes with

the individual need’s, participant T1 mentioned:

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I think it's very successful because you're blending- it becomes a blended learning

environment where you're utilizing videos for instruction and then you're

modeling a different way. You may be modeling in a different way from what the

video showed and then they're getting that variety. One student may have learned

from the instructional video. The other student may have learned from working

with supplemental materials provided through instruction.

Participant T6 shared views about creating a safe and positive learning environment and

how important safety is in the differentiating learning process:

First, it needs to be predictable. A lot of these students come from homes where

everything is really unpredictable. They don't know what's going to happen with

their family when they get home, who's going to flip out or do what here they

know who they're going to say. They know what their schedule is. They know

where they're expected to go and what they're expected to do and there's a lot of

safety in that in knowing what to expect and by keeping it something that they do

expect. I think that definitely helps them to feel that they're in a safe environment

where they don't have to worry.

Regarding student safety participant T14 also mentioned:

Students will be more successful in understanding material and progressing in

their skills if they are in a safe learning environment. I try to create learning

environment where all students not only feel safe physically, but emotionally, and

psychologically as well.

Participant T7 also added:

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Like all of our kids get a different environment; it's different from campus to

campus obviously, you know, for example, our location has a giant computer lab

and for lots of kids in there gives it more like kind of a big library feel. Other

locations have a smaller lab and there might only be ten kids in there. But you

know, it's still a different environment than what they're used to at the district

school in a traditional brick and mortar setting. So, I think we automatically build

in some of those accommodations the short day, you know, its four hours. So, it's

focused on you know, you're here to do this. There's no extracurricular. There's no

lunch. There's no- so that's a big differentiated environment for lots of us.

The teacher observations and lesson plans also provided data to support the

learning environments as mentioned by teachers. The researcher observed online

classroom environments and differentiation that teachers used to develop routines that

allowed students to get help. The teachers used different settings to accommodate needs

of students. For example, the researcher observed one teacher provide learning through

an online environment. The lesson plans revealed that teachers differentiated instruction

through the use of different environments that are suitable for the needs of the students.

For example, some differentiated instruction for home settings, while others were in

group setting and still other learning strategies were geared for lab environments.

Theme 3: Differentiated instruction - bridging the learning gap. Theme 3 also

emerged through the data as an important theme which provided insights on the learning

gaps and how these gaps are closed through instructional differentiations. The findings of

this study revealed the teachers in high schools use differentiation that is embedded in

rich learning contexts and is used to address gaps in knowledge achievement. Some
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important codes which were identified through all sources of data were, ability level,

adjustments, assessment, learning tools, mark it up, outcomes, and parental involvement.”

These codes described the strategies teachers used to differentiate instructions to bridge

the learning gaps based on the needs of the students.

Data from all three sources revealed teachers used assessments to identify the

needs of the students, their ability, and their readiness. Based on these assessments, the

teachers use learning tools to improve outcomes pertaining to the academic achievement

of the students. The involvement of parents was also identified as an important code to

learn about the weaknesses and strengths of the students so that teachers can synchronize

their teaching strategies to match the needs of the students.

Teachers shared how they used strategies through differentiation instructional

practices in order to bridge the learning gaps. Participant T3 shared that student grouping

based on their skill levels is a good strategy to differentiate. T3 mentioned, “And how I

differentiate and accommodate can depend on their subgroup, if they’re SPED, ELL, or

bottom 25- what things they are qualified for as well.” Other participants also shared their

experiences of how differentiations are used to fill learning gaps. Participant T3 shared:

Yeah, as far as the activities and the supplementation goes, I'm looking more for

mastery learning type and evaluation type skills from the students. I want them to

not only be able to identify but to assess so to speak. Yes, I'm looking more for

real-world application when it comes to that- how it applies to their everyday life.

Participant T6 mentioned:

So, we found that really helps fill in a lot of the gaps because Catch up math.com

is specifically designed to test the students for where they have gaps in their math
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education and then it specifically assigns lessons to the students who need them to

hopefully help fill in those gaps as they move forward. So, there's actually

differentiated instruction built into our Algebra 1 program as we use it.

T8 added:

I've had to explain the material using fewer academic terms and using terms that I

felt the student would be able to understand like for instance that in economics

class. There's a lot of vocabulary words that most students are not familiar with

and I and I try to explain to them what those words mean and words that they can

comprehend and understand and so that's one recent example of how I've

differentiated instruction in the lab in a computer class with them

Participant T10 also shared how content was differentiated to address the needs of

students:

Some of the main ways that I would help with the students with the differentiated

instruction was to send them resources- videos to help support kind of scaffold the

learning process and alternating assignments for certain students, especially in the

language arts classes. So, if they were having trouble with a particular essay topic

being able to switch out, maybe the topics if it was something that was

inflammatory to them for whatever reason based on their history and perspectives.

That would probably be the main ways that it was differentiated for the students.

Participant T12 also added that:

We give students more time that needed so if a student- if two students are taking

the same class and they start at the same time and one student is able to get

through the class without much of a hard time in the other student needs extra
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help. That student isn't left behind and I think that's a key in differentiation; is that

if you've got more time to complete a task, then you know, you'll eventually

complete it. Whereas, if you're rushed along often times you end up with the gaps

in knowledge and holding instruction.

Participant T14 shared that:

In my experience, it helps if the students take part in determining the expectations

and the guidelines for the learning environment. It not only makes them feel like

valued stakeholders, but gets them working together immediately, it is much

easier for them to feel like they are valued members of the group if they have a

say in how the environment is going to feel.

RQ1 conclusion. The purpose of this research question was to explore what

differentiated instructional practices were used by teachers to address the learning needs

of students. The themes Differentiated Instructional practices teachers use and

Differentiated Instruction - Bridging the learning gap were the two themes that emerged

from data to support this research question. Teachers shared the different instructional

practices they used to address the diverse learning needs of the students. Furthermore, the

lesson plans collected provided evidence of the differentiation used, for example some

teachers used how to do websites whereas others used audio/video instructions based on

the needs of the students. The teacher classroom observations also provided information

on the content, process, product, and environments teachers used to differentiate

classroom instruction as it fits the learning needs of the students.

Theme 2 - differentiated instructional practices teachers use is an important theme

which emerged from data. Its relevance to the Tomlinson’s model revealed the content,
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process, product, and learning environments used by teachers to differentiate instructional

practices to address the learning needs of the students. The theme provided evidence of

what differentiated instructional practices teachers used in order to optimize learning and

provide materials and environments which would help to address the individual and

diverse needs of the students. As such this theme provided support to RQ1: What

differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in the virtual

classroom to address the learning needs of the students. The research question ties back

to the theoretical constructs of Tomlinson’s differentiation model and is strengthened by

empirical evidence.

The emerging theme 3 – Differentiated Instruction – Bridging the learning gap,

provided support to RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high

school teachers in the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students? The

data revealed how content, process product, and learning environments bridge gaps when

the instructional practices are differentiated to address the needs of the students. Data

collected from the interview protocol, observations, and lesson plans showed that the

content, process, product, and learning environment are all essential in differentiating

instructional practicing to bridge the learning gap. The findings of the study revealed that

teachers use different variations and levels of activities through which all students work

on gaining the same important knowledge and skills, but advance with different levels of

support and learning challenges. RQ1 was thus supported through these two themes.

Addressing research question 2. Research question two stated, “How are

differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in a virtual classroom

to address the learning needs of the students?” This research question was designed to
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explore how high school teachers use differentiated instructional practices in a virtual

classroom to address the learning needs of the students. The data sources used to collect

dated were structured to solicit information on how the teachers used differentiated

instructional practices in the virtual classroom. The content of the semi-structured

interviews was centered on how teachers approach the learning needs of students in a

virtual classroom and how they differentiate instructional practices to address these

needs. In addressing RQ2: two themes emerged from data, Differentiating instruction in

virtual learning environments, and Assessing student needs for differentiation.

Theme 1-Differentiating instruction in virtual learning environments. Theme 1

emerged through data collected from all three data sources. Virtual learning environments

are created through online learning to replace or supplement teaching in brick-and-mortar

classrooms. Data collected through teacher observations and lesson plans revealed that

students were enrolled in distance education courses and teachers differentiated

instruction based on the individual learning needs of the students. Teacher participants

revealed that virtual learning environments provided a better way to meet the unique

learning needs and challenges of the students. Codes such as, community involvement,

learning environment, metacognitive strategies, organizational strategies, project-based

learning, social atmosphere, state mandated plans, and virtual learning were important in

developing theme 1. The code environment, which is an overarching code for learning

environment and virtual learning environment, appeared 228 times in the data from all

three sources. This is significant, revealing how important leaning environments were in

differentiating instructional practices. This is consistent with the experiential learning

theory of Kolb (2014) that learning is a process in which knowledge is created by way of
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the constant adaptation to, and engagement with, the environment. According to Kolb

(2014), learning occurs when the learner is directly in touch with the realities being

studied. In this view, the emphasis is on direct participation in the learning experience

(Kolb, 2014).

Teacher participants shared that different course choices were available to

students in the virtual learning environment. This was beneficial as many different high

school courses were offered and were accessible to students based on the individualized

student needs. The teachers shared how courses could be offered simultaneously in the

same class. It was also attractive as the coursework offered in the virtual learning

environments could be substituted for an elective class, and therefore it would not

interfere with schedules of the students. Participant 11 elaborated on this saying:

I think the virtual learning allows for a lot more options and a lot more kind of

personalized learning. So, there are certain classes that all students have to take by

state law, but then there's pieces in there that we can give students for their

electives or give them pieces that they can take for our new system has a lot of

was it like was its job type classes.

Sharing how differentiated instructional practices are used to help students in a virtual

environment participant T1 mentioned:

I think virtual learning is good because in high school or even in grade school,

they are learning how to do work online- in which our society most schools or

college or universities, you can do those lessons online; you can take courses

online. So, this is giving them technology that they will become more familiar

with and they can adapt to any other program because they're not afraid because
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they've been utilizing technology in high school or grade school. And I think this

is preparing them for the real world.

Participant 1 further explained learning tools in virtual learning environments stating:

For content in a virtual environment, we will probably use audio. Audio learning-

some students need to hear what the material is. They need to read along with the

audio and that enhances their comprehension because maybe they can't pronounce

those words. But if they hear those words being spoken, that adds to their

linguistic vocabulary.

Data collected from all data sources revealed the effectiveness of virtual learning

environments in addressing the needs of the students. Teachers shared the overarching

goal for creating virtual learning environments was to ensure that it provided enough

academic support and challenge to address the learning needs of the students. Explaining

how virtual learning environments were created for the students, participant T3 shared:

Each student who has an online profile is issued an email through the school and

any type of surveys and forms we send through there and when they're working

on their online courses and they have activities to hand in, they can email them to

us and use the Google Suite as well. So, it's creating a virtual environment for

them to feel comfortable communicating with the teacher and staff.

Participants T3 shared that students are encouraged to ask questions in virtual

learning environments and they feel they can ask the questions freely and they are not

scared of a teacher watching over their shoulder. Participant T3 also addressed how the

virtual learning environments are created to address the needs and deficiencies of the

students. T3 further elaborated on this:

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There specific instructors designated for online communication with the students

and the way we're moving next year is we're going to have a teacher of record for

each course, and they're responsible for those students specifically, so we have

some accountability on that and we don't want to have a student just fall into the

cracks because they're not in front of us. We don't see them. We are setting a

system set in place to make sure that no students are falling behind.

Data collected from teacher interviews, observations, and lesson plans all revealed

how virtual learning environments were created to enhance the learning of students and

address their learning needs and/or challenges. Participant T13 shared:

Well, we're talking about differentiation and online learning is actual- another

way of differentiating learning. Some kids learn better in a classroom in a social

atmosphere. We're talking and discussing with each other back and forth face-to-

face and teach face-to-face with the teacher is what they're most comfortable out.

Some kids have had bad experiences in the classroom or with teachers that didn't

like them or they didn't like so they're much more comfortable being on their own

with a computer without any distraction in in a in a comfortable home like

environment or in a school that's in a lab type environment. So virtual learning is

another way of differentiating the whole instruction. I think virtual learning is an-

and has been and ongoing enhancement to education.

