Differentiated

teaching & learning

Dr Khairul Jamaludin
“The mediocre teacher tells. The
good teacher explains. The
superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.”
- William Arthur Ward
How’s your learning experience
in primary/secondary school?
Do you like it?
Were your teachers being
supportive?
 Explain what is
differentiated teaching &
By the end learning
Explain characteristics of
of the differentiated teaching &
learning

lesson, Suggest how to

implement differentiated
teaching & learning
students
will be able
to:
What’s
differentiated
instruction?
Sherry likes to be asked to do things by the teacher. She is interested in fitting in and
speaks out often in class. She has a wild imagination and loves to read, but her
comprehension skills are below grade level.

Jimmy is hyperactive and likes to dance around the room when class is near the end. He
is an audio/visual learner, a solid reader, and enjoys excelling and being the “best.” He
gets very excited to start new books, but they don’t hold his attention for long.

Terrance does not feel a connection to school. He is a very intelligent student, but he
“follows.” He seems to do well in every type of activity when he applies himself. He has
exhibited strong reading skills but does not always complete work.

Jack failed reading three times. He is an expert hunter and fisherman and knows more
about the outdoors than anyone. He seems to learn best with hands-on activities. His
reading and writing skills have only slightly improved over the last 2 years.

Marie is a very quick learner. She seems to get things just by listening. She likes to excel.
She is very concerned about rules and right vs. wrong. She is a natural leader. Her
reading and writing skills are both above grade level.

https://intensiveintervention.org/sites/default/files/Handout7_Scenarios.pdf
"Differentiation can be accurately described as classroom practice
with a balanced emphasis on individual students and course
content." (Tomlinson & Imbeau, p.14, 2010)

Differentiated Instruction focuses on whom we teach, where we teach,

and how we teach. Its primary goal is ensuring that teachers focus on
processes and procedures that ensure effective learning for varied
individuals. (Tomlinson & McTighe, p.3, 2006)
Carol Tomlinson: Differentiation

Any group of learners Learners respond best when

These differences will have
will differ in their motivation they are pushed
an impact on individual
to learn, their knowledge of slightly beyond the
learner's desired outcomes
the subject band level where they as
and the support they need
their preferred styles of individuals can work without
to achieve these
learning assistance

Each learner should have the

Learners need to see Learners learn better in a
opportunity to explore the
the connection between classroom environment
subject in terms of what
what's being taught where they feel significant
they want to get out of the
and their own interest and respected
subject
Key Elements of Differentiated
Instruction
students differ as learners in terms of background experience, culture,
language, gender, interests, readiness to learn, modes of learning, speed
of learning, support systems for learning, self-awareness as a learner,
confidence as a learner, independence as a learner, and a host of other
ways.

Differences profoundly impact how students learn and the nature of

scaffolding they will need at various points in the learning process.

Teachers have a responsibility to ensure that all of their students master

important content.
Key Elements of Differentiated
Instruction
Teachers have to make specific and continually evolving plans to
connect each learner with key content.

Teachers are required to understand the nature of each of their

students,in addition to the nature of the content they teach.

A flexible approach to teaching “makes room” for student

variance.

Teachers should continually ask, “What does this student need at

this moment in order to be able to progress with this key
content, and what do I need to do to make that happen?”
Differentiation is a modification of...

curriculum-
related elements
• content
• process
• product
• affect

Student needs
and variance
• readiness
• interest
• learning profile.
Differentiation
and the
Classroom
System:
Curriculum-
related
Elements
Content
• The knowledge, understanding, and skills we want students to learn.
• emphasize the methods that students use to access key content (e.g.,
independent reading, partner reading, text on tape, text with images, listening
comprehension, online research, communication with experts, group
demonstrations, small group instruction) rather than change the content itself
(Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006).
Process
• How students come to understand or make sense of the content.
• Real learning—of the sort that enables students to retain, apply, and transfer
content—has to happen in students, not to them (National Research Council,
2000; Wiggins & McTighe, 1998).
Product
• How students demonstrate what they have come to know, understand, and are
able to do after an extended period of learning.
• it is a rich culminating assessment that calls on stu- dents to apply and extend
what they have learned over a period of time.

Affect
• How students’ emotions and feelings impact their learning.
• Emotions and feelings originate in the brain based on past experiences
and reactions to current experiences.
• They impact our motivation to learn, ability to work with others, and
self-concept as a learner.
Differentiation
and the
Classroom
System:
Student needs
& variance
Readiness
• A student’s current proximity to specified knowledge, understanding, and skills.
• is not a synonym for ability, and the two terms should not be used
interchangeably.
• Readiness suggests a temporary condition that should change regularly as a result
of high- quality teaching.
Interest
• That which engages the attention, curiosity, and involvement of a student.
• Student interest is tied directly to student motivation to learn (Collins &
Amabile, 1999; Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).
• When student interest is engaged, motivation to learn is heightened, and
learning is enhanced.
Learning profile
A preference for taking in, exploring, or expressing content. Depending on:

Learning style—A preferred contextual approach to learning. Learning styles include working alone or with a partner, in a
quiet place or with music playing, in a bright room or a darkened environment, while si ing still or moving around (Dunn &
Dunn, 1992, 1993; Gregorc, 1979).