Participant T4 also shared, “The kids live in a virtual, you know, they game in a virtual

world. They are presented with resources endless resources in a virtual. They're

constantly accessing information, you know at their fingertips.” T5 further expanded this

concept of new learning environments by adding:

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Rich virtual classroom experiences where she was required to log onto her class at

11 o'clock in the morning, meet with her classmates, have her video camera on,

meet with her teacher via video camera. They really were having a traditional

classroom experience just via the web cam and having all of those rich classroom

experiences virtually.

Differentiated instruction in virtual learning environments was elaborated by all

teacher participants as meaningfully addressing the learning goals of the students. Data

collected from teacher observations and lesson plans also supported it as an effective

instructional strategy in the educational process. The data from all sources revealed that

teachers effectively used online tools to address diverse learning needs while engaging

students in active learning of new experiences. The teachers provided learning methods

which were tailored with student-centered options. Explaining learning in virtual

environments, participant T14 elaborated:

Virtual learning environments provide many opportunities to help address the

needs of students. With today’s technology, students can more easily interact with

the material they are learning by the use of computers, smart boards, and videos.

Students for an example can actually manipulate mathematical shapes or objects

and the effects it has instead of just using an equation.

The participant went on to say that, “virtual learning is going to play more and

more the role of development of knowledge and skills in every subject.” Data collected

from one of the six high schools was in a strict virtual setting. This school is strictly an

on-line school where students take all of their coursework at home. The students are

offered the option to come to the school for one-on-one tutoring or other supplemental
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help. Therefore, the students in this setting are taking all classes online from home. Data

composed from virtual environments during observation included teachers interacting

with the students through email of telephone conversations.

Participant T5 shared how learning environments were created:

My personal philosophy is that when students choose online learning, they're

already self-selecting a differentiated environment. Once they're part of our online

school, part of how I communicate with students; I know that some of them prefer

text, or a phone call, or a video chat…that's probably the closest approximation of

differentiating the environment for an online learner.

Participant T1 also added:

Students come with not only different abilities to learn but work particularly with

different motivations to learn and consequently, the differentiation of color of

construction needs to consider their motivational mindset as well. So that whether

it's online or whether its face to face, one of the key principles that needs to be

taken into consideration as we analyze our students is what, how do they feel

about themselves. Sometimes it's a function of what’s going on at home but most

often it's a function of what they believe will bring them success and if you can

differentiate your instruction to key up on those- both their desires as well as their

expectations, then the instruction occurs usually much more rapidly

Theme 4 - Assessing student needs for differentiation. Assessing student needs

for differentiation was another important theme that emerged from the results of this

study. Teachers commented that addressing student needs were assessed through

summative and formative assessments and other tools which provided a complete picture
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of the student thus enabling them to more specifically address student learning needs.

These overlapping ways of assessing student progress enables the teacher to more readily

meeting learning needs of students in the virtual learning environment. Summative

assessments determine what students know and do not know at a particular point in time.

On the other hand, formative assessments are more diagnostic than evaluative and are

used to monitor student learning styles and ability and provide ongoing feedback.

Teachers can adjust their pedagogy practice for individual students to improve their

learning. Some important codes that emerged from the transcripts were, “federally

funded programs, McKinney Vento, Individual Education Plan (IEP) and other needs

assessments. Still other codes emerged such as, state testing, AZ Merit, Galileo, MAP,

Personal Learning Platform (PLP), learning ability, and Special Education (SPED). The

codes revealed information regarding assessment techniques and tools that were used by

teachers to identify the skills levels and learning needs of the students thus, guiding how

teachers used differentiated instructional practices and what differentiated instructional

materials were used.

The researcher noted teachers used varying assessment techniques as a support

for the appropriate differentiated instructional practice geared to addressing the academic

needs of the individual student. For example, T2 referenced the student Individual

Education Plan (IEP) to assess student learning needs, styles, and deficiencies. When the

lesson plans were collected from the teacher they included instruction that provided

support for the student, including links to differentiated supplemental materials for the

student to use. The classroom teacher observation for this teacher participant allowed the

researcher to document the differentiated instruction plans that were created in the lesson
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plan. The observations revealed the teacher scheduled a follow-up phone call, as well as,

a time for the student to come to her office for one-on-one instruction. This validated the

differentiation instructional planning in the lesson plan created by the teacher according

to the student assessment.

In regards to assessments and preparation of lesson plans, participant T12 commented:

In addressing the learning needs of students, it comes with the view that every

student is different. We have some students that are in special education and also

are second language learners and we have to provide differentiated instruction or

accommodations based off the Individual Education Plan, or language

assessment; so, for us differentiation starts day one when they come to school.

Other students are in a federally funded program; and a lot of times it is finding

right assignment that appeal to the student. And you can’t do that without

understanding that student through a variety of assessments.

Data collected and reviewed from the lesson plan of participant T12 provided

evidence that the teacher used the summative and formative assessment strategies for

instructional planning. The lesson plan revealed that participant T12 used text-to-speech

programs for some special education students through summative assessments. When a

teacher observation was conducted in participant T12’s classroom, it was observed that

the text-to-speech program was used to address the learning needs of students who had

reading difficulty. In the use of text-to-speech the program takes words on a computer

and converts them to audio. This very helpful for students, who are struggling readers.
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During the one-on-one teacher interviews teacher participants shared how they assessed

the needs of their students and why it was important to know the ability and readiness

level of their students. Participant T1 shared that:

Before you start using differentiated instructional strategies would be to learn

your students- get to know who your students are, what their weaknesses are what

their strengths are and then you can go from there. Were they able to meet that

objective? How do I know formative assessment? Summative assessment? Do I

need to reteach it?

Participant T13 also added that:

Well differentiated instructional techniques are different ways of teaching the

same thing to different kids. They all have different learning styles: kinesthetic,

visual, verbal, and reading so we need to address all those learning styles when

we're teaching students.

Teachers shared that they grouped the students based on the different skills levels and

their ability to learn. Participant T3 shared:

Well, yeah, when we group them together, they definitely have to learn

interpersonal relationship skills and breaking down goal-setting into like I said, I

keep going back to digestion chunks, but realistically I believe that success is

incremental and that there are benchmarks that you're supposed to be reaching

and with these supplemental instructions, it’s a lot easier to do that and create

more enrichment activities than just recall.

Some teachers used diagnostic tools to identify the levels of students. Participant T7

mentioned that:
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We also have some diagnostics that we use to identify levels map test for Math

and then what they're calling it our reading our inner initial reading assessment

that we use them to identify more of like a title one bottom 25% kind of those

kids that are in most need of individual attention. We have these iLit 20 which is

what we use kind of for a Title One instruction for English. And that does a pretty

nice diagnostic assessment at the beginning and then we'll kind of like

recommended look a Lexile level or a grade band- grade little band for some of

the content that's available and iLit20 which is pretty nice. There's also a lot of

student choice involved in some of that differentiation a lot of times.

T7 went on to add:

We do Galileo assessment every 12 weeks, but that's not really responsive enough

to make that that formative assessment call. So, we've been asking everybody

once we kind of get all on the same page in terms of curriculum, that then we can

build in those interim assessments that we can do, you know every like maybe

three to six weeks. T 7 further commented that it is important for us to know our

kids because we get kids from a wide variety of skill levels from the very low to a

little more advanced. We identify when students are struggling or they need help,

or they are having issues; we add remedial lessons, extra lessons, one-on-one

time, or tutoring.

The results of this study revealed that teacher assessments provided teachers an

opportunity to create new and unique learning experiences to address the learning styles

and needs of the students. This finding is consistent with Kolb’s learning theory which

states that learning involves gaining abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly in a
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range of situations. Teachers used differentiation in the virtual classroom to provide these

learning experiences. In Kolb’s theory, the motivation for the development of new

concepts is provided by new experiences. In Kolb’s theory learning is the process

whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Differentiation

provides unique experiences to students and provides the impetus for learning. Sharing

how differentiation encourages students to reflect on the learning process participant T1

shared:

One good example of that is the Siri or Google or these automatic things. It has

encouraged students to start asking questions and the fact that these programs can

only answer a small percentage of the questions they ask, it leaves a student with

the idea. Okay. I've got to do some work on my own.

Data collected from this study revealed that as the student is provided with

optimal opportunities to have a positive learning experience, they were more willing to

participate in the learning experience, reflection, conceptualization, and active

experimentation. In this context, participant T6 shared that:

A student needs to be able to be in a position to buy into their own education and

until they do that, it does not matter what we present them with as far as the type

of assessment, the type of learning environment, the type of brick and mortar, the

type of teacher- It doesn't matter until they are ready to take that step in their own

education.

RQ2 conclusion. The findings from this study revealed that differentiating

instruction in virtual learning environments provided new concepts and ideas for

students. This is consistent with Kolb’s learning theory (2014) that according to which,
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the stimulus for the development of new concepts is provided by new experiences. This

concept was used to explore what and how differentiated instruction was used by teachers

in a high school in Arizona. Based on the evidence from data collected in theme 1, the

new concepts and strategies used by teachers through differentiation blend instructional

practices to optimize learning needs of the students. The findings of the study supported

the notion that virtual learning environments allow teachers to differentiate instruction by

offering a range of online courses that are best suited for addressing the needs of the

students. Teacher participants shared that abstract concepts were used in differentiation

which could be applied flexibly in a range of situations

Differentiation allowed the teachers to provide new and challenging opportunities

for students so they could work at their own pace. Providing new opportunities to

students gives them new experiences to learn in their learning cycle. According to Kolb

(2014), when students get this experience they reflect and observe the concepts to use the

new knowledge in the real world. Theme 1 thus provides support to RQ2: How are

differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom

to address the learning needs of the students?

Data collected from all three sources provided evidence on how teachers

identified the learning needs of students and how they used differentiated instructional

practices in a virtual classroom to address these needs. Theme 4 – assessing student needs

for differentiation, therefore provided ample evidence to support RQ2: How are

differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom

to address the learning needs of the students? Data collected form all data sources

provided evidence of how high school teachers use differentiated instructional practices
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in the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of students. The second research

question was supported by theme 1 and theme 4.

Summary

This study was conducted to explore what differentiated instructional practices

were used by high school teachers and how teachers used these instructional practices to

address the learning needs of students. Chapter 4 described how data was collected

through three data sources - individual interviews, teacher observations, and artifacts

such as lesson plans. The chapter provided a detailed discussion of how data were

transcribed and analyzed.

The researcher used triangulation using multiple data sources and corroborated

the findings from each data source across to enhance the trustworthiness and credibility

of the results of the study. The researcher also used techniques such as member checking,

expert panel review, and bracketing to enhance credibility of the data sources and to

minimize researcher bias and perceptions from impacting the results of the study.

According to Avella (2016), a panel review enhances the credibility of the research and

minimizes researcher bias. Member checking provides participant validation of interview

responses and is a technique for exploring the credibility of results (Birt, Scott, Cavers,

Campbell, & Walter, 2016).

To answer the two research questions, the researcher organized and transcribed

the data. The researcher utilized an iterative process to read and re-read data in order to

be familiar with the data. A qualitative inductive process was utilized to analyze data.

The researcher identified 167 initial codes (see Appendix G) by manually highlighting
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the transcribed data. The transcribed documents from all three data sources were then

uploaded in the software NVivo 12 for further data analysis.

The researcher used a six-step thematic analysis process to analyze data. The six-

step thematic analysis process by Braun and Clarke (2006) included 1) Familiarizing

yourself with your data, 2) Generating initial codes, 3) Searching for themes, 4)

Reviewing themes, 5) Defining and naming themes, and 6) Interpreting themes. Using a

thematic analysis process allowed the researcher to identify emerging themes which

supported the research questions. Through this process the researcher was able to explain

the patterns that emerged in the exploration of the texts and return them to the original

research questions and the theoretical framework supporting them.

Four emergent themes – 1) Differentiating instruction in virtual learning

environments, 2) Differentiated instructional practices teachers use, 3) Differentiated

instruction – Bridging the learning gap, and 4) Assessing Student needs for

differentiation, emerged from the data analysis process. The themes provided support to

the research questions as follows:

RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in the

virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students? The themes which

supported this research question were: Theme 2 - Differentiated instructional practices

teachers use and Theme 3 - Differentiated instruction – Bridging the learning gap

RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in the

virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students? The themes that

supported this research question were: Theme 1 - Differentiating instruction in virtual

learning environments and Theme 4 - Assessing student needs for differentiation.

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Figure 8 below displays the four themes regarding what and how teachers used

differentiated instructional practices.

How Teachers
Differntiate (RQ2)
Assessments
What Teachers
Teaching Strategies
Differentiate (RQ1)
Learning Tools
Content
Four Major Themes Federal and State Funding
Process Programs
Differentiating instruction Product
in virtual learning
environments Learning Environment
Differentiated instructional
practices teachers use
Differentiated instruction –
Bridging the learning gap
Assessing Student needs
for differentiation

Figure 8. Emergent themes displaying what and how teachers differentiate.

The findings of this study revealed high school teachers differentiate instructional

practices through the content, process, product, and learning environments to synchronize

the learning materials with the learning deficiencies of the students. The findings of the

study also revealed that teachers provide students with concrete and new learning

experiences and environments. These findings are consistent with Tomlinson’s (2016)

model of differentiation and Kolb’s learning theory (2014).

The results of the study provided evidence that several assessment tools were used

by the high school teachers guidance to address the specific needs of students. These

assessments which included state testing, federal and state funding programs, and ability

levels of students, and readiness and willingness of students to learn, allowed the teachers

to use differentiation practices. Differentiation practices such as grouping students based

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on deficiency levels, preparing individual or group activities and projects, creating

interventions, customizing teaching strategies, and preparing learning tools for specific

needs of the students. The findings of the study provided support to the two research

questions which guided this study.

Limitations. Several limitations emerged in this qualitative case study. The

limitations of this study pertain to the study design and sample size. The study utilized a

sample size of 14 high school teachers from six different schools in the state of Arizona.

Researcher subjectivity is another limitation identified by researchers in case study

designs. This sample size was relatively small considering a large number of high school

teachers in the state of Arizona. This could lead to the impression of the study not being

broad enough in studying the phenomenon of differentiating instructional practices.

Furthermore, a small sample that was selected purposefully by the researcher could imply

researcher bias due to the subjectivity and non-probability involved in the nature of this

sampling technique. This type of sampling involves selecting participants who have

knowledge of the phenomena. This limitation could lead to misinterpretation of results as

other participants who were not aware of the phenomena would not be invited to

participate. Additionally, the relatively small size of 14 teachers could contribute to the

lack of proper representation.

Another limitation pertains to researcher bias. When gathering data, the

preexisting vision of the investigation could create a bias. Bias can also be present when

there is discomfort while interviewing the teachers, being inadequately organized in the

field, and conducting an unsuitable interview. To address the potential biases the
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researcher conducted the interviews based on the interview questions in Appendix E and

asked the interviewees for feedback upon conclusion of the interview.

Chapter 5 contains a detailed outline providing an overall summary and

conclusions of this study. It includes a comprehensive summary of the analysis of the

outcomes, and a detailed discussion of the research is presented. Included in the chapter

is a discussion of the practical, theoretical, and future research implications of this study.

Chapter 5 concludes by outlining recommendations for future researchers.

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Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations

Introduction

The challenge for today’s educators comes with addressing the diverse learning

needs of students to influence their academic outcomes. Planning and delivering

instruction is key to academic success (Akpan & Beard, 2016). Personalizing instruction

to fit the needs of learners has emerged as an important concept in academia. According

to Tomlinson (2016), the goal of differentiation is to assess the diverse needs of the

student population and to enhance academic outcomes for every student based on the

assessment of readiness, ability, and interest levels. It is not known what differentiated

instructional practices are used by teachers and how they are used in the virtual high

school classroom to address the learning needs of students. The purpose of this

qualitative single case study was to explore what differentiated instructional practices are

used by teachers and how they are used in the virtual high school classroom to address

the learning needs of students in Arizona.

The educational demands of the 21st -century call for a need for preparing

teachers and students to face these challenges. Differentiating and blending instructional

practices have gained momentum in the school classroom (Miron et al., 2018). The

academic success of students depends on how they learn (Kolb, 2014). Learners in

today’s classroom may have a variety of learning styles and the challenge comes with

optimizing instruction based on how students absorb, manage, and process information.

Kolb (2014) provided the preferred learning styles of students developed on the basis of

experiential learning phases involving concrete experience, reflective observation,

abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation.

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Both Kolb (2014) and Tomlinson (2016) focused on the learning needs of

students and provided guidance on how the learning experiences and learning outcomes

of students can be enhanced. Learning occurs when the learner is directly in touch with

the realities being studied (Rogers-Shaw, Carr-Chellman, & Choi, 2017). In this view, the

emphasis is on direct participation in the learning experience (Kolb, 2014). The activities

of teaching and learning allow for diverse skills, abilities and prior knowledge of young

adolescents, cultivate multiple intelligences, draw on students’ individual learning styles

and utilize digital tools (Tomlinson, 2016). Learning activities are ones where the student

is able to take what they have learned from engaging with the activity and use it in

another context, or for another purpose. According to Tomlinson (2016), it is equally

important that each activity is meaningful and ensures student development and

advancement. Learning activities should build on previous activities and avoid being

repetitive, they should enable students to engage with and develop their skills,

knowledge, and understandings in different ways.

The current study aimed to explore what and how teachers differentiate

instructional practices in a virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of

students in Arizona. The findings of this study provided evidence that teachers

differentiated instructional practices to address the diverse learning needs of students in a

virtual high school classroom, in Arizona. Based on the findings discussed in Chapter 4,

this qualitative single case study adds to the existing body of knowledge in the field of

differentiated instructional practices used by teachers and how they are used to address

the diverse learning needs of high school students in virtual learning environments. The

insights gained on content and knowledge learning in the virtual classroom provide
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stakeholders with information that paves the way to more favorable use of differentiated

instruction practices in the online learning environment.

Summary of the Study

Given the rapid growth in virtual educational formats, the priority of

understanding the diversity of today’s learning needs of students is of utmost importance

as instructional strategies necessarily face change to meet student needs (Akpan & Beard,

2016). Several areas of differentiated learning instruction have been widely researched in

recent literature. Prior research reveals differentiated instructional strategies for teaching

students a concept that has become a necessity in education (Simpson & Bogan, 2015).

Several authors have seen an increase in the number of students taking at least one class

in the virtual learning environment (Allen & Seaman, 2016). However, the promise of

improving student academic achievement, the commitment to, and training necessary for

instructional staff remain underdeveloped (Boelens, Voet, & Wever, 2018).

There is a gap in the literature regarding what differential instructional practices

are used by teachers in virtual learning environments and how they use these instructional

practices to enhance the learning needs of high school students in chartered schools

(Halverson et al., 2017; Morgan, 2015; Shabiralyani et al., 2015; Smets & Struyven,

2018; Suprayogi et al., 2017). There is a marked gap in regard to the link between

differentiated instructional practices and academic performance (Morgan, 2015).

Additionally, research on online education teaching practices and how these practices

address the individual needs of students in the virtual environment is lacking (Halverson

et al., 2017). Morgan (2015) suggested additional research should be conducted on the

influence of online instructional practices on student learning and how they address the
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individual needs of students. The focus of the current research was to address this gap in

literature. The following research questions guided this study:

RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in

the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

Chapter 1 introduced the research topic by identifying the problem statement: It is

not known what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they

are used in the virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students.

Therefore, the current study addressed the need to explore what differentiated

instructional practices are used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom and how

differentiated instructional practices are used to meet student learning needs. Prior to the

current study, several research studies concluded not much is known about the practice of

differentiated instruction and its influence on the success of high school students in the

virtual learning environments (Halverson et al., 2017; Morgan, 2015; Shabiralyani et al.,

2015; Smets & Struyven, 2018; Suprayogi et al., 2017).

Existing research has a gap in determining what differentiated instructional

practices are used by teachers in a virtual learning environment and how they use

instructional practices to enhance the learning needs of high school students in chartered

schools (Morgan, 2015). A qualitative case study was deemed appropriate to explore the

phenomenon using a variety of data sources. Data were triangulated using three sources

of data including teacher interviews, classroom teacher observations, and gathering of

lesson plans. Participants were selected using purposeful sampling. The use of purposeful
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sampling allowed the researcher to invite participants for the interviews who had

knowledge, and could share rich information that provided data to answer the research

questions (Palinkas et al., 2015).

Classroom teacher interviews were conducted to explore the perceptions of

teachers in the application of differentiated instructional practices in the virtual

classroom. Classroom teacher observations were conducted on what differentiated

instructional practices are used in the virtual classroom and how they are used. Yin

(2017) posits observation is a method used by the researcher which includes taking notes,

using a check-list, gathering other materials designed to generate data on activities and/or

behaviors observed in the classroom. Additionally, the researcher collected teacher lesson

plans and other materials used in the differentiation strategy. The researcher

corroborated the data collected to see if the lesson plans were consistent with the teacher

observations and data gathered from the teacher interviews. According to Yin (2017) case

studies are a triangulated research strategy and add richness and complexity to the data.

A six-step thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data. Data were

transcribed and once member checking was complete the data was read and re-read

several times to identify initial codes. Saldaña (2016) posits that the coding process

allows the researcher to organize the data with similar characteristics into groups. To

assist with the coding process the researcher used NVivo 12 Plus software. The iterative

process of reading and collapsing initial codes continued until no new codes were

generated and saturation was reached.

Once the researcher was familiar with the data the next step was to generate codes

based on similar meanings and characteristics or patterns. After the initial codes were
 205

developed the researcher collapsed the codes based on similarity and meaning and arrived

at second level codes or categories. In this stage the researcher identified themes which

were not important or relevant to the research study and reevaluated them to see if they

needed to be renamed or if they did not have relevance to the research study.

Next the researcher identified the essence of what each theme was about and

determined what aspects of the data each theme captured. Themes were organized. The

final step in the thematic analysis was interpreting the themes and accounting for the

contribution they make to the research. The conclusions found in the results of the data

analysis support the theoretical foundations of the research study.

Chapter 1 introduced and outlined the purpose of the research study and

recognized the changing landscape of education, educational mandates for today’s

diverse student population, how education is delivered in the virtual classroom. Chapter 1

outlined the significance of the study and provided details on how the research

contributed to existing literature by adding to understanding how teachers used

differentiated instructional practices in the virtual classroom to support student learning

and what differentiated instructional practices were used by teachers. The chapter

identified some limitations of the study and revealed some avenues for future research.

Chapter 2 provided a synthesis of the literature on the differentiated instructional

practices used in virtual learning environments and outlines contributions from various

scholars in the field of differentiated instruction. Chapter 2 provided a historical

background to lay a foundation for differentiated instruction and the theoretical

framework that informed the research questions in the current research study. It also

provided evidence from the existing literature for the gap in determining what
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differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers in virtual learning environments

and how they use these instructional practices to enhance the learning needs of high

school students (Morgan, 2015). Meyer (2014) posits existing literature points to the

value of increasing student engagement techniques in online learning to enhance student

success.

Chapter 3 provided details of the methodology used for this research study. It

provided information on teacher participants, research design, data collection, and data

analysis. Additionally, it also described all steps of trustworthiness for the research.

Chapter 4 of this study presented the results of the analysis with a focus on the research

questions and generated themes. NVivo 12 Plus was used to arrange codes and data

analysis. The data analysis process involved the six-step thematic analysis protocol as

stipulated by Braun and Clarke (2006). Chapter 5 interprets the results of the research

study in light of the research questions and are discussed. The chapter concludes with the

limitations for future research.

Summary of Findings and Conclusion

This section explains the study findings to show how this study addressed the

research questions. The findings and conclusions from this study support and contribute

to previous research in the field of differentiated instructional practices. Prior to the

present study, it was not known how and what differentiated instructional practices were

used by teachers and how they were used in the virtual classroom to address student

learning needs. The findings of this case study were bounded by the research design

described in Chapter 3 and remained bound by utilizing a single school district in the

state of Arizona.
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Research question one asked: What differentiated instructional practices are used

by high school teachers in the virtual classroom to address student learning needs? In

addressing this question two themes emerged. These themes were, differentiated

instructional practices teachers use and differentiated instruction- bridging the learning

gap. Research question two asked: How are differentiated instructional practices used by

high school teachers in a virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

In addressing this question two themes emerged. These themes were, differentiating

instruction in virtual learning environments and assessing student needs for

differentiation.

The findings of the study are in alignment with the theoretical framework of

Tomlinson’s Model of Differentiation (2016) and Kolb’s learning theory (2014).

Differentiation is classroom practice that looks eyeball to eyeball with the reality that

kids differ, and the most effective teachers do whatever it takes to hook the whole range

of kids on learning (Tomlinson, 1999). The study revealed that virtual learning

environments provide pathways to meet unique learning needs of students, as virtual

classrooms are rich with options to access education anytime, anywhere, and in formats

that personally accommodate the individual student learning experience (Allen &

Seaman, 2016; Marks, 2016).

The findings revealed high school teachers differentiate instructional practices

through content, process, product, and learning environments and synchronize the

learning materials with the learning needs of the students. Teachers described what

instructional practices they used and how they used the differentiated instruction to

address the needs of high school students in a virtual classroom. Differentiation of

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instruction plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition as it addresses the

learning needs of the individual student (Vygotsky, 1978). The theory behind

differentiated instruction is that the instructor knows the level of ability and

understanding of each student and can tailor instruction to meet the various learning

needs and styles of the students (Tomlinson, 2016). The findings of this study revealed

that learning is supported by the differentiated instructions of the teachers and by

interactions and engagements with peers. This is consistent with the concept of

Vygotsky’s theory (1978) that ideal learning is a result of differentiation in instructional

practices and student engagement opportunities. Four important themes emerged from

data. The summary of the findings section explains how this study has addressed the

research questions and how it has advanced scientific knowledge.

Research question 1. RQ1 asked: What differentiated instructional practices are

used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the

students? Two emergent themes supported RQ1- Differentiated Instructional Practices

Teachers use and Differentiated Instruction- Bridging the learning gap. Burton (2003)

posited that differentiation is an aspect of a teachers’ professional, pedagogical

competence which ensures each student achieves the intended learning target. Further,

effective instructors utilize a variety of learning modalities to differentiated instruction

for an array of student learning styles and needs. To understand what differentiated

instructional practices teachers use, it was important to explore the instructional strategies

used by the teachers. The findings from the study support previous research that

differentiated instructional practices are essential to address the learning needs of

students (Tomlinson, 2014).

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Theme 2- differentiated instructional practices teachers use. Theme 2,

differentiated instructional practices teachers use, revealed teachers used assessment

techniques to identify the learning needs or challenges that students encountered in their

learning styles. This is an important theme that emerged from data to answer RQ1: What

differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers in a virtual classroom? Through

various assessments of students learning deficiencies and learning styles, the teachers

determined the differentiated instructional practices that would be effective for the needs

of the students. Recent literature has identified teachers should use differentiated

instructional practices to address individual student needs in the classroom. According to

Tomlinson and Imbeau (2010), the practice of differentiation does not ask teachers to

begin by individualizing instruction but rather it asks teachers to look for and address

patterns of student learning needs. Theme two furthered research in this area by

identifying some of these practices.

Data collected from all three sources revealed using assessment criteria allowed

teachers to focus on interventions that helped students overcome the challenges they had

in learning the presented material or lesson. This objective was accomplished by

choosing appropriate teaching methods or strategies to match each student’s learning

needs. Teacher participants described that the group of students demonstrated variations

in their learning styles, characteristics, and behaviors. When teachers employed the

practice of differentiating instruction, students became the benefactors of enhanced

individual success.

RQ1 was developed to solicit information regarding the kind of differentiated

instructional strategies teachers used in virtual high school learning environments.

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Consistent with Tomlinson’s differentiation model (2016), the findings from this study

revealed teachers differentiated through content, process, product, and learning

environments. The elements of the curriculum in the virtual learning environments that

were differentiated were content - the facts, generalizations, or principles, attitudes and

skills related to the subject. Teachers mentioned in the interviews they used notes,

audio/video tools or links, and support programs such as CatchUpMath.com that

accommodated and built student skill levels.

In relating to the content used in differentiating instruction in a virtual classroom,

several facts and materials emerged from data. All teacher participants provided content

which was used in the strategies to differentiate instruction in the virtual classroom.

Participants shared content such as notes, audio, video, labs, emails, computers, Skype

and other such content to differentiate teaching instructions in response to the needs of

students. Participant T10 shared that videos were created, and content was gathered from

outside sources to provide scaffolding and lesson design that supported the needs of the

learners. The researcher observed teachers used visual aids, manipulatives, audio-

recordings and supplementary materials to address the learning needs of the students. The

lesson plans also included contents such as video links; computer-based learning

strategies, and websites that provided instructional how to do videos.

Differentiation in process considers how the student comes to make sense of,

understand and embrace the key facts, concepts, generalizations, principles, and skills

related to the subject (Tomlinson, 2016). Teacher interviews revealed differentiation

through the process was achieved by providing various options at the levels of difficulty

and based on the differing levels of interests of the students. The teachers mentioned that
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they delivered materials to the preferred learning styles of students. Teacher participant

13 shared that students in her online English class struggled with the genre and nuances

of The Great Gatsby. The teacher created groups of students to discuss the novel

according to the “peaked interest” they shared with each other. This was an effective

differentiation strategy used by the teacher to address the learning needs of struggling

students.

Differentiation in product considers items a student can use to demonstrate what

he or she has come to know, understand, and be able to do as the result of an extended

period of study (Tomlinson, 2016). The results of this study revealed teachers

differentiated by designing variations in products to provide tangible support of

knowledge through the curriculum. The alterations in the lesson plans were observed by

the researcher in the classroom. Teacher participant T1shared that, “we looked at

different products for the students to have at the end of the lesson such as non-linguistic

representations, and my style was to have different stations such as a writing station a

reading station non-linguistic station, which can be in the form of acting”.

Differentiation in the learning environment was also discussed in the teacher

interviews. Teacher participants explained the importance of creating learning

environments which would match the learning needs of the students and provide optimal

learning outcomes. Teacher participant 11 elaborated students in the computer lab were

allowed to work with a lab buddy that may have already completed the particular lesson

and could help the other student along in the lesson where they were struggling. Often

providing options for student to step away from the computer for a brain break is required

as they become “overloaded” with too much screen time.

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Regarding theme two, differentiating instructional practices used by teachers,

each teacher interviewed differentiated instruction in one way or another, either by way

of giving the student an extension on the time frame to finish an assignment, giving the

student a choice in a novel to read based on interest level, or allowing the student to

demonstrate what they have learned with different assessment protocols or providing

supplemental learning materials that present the information in a differently.

Emphasizing on the need for differentiating instructional practices, participant T12

shared that, “we have to provide differentiated instruction specifically modifications or

accommodations according to IEPs”. Teachers shared the importance of differentiating

instructional practices based on the needs of the students. The findings of this study

revealed by differentiating instruction teachers were able to provide an opportunity to

give students personalized instruction.

Morgan (2014) posits it is important for teachers to be aware of the diverse

learning needs of the students, to engage with the students and encourage them to do their

best. According to Tomlinson’s Model, instructional planning is in response to student

learning needs (Tomlinson, 2016). The data collected from all sources revealed that

individual and personal materials were used by teachers to enhance the learning outcomes

of students. Thus theme 2 provided support to RQ1 indicating what differentiated

teaching practices teachers use in the virtual high school classroom to address the

learning needs of students.

Theme 3: differentiated instruction- bridging the learning gap. Theme 3

emerged from all three of the data sources as an important theme as it provides insights

into learning gaps and how those gaps were addressed through identifying what
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differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers in the virtual

classroom. Data from all three sources revealed teachers used assessments to identify the

needs of the students, their ability, and their readiness. Previous research aligns with this

theme as it supports the use of assessment in order to accurately understand student needs

(Sousa & Tomlinson, 2011). The purpose of differentiation is to meet the deficiencies of

students and address them to fill the void in learning. Teachers shared how they use

strategies through differentiation instructional practices in order to bridge the learning

gaps. Participant T1 mentioned:

Sometimes when students come to us they have gaps in their learning. So, we try

to fill those gaps, and sometimes you have to observe the students because once

you discover that they have these gaps, and then you have to start providing some

supplemental resources for them to help them build to the next level that they

need to get to.

Teacher participant T3 shared that the use of grouping students based on skill

level was an important strategy to ensure that students learning needs were adequately

addressed. Bridging the learning gap takes many forms and there is no “one size fits all”

solution. Teacher interviews revealed the use of differentiated learning tools provided

support for student achievement by putting in place accountability measures that

organized the work and benefited the student.

All teachers supported the use of Cornell Notes as a tool that assists in bridging

learning gaps. This is a note-taking process the student uses to organize the material

presented to them in a concise format. The student is encouraged to review the notes as

soon as they can after the class, make note of the key points or main ideas and reflect on
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what they learned. This built-in time for reflection provides students the opportunity to

assess what they learned, where they made mistakes, and work on correcting those

mistakes.

Additionally, teachers interviewed commented the use of reading support and

intervention programs such as iLit. Students and teachers access this fully digital program

as a core curriculum replacement or as a support for reading and enhancing reading skills.

Teachers mentioned when parents get involved then the needs of the students are not only

understood better but also addressed appropriately through differentiation. Teacher

participant T12 discussed the importance of developing and fostering parental

involvement in the student’s educational experiences. “By including the parent in the

conversation, they become reliable partners for the student success.” Parental

involvement not only enhances academic performance, but it also has a positive influence

on student’s attitudes and behavior

Data collected teacher classroom observations and lesson plans provided evidence

that the performance disparity of students was addressed by teachers using individualized

differentiation strategies in instruction. Teachers catered to the needs of the learners and

created instruction to fit their needs. Differentiation is not about one size fits all solution;

rather it is addressing the needs of students to a level where they are capable of

performing, thereby differentiating instruction to close the learning gap. The findings of

the study revealed that tools such as IEP (individual educational plan) and PLP (personal

learning platforms) were used by teachers to assess student needs and were described by

teachers as being effective in bridging learning gaps. In recent literature, personalized

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learning has also been found to be an effective strategy to prioritize personal learning and

bridge the achievement gap (Pane, Steiner, Baird, Hamilton, & Pane, 2017).

Addressing how teachers address learning gaps through differentiation, the

teachers mentioned they set personal goals for the students so that they know where they

stand. In this regards, participant T6 shared:

We found that really helps fill in a lot of the gaps because Catch up math.com is

specifically designed to test the students for where they have gaps in their math

education and then it specifically assigns lessons to the students who need them to

hopefully help fill in those gaps as they move forward.

Theme 3 lends support to RQ1: What differentiated instructional practices are

used by high school teachers in a virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the

students. The theme also aligns with the theoretical framework and advances knowledge

of the current literature in the field of personalized learning used to bridge the learning

gaps. The researcher has introduced a new context of personalized learning through

differentiated instructional strategies in the virtual classroom.

The results of this study revealed the teachers in high schools use differentiation

that is embedded in rich learning contexts and is used to address gaps in knowledge

achievement. The findings of the study also provided evidence that teachers were

observed preparing lesson plans to set achievement goals for students. Creating

awareness, empowerment, and engagement through differentiation strategies allowed the

teachers and students to address gaps in knowledge achievements.

Research question 2. RQ2 asked: How are differentiated instructional practices

used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the
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students? In addressing this research question, two themes emerged from data -

Differentiating instruction in virtual learning environments and Assessing student needs

for differentiation. According to Allen and Seaman (2016), even though the number of

higher education students studying online and taking online courses continues to grow,

there is a lack in academic guidance that makes online learning more complex. They

posited that the academic practices in virtual learning environments should increase

student engagement through online learning practices. In analyzing data collected for this

study, the findings of the study revealed high school teachers used several assessment

techniques and engaged students by differentiating instruction in virtual learning

environments.

Theme 1: Differentiating instruction in virtual learning environments. Theme 1

emerged through the data collected from teacher interviews, teacher observations, and

lesson plans and relates to RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by

high school teachers in the virtual classroom Theme 1 was important as it provided

information on the differentiating instruction in virtual learning environments. The data

revealed students who enrolled in virtual education courses flourished when they were

provided with better learning experiences. Recent literature has listed differentiation

strategies used in online learning environments as effective techniques for student

success (Mullen, 2019). Similarly, Potts (2018) postulated that gifted students found

flexibility, choice, and intellectual challenges in online learning.

The results of this study also provided evidence that the learning needs of the

students were addressed through the use of differentiated instructional methods and

strategies in a virtual classroom. Consistent with Kolb’s learning theory (2014), teachers
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shared the overarching goal for creating virtual learning environments was to ensure that

it provided enough academic support and challenge to address the learning needs of the

students. This was supported through the data that was collected using all the three data

sources for this study.

Lesson plans revealed the virtual learning environments were created by teachers

through the use of web-based and computer programs. Teachers differentiated instruction

by making flexible classroom layouts and arrangements to support both individual and

group work. Data collected from observations also provided evidence teachers used

various methods for differentiating the environment. The researcher witnessed this when

teachers broke students in reading groups to discuss online assignments or allowed

students to read individually based on their preferences. The researcher also observed

students appeared to be more engaged when instructions were as differentiated using

web-based instruction, computers, and internet.

Catering to the learning needs and styles of students through instructional

differentiation is also consistent with empirical evidence, that lesson plans developed by

teachers incorporate the individual learning needs of students in the curriculum

(Tomlinson, 2014). Theme 1 – differentiating instruction in virtual learning revealed

teachers designed lessons based on the learning styles and needs of the students. For

example, participant 5 mentioned when a student was struggling to understand the math

concepts, the teacher prepared a video and gave it to the student to help the student

follow the steps sequentially.

A review of the lesson plans of teachers also provided evidence that teachers

prepared the lesson plans to address the learning needs of the students. Participant 1
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provided how to do video links that the students could click and follow the instruction or

simple steps to learn the material. The importance of attending to the needs and learning

styles of students when planning instruction was also supported by teacher observations

conducted. The classrooms observations conducted by the researcher provided evidence

that teachers differentiated using various strategies such as, (a) homogenous or

heterogeneous grouping, which involved grouping students by shared interest, topic, or

ability for assignments, (b) Student assessments, that allowed teachers to decide the

instructional strategies (c) Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive

environment, and (d) Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet the diverse

needs of students.

Online learning can be an ideal environment for differentiation because teachers

are able to customize the way students access information, vary the course pacing for

individual students, and quickly assess the manner in which individual students access

content. Course delivery in online classes requires pedagogical strategies that will create

as many learning and engagement opportunities as possible (Gray & DiLoreto,

2016).Teacher interviews revealed the use of differentiated instructional strategies

provided a better way to meet the unique learning needs and challenges of the students in

virtual classrooms. Teacher participant 11 elaborated, “I think that virtual learning allows

for a lot more options and a lot more kinds of personalized learning.” Teacher participant

14 also shared that “virtual learning environments provide many opportunities to help

address the needs of students. With today’s technology, students can interact with the

material they are learning by the use of the computers, smart boards, videos. Students can
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actually manipulate mathematical shapes or objects and the effects it has instead of just

using an equation.”

The very experience of learning in an online classroom is, in itself a personal and

individual one for each student. Teacher participants shared that different course choices

were available to students in the virtual learning environment. Lesson content can be

easily adapted for different populations and learning needs (Tomlinson, 2016). For

example, the researcher observed and learned from teacher participants that technology

tools such as text reader ReadSpeaker were used to support students with limited English

skills or proficiency in reading as well as students who are visually impaired. T1 shared

that, “In a virtual environment, we will probably use audio. Some students need to hear

what the material is. They need to read along with the audio and that enhances their

comprehension. Other technology tools such as email communication between teacher

and student, web cam or Skype were also used and provided rich classroom experiences

virtually.

All teacher participant interviews revealed that the practice of differentiating

instruction was consistently used in virtual learning environments. Multiple teaching

strategies and lessons that address the learning objective are offered to enhance and

promote optimal learning (Alhalabi, 2016). Teachers monitored student performance to

determine which lessons might be best fit for which students, and then individualized the

learning pathway for their students. This allowed students at both ends of the spectrum,

and anywhere in between, to benefit from online learning.

Teachers used strategies such as working one -on- one with student in the

computer lab, providing video links with supplemental materials to a student who may be
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struggling with a math lesson, provided additional hand-outs to use along-side a lesson

that a student struggled with, or rephrased the assignment for the student to provide

clarity. Some teachers changed the product of the lesson and allowed the student to

produce a facsimile of what they learned. Teacher participant T10 shared that a student

who may be struggling with a writing assignment may be offered a shorter writing

assignment, with fewer questions to answer. This was evident through the teaching

practices and strategies that were observed by the researcher through teacher observations

and lesson plans that the teachers used.

Differentiating instruction in virtual learning environments was discussed by all

teacher participants, was observed by the researcher in classroom observations, and was

reflected in lesson plans as a means of significantly addressing the learning needs of

students. Data collected from all data sources demonstrated differentiation in virtual

learning environments was an effective instructional strategy in the student’s educational

endeavors. Teachers created innovative learning strategies to create learning

environments based on the learning styles of the learners. This is consistent with the

experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014). The new learning experiences in virtual

classrooms provided evidence of how teachers differentiated in these environments.

Thus, theme 1 differentiating instruction in virtual learning environments supported RQ2:

How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in the virtual

high school classroom to address the learning needs of the students?

Theme 4: Assessing student needs for differentiation. Theme 4 emerged from

teacher interviews, teacher observations, and lesson plans and is an important theme as it

elucidates information on assessments and techniques used in those assessments and

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addresses RQ2: How are differentiated instructional practices used by high school

teachers in virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students? The

assessments were used to identify the skill level of students, learning gaps, and special

learning needs, thereby supporting and assisting the teacher in their differentiated

instructional practices. Using varied assessment strategies is integral to the pedagogy in

any classroom, be it online or face to face (Kulasegaram & Rangachari, 2018) The online

course provides flexibility for the teacher to deliver the most appropriate assessment

approach based on the student’s needs. Perhaps the most important aspect of

differentiated instruction in the online classroom is demonstrated through varied

assessment strategies.

Tomlinson (2016) posited that assessment is today’s means of modifying

tomorrow’s instruction. Student understanding can be assessed in both traditional and

innovative ways through discussion and journaling, group projects, activities that require

students to produce works of art, or creative writing, and many other types of teaching

strategies that are assessed. Teacher participant T1 shared “Before you start differentiated

instructional strategies – get to know your students, who they are, what their weaknesses

are, what their strengths are”.

Assessing the needs of students is an important theme as it is the core concept for

differentiating instruction. If teachers have to help students to be at their optimal learning

levels they have to know what is needed to bring the students to that level. The results of

this study supported the concept of assessing student needs for differentiating instruction.

Student needs and learning styles were assessed by various strategies which included

KUDA, map-tests, Lexile levels, and iLit. Other assessment tools discussed in all teacher
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interviews that influence how the differentiated instructional practices are used by

teachers was the individual student educational plans (IEP), McKenny Vento Act, ELL

students, ESL students, students identified as Title One students.

The practice of differentiation when a student has a special education plan (IEP)

that prescribes the specific learning need must be accommodated. Differentiation as

primary instructional tool is central to student learning when the student is an English

language learner; English is not their primary language, experiencing homelessness or

comes from a low-income family. Data collected from all sources provided evidence that

assessing the needs of students was essential for differentiating instruction. Teachers

relied on various methods to assess the needs of students. A few of the most prominent

ones are: a) learning styles b) state testing c) federally funded programs and d) grouping

strategies.

Learning styles. Teachers used the learning styles of students to assess the needs

of the students. This is important as it aligns with the experiential learning theory (Kolb,

2014). Learning styles of students influence the academic activities and achievement of

students (Sudria, Redhana, Kirna, & Aini, 2018). Consistent with this notion in literature,

the current study found how students learned was very important for teachers to know.

The teachers differentiated instruction to fit the preferred styles of the students.

Participant T1 shared views about the learning styles of students, “there's also a need to

differentiate according to the way we analyze student performance. There are a number

of different ways of doing so and different students respond to different assessments in

different ways”. Participant T5 mentioned that multiple learning tools were used in the
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virtual classroom to accommodate learning styles of the students. Participant T13 also

shared the importance of learning styles saying that:

Well differentiated instructional techniques are different ways of teaching the

same thing to different kids. They all have different learning styles: kinesthetic,

visual, verbal, and reading so we need to address all those learning styles when

we're teaching students.

State testing. The results of the study provided evidence that teachers assessed the

needs and learning abilities of students through State testing. Teachers mentioned AZ

Merit and ECAP which are state mandated assessments for high school students in

Arizona. The state testing is used by teachers to assess the level of readiness of the

students so that the teachers can provide individual instructional material to help the

academic success of the students. Participant T3 stated, “We did AZ Merit review

sessions for the students before they took the AZ Merit just to brush over the main

objectives and units for the various courses that they were being tested on”. The teacher

shared that doing so helped the students in their performance of the state tests.

Teacher participant T5 also shared, “I'm a little bit of a guide to get them through

the materials and checking for when they stumble and then giving them a variety of tools,

for whatever can get them over the stumble for this particular group of students, in a lot

of ways, we are focused on completion of the course or achievement of an AZ Merit

score and getting to the end goal. Participant T7 also mentioned that growth is tracked

through assessment and performance in AZ Merit testing. State tests emerged from the

code, “assessment” and provided important information on how state tests were used to
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assess the learning needs of students and provide new learning experiences to enhance

their academic success.

Federally funded programs. Federally funded programs were mentioned by most

teachers as programs which provided information about students who had economic

challenges to meet their educational goals. Teachers discuss programs such as McKinney

Vento that subsidizes education for students. Teachers mentioned that economic

hardships have known to be a hindrance in the learning styles of these students.

Therefore, as the teachers are able to gain access to their learning styles they are able to

gear their instructional strategies to bring these kids up to speed. Teachers also mentioned

other federally funded programs such as SPED (special education programs) and Title

One instruction that are used to assess the learning needs of students. Participant T7

mentioned that kids that are in most need of individual attention are assessed through

Title one or bottom 25% assessments. Participant T12 also mentioned that title one

teachers come in to closely monitor the title one and bottom 25% kids to ensure that their

learning needs are met through instructional differentiation.

Grouping strategies. Teacher interviews revealed that the use of grouping

students based on knowledge, skills, or shared interests was a strategy they often used in

differentiation. Teachers shared how students were grouped based on their learning

levels. The researcher observed during teacher observations and through the review of

lesson plans that teachers did create homogenous and heterogeneous groups of students

based on the student learning need assessments. Talking about grouping students based

on their needs, participant T3 mentioned:

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When we group them together, they definitely have to learn interpersonal

relationship skills and breaking down goal-setting into like I said, I keep going

back to digestion chunks, but realistically I believe that success is incremental and

that there are benchmarks that you're supposed to be reaching with these

supplemental instructions.

Participant T5 also shared that, “I can group them together to have cooperative

learning strategies”, participant T7 also stated that, “we can build subgroups and then

make assignment changes based on that subgroup. So, I can make changes for only a

couple kids in the class instead of the whole class”. In this context participant T13 shared

that students were grouped to do hands-on activity with another group of kids who are

doing the same subject.

Theme 4 - assessing student needs for differentiation, answered RQ2: How are

differentiated instructional practices used by high school teachers in the virtual classroom

to address the learning needs of the students? The theme provided evidence of how

teachers assess the learning needs and how they use differentiated instructional practices

to address the learning needs. The theme is also aligned with Kolb’s (2014) experiential

learning theory as the findings revealed teachers provided new experiences and learning

environments to enhance the learning outcomes of students. Consistent with this theory

the findings of this study provided evidence that teachers transformed experiences to

create knowledge.

Significance of the findings relative to significance of the study and

advancing scientific knowledge. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to

explore what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they are
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used in the virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students in

Arizona. In exploring what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and

how they used those practices, the results of the study provide guidance in the

implementation and execution of instructional strategies and practices that assist students

and meet their individual learning needs. Additionally, the findings of this study revealed

assessments were used as a teaching tool to extend and differentiate instruction. As such

one implication from the results of this study could be for educators to use assessments

not to measure capability of the students but to use it as a learning tool to diversify the

instructional practices. Some additional theoretical, practical, and future implications are

discussed in the sections below.

Theoretical implications. The findings presented in this research are related to

the theoretical framework of Tomlinson’s Model of Differentiation (2016) and Kolb’s

learning theory (2014). Experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014) and the differentiation

model by Tomlinson (2016) provide the framework for how students experience learning,

thus giving guidance in the area of what instructional practices are the best fit for the

diversity of students in the virtual classroom, and how the teaching practices of

differentiated instruction are used in the virtual classroom.

The results of the study revealed high school teachers differentiate instructional

practices through content, process, product and learning environments to synchronize the

learning materials with the learning deficiencies of the students. Additionally, the

findings also revealed that teachers provide students with concrete and new learning

experiences and environments. These findings are consistent with Tomlinson’s model of

differentiation (2016) and Kolb’s learning theory (2014).

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The theoretical assumptions of Tomlinson’s model (2016) and Kolb’s experiential

theory were supported by the findings of the current study. First, the results of the study

revealed the teachers differentiated content, process, product, and learning environments

to maximize each student’s growth and individual success. The current study has

theoretical implications for educators to examine this model as a shift to a new prototype

for education in the 21st century.

The findings of the current study provided momentum to the differentiation

instructional practices in virtual classrooms through the support of the differentiation

model (Tomlinson, 2016). Additionally, the model (Tomlinson, 2016) provides

theoretical implications for administrators in academia to cater to the diverse learning

profiles of students. The experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014) and Kolb’s learning

style inventory can be used to enhance the educational experiences and processes. The

current research revealed that the learning profiles have been successfully used by

teachers in virtual classroom to extend instruction to meet the needs of the students. The

current research provided implications for educators to provide new and innovative

learning experiences through scaffolding instruction in virtual classrooms.

Practical implications. The findings of the current research have several

practical implications for educators, administrators, and teachers. In exploring what

differentiated instructional practices are used by high school teachers and how they are

used in the virtual classroom to address the learning needs of the students, the researcher

identified a large variety of differentiated instructional practices were used in the virtual

classroom. However, the consistency in applying differentiation to instruction varied.

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For example, some teachers used differentiation in reading comprehension to

improve reading alone by providing audios, whereas other teachers used both audio and

video to help the students understand and see what they read. With rapid increases of

technology in the education industry, educators and administrators should establish

effective instructional practices based on the diverse areas in instructional practices. Just

like the standard curriculum in the traditional classrooms, establishing instructional

guidelines suitable for diverse learning needs based on the commonly seen similar needs

in learning profiles of the students can provide a direction for effective differentiated

strategies to the teachers in virtual classrooms. Manuel and Freiman, (2017) emphasized

a need for quality of online instruction as the demand for online education surged.

Hapsari et al. (2018) also highlighted the need for academic quality in differentiating

instruction. Providing consistency in curriculum may help achieve this quality in online

education.

Another practical implication comes from the need to provide training and

development in the area of differentiating instructional practice in virtual classrooms.

Teachers revealed that professional development is needed in technology areas to provide

teachers with knowledge of varied learning tools and know-how implement robust

technological programs that enhance student learning and experiences. According to

Hapsari et al. (2018), mixed-ability classrooms do not meet the mark of academic quality

unless the teacher addresses student variances and individual learning. As society and

educational institutions continue to evolve and endeavor to answer the call of providing

education to diverse student demographics, effective pedagogy will have to meet the

needs of a montage of learners. Providing teachers with professional development at

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multiple levels including various accessible formats of instructional delivery, such as

online or live will help them to be ready for delivering differentiated instruction

effectively.

Another implication for educators is to determine the readiness of teachers to

deliver differentiated instruction. While research is abundant in educational instruction in

different environments, some researchers argue that differentiation in instruction does not

refer to the difference in learning outcomes but rather to different strategies in achieving

those learning outcomes (Dack, 2018). Teachers are responsible for providing these

strategies. While professional development and training will help in this area, it would

also be beneficial if the administrators knew the level of level of preparedness of the

teachers in terms of where they stand and what they need. Just as teachers can

differentiate instruction to fit the needs of the students, the administrators can also assess

the needs of the teachers to prepare them to differentiate the instructional practices in

virtual classrooms. This will ensure that teachers can apply the appropriate strategies in

the instructional areas with the required skills.

Future implications. While this study has practical implications, there are

limitations in generalizing the results of the study due to the design of the single case

study. The study used a small sample size of only 14 teachers in a charter school district

in Arizona. Expanding the study and incorporating teachers from other charter school

districts would increase the opportunity to generalize the results.

As school administrators and teachers consider ways to boost academic

performance in charter schools through differentiation of instructional practices there is

need to expand the practices of differentiation to all grade levels. The current study was
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limited to high school students, but there is need to expand this to middle and secondary

schools. Administrators and board members can further the dialogue of differentiating

instructional practices at all grade levels in virtual classrooms. Future research has

indicated the need to explore teaching best practices to see how these practices serve

students, meet their learning needs and serve as the conduit for favorable student

academic outcomes (Morgan, 2015). As administrators and teachers consider ways to

boost academic performance in virtual schools through differentiation of instructional

practices, expanding differentiated instructional practices and strategies at all grade levels

supports quality education. For quality education to occur in the classroom, consideration

of the unique abilities, interests, and needs of learners in the virtual classroom must take

center stage (Dack, 2018).

Strengths and weaknesses of the study. One strength of the study is the

researcher implemented the step by step process of data gathering meticulously. The

researcher outlined each step in the data collection and gathering process and paid close

attention to each detail to ensure there was an accurate representation of the information.

Additionally, the researcher sought out help to ensure the implementation plan was

realistic. The design of the study met academic, ethical and scholarly protocols. All work

was peer reviewed by an expert panel which included doctoral administrators and experts

in the field of education.

Another strength of the study was the use of multiple data sources. The use of

triangulation ensured the trustworthiness and reliability of the data. Furthermore, findings

accurately depict the participant responses to the interview questions as well as accurately

depict data gathered during classroom teacher observations. A case study design requires
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rigor to increase validity, credibility, and trustworthiness of the study (Yin, 2017).

Researcher bias could be considered a weakness in the study, in order to mitigate bias in

this case study, the researcher used the bracketing technique to minimize the likelihood of

presuppositions, biases, assumptions, theories or previous experiences in the research

(Bengtsson, 2016). Precise documentation of the database and maintaining an audit trail

of the documents was carefully executed.

A limitation of the study is that the small sample of only 14 teachers is possibly

not enough to generalize the study. Including a wider group of teachers from other

charter schools in the Arizona would likely be more helpful to generalize the study

results. Patton (2015) posited that sample size is usually dependent on what the

researcher is investigating, the purpose of the study, what may be useful and demonstrate

credibility, as well as what can be accomplished within the time frame allotted. This

researcher determined that the sample size of 14 teachers was sufficient for the study.

One limitation of the study could be the use of only teachers in the study. The

research study was conducted to observe only the teachers to see how the differentiated

instructional practices they used enhanced the learning experiences and academic

outcomes of students. Extending the study to observe students could possibly add more

depth to the research. Future research should include students in the sample to see how

they benefit from the differentiated instruction in virtual environments.

Another possible limitation of this study could be that the principal investigator

has had a career in the education field and this could have resulted in a potential bias in

collecting and analyzing data. Knowledge of educational practices could have influenced

the findings of the current study by the prior experiences, ideas, or prejudices of the
 232

principal investigator. However, the researcher made every effort to minimize personal

bias in this study. For example, member checking was performed to ensure the responses

of the participants were not influenced by the researcher’s transcription and were

recorded verbatim as the participants intended. Participants reviewed the transcripts to

ensure whether the interpretations were representative of their beliefs.

In order to minimize potential researcher, bias the researcher maintained rigor and

openness by documenting the research procedures and increasing transparency by

establishing an audit trail. The researcher also included peer review process to increase

trustworthiness of the study results. Participants were encouraged to freely express their

beliefs without any influence from the researcher. Furthermore, the use of multiple data

sources increased the credibility of the results through triangulation.

Recommendations

The existing literature in the arena of differentiated instructional practices

revealed a need for further research on teaching practices that focus on what

differentiated instructional methods are used in the virtual classroom and how these

methods were used to meet he learning needs of high school students and influence their

academic performance and success. Additionally, the existing literature identified

differentiation as a response to meeting individual student learning needs (Tomlinson,

2016). However, Morgan (2015) suggested additional research is needed on teaching

best practices that serve as a more favorable conduit to student learning outcomes. Today,

more than 400,000 students are currently enrolled in full time K-12 on line learning

schools and approximately 2.25 million K-12 students are taking online courses in a

supplemental manner and the students that access online schools are more diverse than
 233

ever before (Gemin, Pape, Vashaw, & Watson, 2015). Halverson et al. (2017) found there

is little research on the use of differentiated instructional practices in online education

and how these practices address the individual needs of students. Morgan (2015) posted

there is a lack of empirical evidence for the practice of differentiated instruction in the

classroom. The need to provide high quality learning opportunities is at the forefront of

classrooms in school systems daily.

Recommendations for future research. As a result of this study several

recommendations for future research emerged. These recommendations include:

1. The current study focused on learning about what differentiated instructional

practices teachers use and how they use these differentiated practices to influence
the academic outcomes of high school students in a virtual school environment in
the state of Arizona. Therefore, future research should replicate this study and
broaden the sample of the study to include more teachers from other charter
school districts in other geographic locations throughout the United States.

2. The focus of the current study was to learn about the learning needs and
academic success of high school students only. Future research replicating this
study at different grade levels in an elementary and middle school setting is also
recommended. Learning about what and how differentiating instructional
practices may influence the learning needs and academic success of students in
other grade levels may provide insights of the use of differentiated instructional
practices at different levels to see if those are consistent with the learning needs of
high school students.

3. Additionally, during participant interviews, it was shared that more research is

needed in the area of student motivation in the virtual learning environments. The
ability to motivate students, generate interests, and create a positive learning
experience is a fine art and is the key to minimizing distractions and may enhance
student learning.

4. The researcher encourages future researchers to research the use of new

technologies and methodologies that provide authentic individualized virtual
learning experiences while being user-friendly to both student and teacher.

5. A fourth recommendation would be to research what the online student

demographic can teach us about why students choose online learning as a vehicle
for their education and what common characteristics do these students share.
 234

6. A fifth recommendation for further research is the need to investigate student

social interaction and the sense of the learning community they engage with,
considering learning styles, readiness to learn, personalities and skill levels. As
online education continues to strive to meet the demands of students, parents,
families, and school districts the need to study the roles of a variety of
technological tools that promote social interaction, growth in the learning
community, provide diverse learning opportunities in virtual environments is
needed.

7. Another future recommendation for research revealed in researcher participant

interviews was developing an artificial intelligence (AI) engine that can provide
the immediacy for the asynchronous student with a synchronous student whether
it's brick and mortar or virtual, the immediacy is there because it's happening real
time. With the asynchronous student, the teacher involved may not see student
questions for multiple hours. The development of an AI engine underneath the
curriculum that can parse out what the question is asking and then perhaps put
forward a number of resources like YouTube or Khan Academy, would enhance
the asynchronous online learner experience.

8. The current research study used a qualitative methodology as it was appropriate to

learn about the differentiated instructional practices used by teachers to influence
the academic success of high school students. However, the researcher
recommends future research to replicate the study using quantitative
methodology. There are multiple advantages of a quantitative methodology for
this study. First, having a larger sample size will provide for the results that can
be generalized. The second advantage is to administer pre-and post-assessments
on the use of differentiated instructional strategies and their impact on student
performance. This would provide a detailed analysis of the effectiveness what
teaching practices were used by teachers and how they were used to influence the
academic success of high school students.

Recommendations for future practice. As a conclusion of the results of this

qualitative case study, it is recommended that educators continue to consistently develop

the practice of differentiated instruction in the virtual classroom. In support of advancing

differentiated instructional pedagogy and practice in the virtual classroom, more

professional development should be provided (Darling-Hammond et al., 2014).

Additionally, in light of the findings in the current study, student-centered learning is a

key in online education. Both learners and instructors are successful when there is a deep
 235

connection between material presented and strategies used by instructors to differentiate

material presented.

According to Wormeli (2018) students who benefit from differentiated instruction

develop competence, understand themselves as learners and are better equipped to

advocate for themselves, see classmates at different points on the same journey and

recognize each other’s strengths, weakness and learning challenges. The 21st Century

student is enticed by garnering learning through the vehicle of virtual education. The

notion of anytime, anywhere education offers access and flexibility. On the other hand,

not all students are the same and learn in the same way (Kaur, 2017). Teacher awareness

in the use and delivery of differentiated instructional practices and materials to a

culturally and linguistically diverse student demographic is a mainstay for the 21st

century virtual classroom.

The findings of this study also support the need for professional development and

training teachers in the use of differentiated instructional practices. Increasing awareness

and collaboration through training will assist teachers to address the learning needs of

students appropriately and with the right differentiated tools and strategies. This practice

is recommended to help teachers be ready for the diverse nature of learning needs of

students in virtual learning environments.

 236

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 255

Appendix A.

Site Authorization Letter

Site authorization letter on file at GCU.

 256

Appendix B.

IRB Approval Letter

257
 258

Appendix C.

Informed Consent

INFORMED CONSENT FORM

INTRODUCTION
The title of this research study is: Teaching Practices: Differentiated instruction used in
teaching in the virtual classroom.
I am Kathy Wenzlau, a doctoral student under the supervision of Dr. Esther Silvers in the
College of Education at Grand Canyon University. The purpose of this qualitative single case study is
to explore what differentiated instructional practices are used by teachers and how they are used in the
virtual high school classroom to address the learning needs of students, in Arizona
RESEARCH
KEY INFORMATION
This document defines the terms and conditions for consenting to participate in this research
study.
How do I know if I can be in this study?
You can participate in this study if you teach online classes either full time or part time.
You are familiar with differentiated instructional practices.
What am I being asked to do? If you agree to be in this study, you will be asked to:
Sign an Informed Consent Form
• Complete a demographic questionnaire
• Participate in classroom observations
• Answer questions from a research questionnaire
• Provide lesson plans used in the virtual classroom
•

Audiotaping: (If applicable)

I would like to use a voice recorder to record your responses. You can still participate if you
do not wish to be recorded.

Videotaping: The researcher will not be videotaping.

Who will have access to my information? The people who will have access to your
information are: Kathy Wenzlau primary investigator, and/or my dissertation Chair and committee or
reviewers if they ask to see it.
Participation is voluntary. However, you can leave the study at any time, even if you have not
finished, without any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. If you decide to
stop participation, you may do so by: Notifying the researcher in writing of your desire to leave the
research study without consequences. If so, I will not use the information I gathered from you and the
data will be destroyed.
Any possible risks or discomforts: There are no known risks from participating in this study.
However, with any research there is some possibility that as a participant you may be subject to risks
 259

that are not known at this time. If the researcher finds new information during the study that would
impact your decision to participate in this study the researcher will inform you.

Any direct benefits for me? There are NO benefits for me in this research
Any paid compensation for my time? Participants will not get paid for their participation.
How will my information and/or identity be protected?
In order to maintain confidentiality of your records, Kathy Wenzlau will keep confidentiality
and privacy of the participants during and after the study, the participant questionnaire forms will be
marked using a given code that is related to the name, the link of the name/number will only be
available to the researcher and stored on a password protected computer used only by the researcher.

PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION COLLECTED

Findings from this study will be published in ProQuest and available for being part of future
research on differentiated instructional practices in the virtual classroom. Your participation will add
value to the research literature on differentiated instructional practices in the virtual learning
environment.
PRIVACY AND DATA SECURITY
Will researchers ever be able to link my data/responses back to me? No

Will my data include information that can identify me (names, addresses, etc.)? No.
In order to maintain confidentiality of your records, Kathy Wenzlau will keep confidentiality
and privacy of the participants during and after the study, the participant questionnaire forms will be
marked using a given code that is related to the name, the link of the name/number will only be
available to the researcher and stored on a password protected computer.
Will researchers assign my data/responses a research ID code to use instead of my
name? Yes.
If yes, will researchers create a list to link names with their research ID codes? Yes
If yes, how will researchers secure the link of names and research ID codes? How long
will the link be kept? Who has access? Approximate destroy date? N/A
How will my data be protected (electronic and hardcopy)? Where? How long? Who will
have access?
All electronic data collected will be stored on a password protected computer that is available
only to the researcher for the purposes of completing the dissertation requirements.
All paper documents will be scanned and the paper will be destroyed.
The scanned documents will be stored on the password protected computer.
Data stored will be held for three years after completing the research.
Approximate destroy or de-identification date?
January 2022.
Where and how will the signed consent forms be secured? Informed consent forms will be
secured on a password protected computer used only by the researcher.

FUTURE RESEARCH

Once identifiers collected for this study have been removed which includes all private, confidential
information de-identified information could be used for future research studies or distributed to other
investigators for future research studies without additional informed consent from you or your legally
authorized representative.

STUDY CONTACTS
 260

Any questions you have concerning the research study or your participation in the study, before or after
your consent, will be answered by Kathy Wenzlau, Doctoral Student at Grand Canyon University. Email
is: KWenzlau@gcu.edu. Phone information is 602-758-0622.
If you have questions about your rights as a subject/participant in this research, or if you feel you have
been placed at risk, you can contact the Chair of the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board,
through the College of Doctoral Studies at IRB@gcu.edu; (602) 639-7804.

VOLUNTARY CONSENT

PARTICIPANT’S RIGHTS
• You have been given an opportunity to read and discuss the informed consent and ask
questions about this study;
• You have been given enough time to consider whether or not you want to participate;
• You have read and understand the terms and conditions and agree to take part in this research
study;
• You understand your participation is voluntary and that you may stop participation at any time
without penalty.

Your signature means that you understand your rights listed above and agree to
participate in this study

____________________________________________________
____________________________
Signature of Participant or Legally Authorized Representative Date

INVESTIGATOR’S STATEMENT
"I certify that I have explained to the above individual the nature and purpose, the potential
benefits and possible risks associated with participation in this research study, have answered any
questions that have been raised, and have witnessed the above signature. These elements of Informed
Consent conform to the Assurance given by Grand Canyon University to the Office for Human Research
Protections to protect the rights of human subjects. I have provided (offered) you a copy of this signed
consent document."

(Your signature indicates that you have ensured the participant has read, understood, and has
had the opportunity to ask questions regarding their participation)

Signature of Investigator______________________________________
Date_____________
 261

Appendix D.

Questionnaire

Demographic Profile

1. Please provide your gender.

2. Please provide your age.

3. What is the highest educational level you have completed?

4. How long have you been working in this school?

5. How long have you been in the teaching role?

6. Which grade levels do you teach?

7. What is your position title?

8. What is your employment status?

9. Do you teach in a virtual classroom?

10. Are you familiar with differentiation instructional practices?

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Appendix E.

Teacher Interview Guide.

1. Please share your knowledge of what differentiated instructional practices are

used to address the learning needs of students (Tomlinson model, content,

process, product, learning environment, RQ1)

a. What differentiated instruction techniques have you used in your

class? Please share an example.

2. Please share how differentiated instruction techniques introduce new concepts

to enhance student learning in your class (experiential learning theory, RQ2)

a. Please share an example of how student learning has been enhanced

through differentiation.

b. Please share how you develop these new concepts. Please provide an

example

3. What differentiated instruction techniques in virtual learning environments

can help address the needs of students? (Tomlinson model, content, process,

product, learning environment, RQ1)

a. Please share an example of how content and product in differentiation

can help to address the learning needs of the students? (content and

product)

b. Please share how you provide varied options at different levels of

difficulty or student interest. (Process).

c. What are some methods of virtual learning that you have used?

(product, content)
 263

d. Please list at least four materials or teaching methods that you have

used as a differentiation technique.

4. How do you see the role of virtual learning in the development and

understanding of knowledge and skills that address the learning needs of

students? (experiential learning theory, RQ2)

a. Please share how you provide learning environments for students in

virtual classrooms.

b. How does differentiated instruction provide flexibility to introduce

new concepts and ideas to enhance learning?

5. Please share how you develop a lesson plan through differentiated

instructional practices that you use in a virtual learning environment (content,

product, concept of Tomlinson model, RQ1, and experiential learning theory,

RQ2)

a. What were the contents of the lesson plan? Please provide an example

b. What did you want the student to know and be able to do after you

provided the differentiated lesson plan?

c. How did you introduce new concepts in the lesson?

d. How was this lesson different that other lesson plans you prepare?

6. Please share how you create a learning environment or climate for students

(RQ1-learning environment concept of Tomlinson model; and experiential

learning theory, RQ2)

a. How do you consider a classroom to be safe and have a positive

environment for learning?
 264

b. Please share an example of how you provide clear guidelines, rules,

and procedures that reflect supportive learning environments.

c. Please share how you create a classroom climate that can support

learning.

7. Is there anything else you would like to share?

Thank you for your time.

 265

Appendix F.

Teacher Class Observation Sheet.

Date of Observation:
Place of Observation:
Time of Observation:
Teacher Number:
Gender: Male Female
Lesson Organization
Observation Researcher comments
Made clear statement of the purpose and learning outcomes of
the lesson.
Presented an overview of the lesson.
Presented topics in a logical sequence.
Paced lessons appropriately
Used a variety of instructional activities
Frequently checked student understanding or performance

Provided clear transitions between activities.

Summarized major points of lesson
Adapted smoothly to problems during lesson; e.g. equipment
failure, student misunderstandings or mistakes.

Reminded students of upcoming assignments, projects, or tests.

Content Knowledge & Relevance

Observation Researcher comments
Included differentiated instructional material in the discipline
worth knowing.
Included material appropriate to student knowledge &
background.
Included material related to the learning outcomes of the lesson
Demonstrated command of the subject matter.

Presentation
Observation Researcher comments
Began class on time in an organized manner.
Explained ideas or demonstrated skills with clarity.
Spoke clearly and with appropriate volume, speed, and
pronunciation.
Noticed & listened to student questions & comments.
Defined unfamiliar terms, concepts, and principles with
examples.
Related new ideas to familiar concepts.
Explained differentiated instructional materials with clarity
Explained the purpose of the differentiated materials
 266

Collaborative Learning Activities

Observation Researcher comments
Provided clear tasks for student groups
Provided group tasks that were related to the lesson’s learning
outcomes.
Provided group tasks that promoted higher-level thinking.
Provided clear directions for forming student groups.
Facilitated learning in student groups.
Responded appropriately to non-engaged students
Lesson Implementation
Observation Researcher comments
Encouraged student questions.
Developed student learning through active participation in lesson
activities.
Asked questions, with adequate wait time, to monitor students’
understanding or performance.
Encouraged students to answer each other’s questions.
Gave satisfactory answers to student questions.
Encouraged student participation
Paced lesson appropriately to allow time for students to grapple
with ideas or apply concepts in virtual learning.
Asked questions that required varying levels of thinking and
promoted critical thinking
Restated questions and answers when necessary.
Promoted students’ reflection on their own virtual learning
through differentiated instructional materials
Instructional Materials
Observation Researcher comments
Prepared students for the lesson with appropriate instructional
material for virtual learning environments
Used differentiated instructional materials
Wrote clearly & legibly on board, overhead projector, or other
technology.
Provided clear instructions for use of technology
Supported the lesson with useful classroom discussions and
exercises.
Presented helpful audio-visual materials to support lesson
organization & major points.
Provided relevant written assignments.

Braskamp, L.A. & Ory J.C. (1994). Assessing faculty work: Enhancing individual and institutional
performance. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco.
 267

Appendix G.

Code Book

Code Book - List of Codes from All Data Sources

Ability Level Highest Level of Learning Parental Involvement SPED
Adjustments Hybrid Model Payoffs Stay Engaged
Advocate IEP Personal Learning Strengths
ALS iLit Platform Plagiarizing Structure
Anxious Imagery Power Point Struggle
Apply To real life Incremental Success Proactive Student buy-In
Assessments Intermediate Kids Problem Student Needs
Audio Learning Interventions Process Sub-Group
Bottom 25 Khan Academy Project Based Summarizing
Brain Break Kids Are Comfortable Learning Take Notes
Brain-Fade Kinesthetic Pure Learning Text-To-Speech
Catch Up Math Learn by Doing Pyramid Think Through Math
Chat Rooms Learning Styles R.A.C.E Title One Instruction
Chrome Book Learning Tools Random Grouping Title One Kids
Chunks Lexile Levels Reading Title One Math
Class Setting Library Comprehension Traditional
Coding Words Linguistic Reading Stations Environment
College/Career Readiness Low Kids Reading Vocabulary Truncate
Community Involvement Lower Level Classes Real World Two Way
Compass Lowest of Lows Application Communication
Computer Based Learning Mainstream Regular Kids Redesigning Universal Design
Cornell Notes Mark It Up Re-Do Assignments Unsuccessful
CUDA Math Intervention Reflection Verbal
Cultures Math Language Remediation Video Learning
Different Environment McKinney Vento Repetition Vimeo
Differentiate Memorization Rephrase Virtual Lab
Discussion Boards Messaging Reteach Virtual Learning
Disengaged Metacognitive Strategies Scaffolding Material Vision
Drawing Mission Screen Shot Visual Learner
Drop Out Motivation Self-Efficacy Visually Appealing
ECAP Movie to Novel Self-Paced Vocabulary
Electives Multiplication Facts Self-Starters Webcams
ELL Multi-Step Equations Self-Guided Website
Environment Non-Academic Terms Self-Reflection Welcome Letter
Essay Non-Differentiated Short Term Goals Whiteboard
Failing Non-Linguistic Show Progress Whole Group
Fatigue Representation Situational Context Environment
Galileo Note Taking Video Skype Widely Different
Gaps One-on-one Small Group Areas
Go To Meeting One-Size Fits All Instruction Widely Different
GoogleDocs Online Content Social Atmosphere Number of Credits
Grade Band Online Learning Social Emotional Work at Your Own
Grouping Strategies Organizational Strategies Wellness Pace
Hands On Orientation Social Skills Writing Deficiency
Heterogenous Paraphrasing Specific Instruction YouTube
 268

Appendix H.

Participant Quotes from Individual Interviews.

Product

“I like to send them a video that corresponds with that so that they can see it worked out,

not just reading it worked out but actually seeing and hearing the problem worked out.

So, they're getting that extra piece of instruction” (T2).

Content

“So, basically video is what I usually give it to them. So instead of getting the content in

by reading it here's the content through a video so you can hear it and see it” (T2).

“Sometimes, I feel that I could provide different content that's also related to the same

subject that would provide a better explanation or understanding of the standard.

Sometimes I will change the system and or the actual activity in which the student is

being asked instead of a page paper, maybe change it to a PowerPoint presentation or

some other way to show their knowledge and I think our shift is more going towards that

changing the system and not just the product” (T3).

“One of the tools that I encourage all of my students to use because it makes the writing

process and the differentiation process easier is I try to redirect all of my students to

Google Docs and in using Google Docs I have we have that great tool on the side of those

sideline margins where we can have those conversations about specific parts of the

paragraph, the thesis statement, those different types of elements of writing that that we

need to teach and we can have those conversations in the margin that way and so it would

really depend on what their issue was if it was, you know, clearly they weren't

understanding the instructions or they needed more help with a specific point” (T5).
 269

Process

“For example, if in Algebra 1, you want to solve multi-step equations. If they can't solve

a multi-step equation, back up and give them a one-step have them try one step equations

then build up to two step equations and then have them try the multi-step” (T2).

“I know that I have worked though with in developing 504 plans with students. I know

our math teacher creates videos that she helps to explain. I don't create those myself. I

definitely refer students to ask questions and look at those videos- call in to talk to the

teacher, you know, try to get them to kind of access these different things. So, I guess my

role is in that is kind of pointing out the supports that they have and trying to kind of

utilize reminding them to utilize what I have” (T4).

“I commonly provide videos now catch up math has some videos that come with it. Some

of which are actually pretty good most of which need some help which is pretty much

doing par for the course with anything online these days and when I find ones that don't

explain very well or lessons that don't have videos attached to them, then I will go out to

YouTube and find a video that I feel explains it better than how catch up math explained

it and I make those available to students” (T6).

Learning Environment

“The best way to learn something is to teach it yourself that is exactly what they're doing

in the online environment. You're literally your own teacher and you're trying to teach

yourself the material” (T2).

“Well, the learning environment is pretty standard. It’s a virtual environment as far as the

content and the delivery method. That's where we're going to find a variation” (T3).
 270

“Yeah, I mean the kids live in a virtual, you know, they game in a virtual world. They are

presented with resources endless resources in a virtual. They're constantly accessing

information, you know at their fingertips. They're create, you know, they're learning how

to create simple programs that my son recently his school gave them a Chromebook that

they could take home. Well, he's found a website that you could code games” (T4).

“I think that the online environment with all of the technology tools available I think that

in some ways differentiated instruction becomes easier because you have a greater variety

of tools you can choose from and you know that your students all have access to

technology, you know that they all have real-time access to the internet to access some of

these tools that you want to provide them with” (T5).

“The biggest advantage of an online or virtual classroom is that it truly is at the student’s

pace” (T6).

Experiential Learning (New ideas, New Concepts)

“My role isn't necessarily creating the lesson plan. It's creating something; a supplemental

to give them to help them be successful on the lesson” (T2).

“Well my primary objective is to make sure that the standard or objective is still being

covered and then I will research other avenues to maybe have a supplemental instruction

or supplemental lesson which will provide the same type of knowledge just in a different

way. You get to learn and observe the student that you're working with considering all

the factors and address the student more holistically and then from there develop what

needs to be done in terms of differentiation practice” (T3).

 271

Appendix I.

Number of Coding References – All Data Sources

 272

Appendix J.

Coding Count – All Data Sources

Word Length Count Weighted Similar Words

Percentage
differentiation 15 360 1.01% differential,
differentiate,
differentiated,
differentiates,
differentiating,
differentiation
instructions 12 262 0.74% instructed,
instruction,
instructional,
instructions
environments 12 228 0.64% environment,
environments
understand 10 148 0.42% understand,
understanding,
understands
experiments 11 97 0.27% experience,
experiences,
experiment,
experiments
supplemental 12 91 0.26% supplement,
supplemental,
supplementally,
supplementation,
supplemented,
supplementing,
supplements
strategies 10 66 0.19% strategies
struggling 10 64 0.18% struggling
assignment 10 62 0.17% assignment,
assignments
information 11 55 0.15% information,
informational
particular 10 54 0.15% particular,
particularly
perspective 11 47 0.13% perspective,
perspectives
curriculum 10 40 0.11% curriculum,
curriculums
 273

Word Length Count Weighted Similar Words

Percentage
especially 10 40 0.11% especially
techniques 10 40 0.11% techniques
comfortable 11 38 0.11% comfortable
appreciate 10 36 0.10% appreciate
opportunity 11 36 0.10% opportunities,
opportunity
everything 10 35 0.10% everything
successful 10 30 0.08% successful
communicate 11 29 0.08% communicate,
communicating,
communication,
communications
technology 10 28 0.08% technology
definitely 10 28 0.08% definitely,
definition,
definitions
interventions 13 27 0.08% intervention,
interventions
reflecting 10 26 0.07% reflecting,
reflection,
reflections,
reflective
individual 10 25 0.07% individual,
individualized,
individually
vocabulary 10 25 0.07% vocabulary
accommodations 14 25 0.07% accommodate,
accommodating,
accommodation,
accommodations
interaction 11 25 0.07% interacting,
interaction,
interactions,
interactive
specifically 12 24 0.07% specifically
conversation 12 24 0.07% conversation,
conversations
development 11 24 0.07% developing,
development
 274

Word Length Count Weighted Similar Words

Percentage
assessment 10 23 0.06% assessment,
assessments
completely 10 22 0.06% completely,
completing,
completion
personally 10 22 0.06% personalities,
personality,
personalization,
personalize,
personalized,
personally
presentation 12 22 0.06% presentation,
presenting
differently 11 21 0.06% difference,
differences,
differently
relationship 12 20 0.06% relationship,
relationships
difficulty 10 20 0.06% difficulties,
difficulty
necessarily 11 19 0.05% necessarily
expectations 12 18 0.05% expectation,
expectations
absolutely 10 18 0.05% absolutely
traditional 11 18 0.05% traditional
experiential 12 17 0.05% experiential
participant 11 17 0.05% participant,
participate,
participating
additional 10 15 0.04% additional
challenging 11 15 0.04% challenged,
challenges,
challenging
interested 10 15 0.04% interested,
interesting
guidelines 10 14 0.04% guidelines
scaffolding 11 14 0.04% scaffolded,
scaffolding
 275

Appendix K.

Word Cloud
 276

Appendix L.

Expert Panel Review Form and Permissions

Permission to Use an existing Validation Rubric for Expert Panel (VREP)

March 22, 2019

To: Kathy Wenzlau

Thank you for your request for permission to use VREP in your research study. I am willing to allow
you to reproduce the instrument as outlined in your letter at no charge with the following
understanding:
1. You will use this survey only for your research study and will not sell or use it with
any compensated management/curriculum development activities.
2. You will include the copyright statement on all copies of the instrument.
3. You will send your research study and one copy of reports, articles, and the like that
make use of this survey data promptly to our attention.
If these are acceptable terms and conditions, please indicate so by signing one copy of
this letter and returning it to me.

Best wishes with your study.

Sincerely,
Marilyn K. Simon, Ph.D.

Signature

More information can be found in Simon and Goes’s Dissertation and Scholarly
Research: Recipes for Success, 2018 edition.
http://www.dissertationrecipes.com/
 277

Survey/Interview Validation Rubric for Expert Panel - VREP©

By Marilyn K. Simon with input from Jacquelyn White

Reviewers Name: ______________________________________

Expertise in Related area (please note courses taught, professional experience,

publications, or degrees in related areas)
: _______________________________________________________

http://dissertationrecipes.com/
Criteria Operational Definitions Score Questions
1=Not Acceptable NOT
(major modifications meeting
needed) standard
2=Below (List page
Expectations (some
and
modifications needed)
3=Meets
question
Expectations (no number)
modifications needed and need to
but could be improved be revised.
with minor changes) Please use
4=Exceeds the
Expectations (no comments
modifications needed) and
1 2 3 4 suggestions
section to
recommend
revisions.
Clarity 1. The questions are direct
and specific.
2. Only one question is
asked at a time.
3. The participants can
understand what is being
asked.
4. There are no double-
barreled questions (two
questions in one).
Wordiness 1. Questions are concise.
2. There are no unnecessary
words
 278

Negative 3. Questions are asked

Wording using the affirmative
(e.g., Instead of asking,
“Which methods are not
used?”, the researcher
asks, “Which methods
are used?”)
Overlapping 4. No response covers more
Responses than one choice.
5. All possibilities are
considered.
6. There are no ambiguous
questions.
Balance 7. The questions are
unbiased and do not lead
the participants to a
response. The questions
are asked using a neutral
tone.
Use of Jargon 8. The terms used are
understandable by the
target population.
9. There are no clichés or
hyperbole in the wording
of the questions.
Appropriateness 10. The choices listed allow
of Responses participants to respond
Listed appropriately.
11. The responses apply to
all situations or offer a
way for those to respond
with unique situations.
Use of Technical 12. The use of technical
Language language is minimal and
appropriate.
13. All acronyms are
defined.
Application to 1. The questions asked
Praxis relate to the daily
 279

practices or expertise of
the potential participants.
Relationship to 2. The questions are
Problem sufficient to resolve the
problem in the study
3. The questions are
sufficient to answer the
research questions.
4. The questions are
sufficient to obtain the
purpose of the study.
Measure of 5. The survey adequately
Construct: measures this
A: (Relationship construct.*[Include
to problem note Operational Definition
questions in and concepts associated
survey or with construct]
interview)
6. List the questions from
the survey or interview
Measure of 7. The survey adequately
Construct: measures this construct.
B: (Relationship *[Include Operational
to problem note Definition and concepts
questions in associated with
survey or construct]
interview)
8. List the questions from
the survey or interview
Measure of 9. The survey adequately
Construct: measures this construct.*
[Include Operational
C: ( ) Definition and concepts
associated with
construct]
Measure of 10. The survey adequately
Construct: measures this construct.*
[Include Operational
D: ( ) Definition and concepts
associated with
construct]
 280

Appendix M.

Connecting Themes to Tomlinson Model and Kolb’s Theory

Theory Supporting Theme Research

Question
 281

Appendix N.

Expert Panel Members

Panel Educational Additional

Professional Experience
Members Qualifications Qualifications/Expertise
Teacher of Hearing 5 publications
Impaired Presenter/Trainer on
Panel BS – IL State Department Chair of Sp Ed various Educational
Member 1 MS – U of IL Director of Educational topics
Ed.D. - ASU Services School Improvement
Mentor with ADE
Educational Consultant Special Monitor for
Consultant with Center for Exceptional Students -
Teacher Success (formerly ADE
AZ Foundation for Natural
Resources)
Adjunct faculty – Ottawa
University and ASU

B.A. – 3 years organizational Teacher- In Residence

Panel Pepperdine consulting/ leadership Supervisor.
Member 2 University development. Adjunct Faculty GCU
M.A. – A.S.U. undergraduate
10 years K-12 teaching
Ph.D. – G.C.U. and administration psychology.
experience.
8 years professional
development instructor in
K-12 environment.
Educational consultant

BS – Weber Mainstream classroom GCU Dissertation

Panel State teacher Committee Content
Member 3 University Academic Counselor Expert
MS – U of P Educational Clinical
Ed.D. – GCU Student Mentor Supervisor
Educational Consultant
Course Instructor
Full time Faculty Professor