Intelligence preference—A hard-wired or neurologically shaped preference for learning or thinking. For example,
intelligence preferences include verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intra- personal,
musical-rhythmic, spatial, analytical, practical, creative (Gardner, 1985; Sternberg, 1985).

Gender—Approaches to learning that may be shaped genetically or socially for males versus females.

Culture—Approaches to learning that may be strongly shaped by the context in which an individual lives and by the
unique ways in which people in that context make sense of and live their lives.
A teacher in an
effectively differentiated
classroom seeks to
develop increasing
insight into students’
readiness levels,
interests, and learning
profiles. In order to
develop instruction that
maximizes each
student’s opportunity for
academic growth, the
teacher then modifies
content, process,
product, and
Differentiation
and the
Classroom
System
 The process of teaching, The physical and emotional context
educating, and engaging in which learning occurs.
students with content.

Learning
instruction
environment

A data-gathering and
analysis process that An organized plan to engage
assessment curriculum learners with important
determines the degree to
which students have knowledge, understanding, and
achieved essential outcomes skills.
and informs decisions about
and planning for instruction.
Effective differentiation require a learning environment:

The teacher is attuned and responsive to the affective, cognitive, and physical needs of learners.

Students feel safe, both physically and affectively.

The teacher respects and supports the possibilities inherent in each student.

Individual differences are accepted as natural and positive.

Students learn to respect and support one another as learners.

The teacher and students share in the decision-making process about daily routines and classroom
operation.

Hard work is an expectation.

In your own
words, what's
differentiation?
Have you done it
before?
Differentiation
strategy

Suggestion by:
National Center on Intensive Intervention,
American Institutes for Research
Differentiation Primary Use Description of Strategy Things to Consider
Strategy

Tiered Assignments Readiness
and Products
• Assignments and products are • Focus task on a key
designed to instruct and assess concept
students on essential skills that are • Use a variety of
provided at different levels of resource materials at
complexity, abstractness, and open- different levels of
endedness. complexity and
• The curricular content and associated with different
objective(s) are the same, but the learning modalities
process and/or product are varied • Adjust task by
according to the student’s level of complexity,
readiness. abstractness, number of
• For example, students with moderate steps, concreteness,
understanding about a topic are asked and independence to
to write an article. Students with a more ensure challenge and
advanced understanding are asked to not frustration
prepare a debate.
Differentiation Primary Use Description of Strategy Things to Consider
Strategy

Compacting Readiness • Compacting is the process of eliminating • Thoroughly pre-assess the

teaching or student practice due to previous learner’s knowledge and
mastery of learning objectives. Compacting document findings
involves a three step process: • Explain the process and its
1. assess the student to determine his/her benefits to the student
level of knowledge on the material to be • Create written plans and
studied and determine what he/she still timelines for study
needs to master • Allow student choice in
2. create plans for what the student needs to enrichment or accelerated
know, and excuse the student from study
studying what he/she already knows.
3. create plans for freed-up time to be spent
in enriched or accelerated study.
For example, a third grade class is learning to
identify the parts of fractions. Diagnostics
indicated that two students already know
the parts of fractions. These students are
excused from completing the identifying
activities, and are taught to add and subtract
fractions.
Differentiation Primary Use Description of Strategy Things to Consider
Strategy

Independent Study Readiness • The student and teacher identify topics of • Base the project on student
interest to the student. interest
• Together they plan a method of investigating • Provide guidance and
the topic and decide upon the outcome of the structure to ensure high
independent study. standards of investigation
• The result of the project will be based on the and product
needs of the student and the curricular content. • Use timelines to help
• Guided by the teacher, the student completes student stay on track and
his or her own research on the topic and prevent procrastination
develops a product to share with classmates. • Use process logs or expert
For example, in a unit on ocean life, a student journals to document the
indicates that she wants to learn more about process Establish clear
sharks. criteria for success
With the teacher’s guidance she develops
research questions, collects information, and
presents an oral report to the class about the
feeding patterns of great white sharks.
Differentiation Primary Use Description of Strategy Things to Consider
Strategy

Interest Centers Interest, • Interest centers (usually used with younger • Incorporate student interest
or Interest Readiness students) and interest groups (usually used • Encourage students to help
Groups with older learners) are set up so that learning create tasks and define
experiences are directed toward a specific products
learner interest. • Adjust for student readiness
• They allow students to choose a topic and can • Establish clear criteria for
be motivating to students. success
• If they are used as enrichment, they can allow • Adjust blocks of work time
the study of topics beyond the general based on student readiness
curriculum.

For example, in a unit about the Civil War,

students can choose to work in groups on one of
four topics: free labor vs. slave labor, a biography
of Robert E. Lee, women’s role in Reconstruction,
or how trade was impacted.
Differentiation Primary Use Description of Strategy Things to Consider
Strategy

Flexible Grouping Interest, • Students work as part of many different • Ensure that all students
Readiness, groups depending on the task and/or content. have the opportunity to work
Learning Profile • Sometimes students are placed in groups with other students who are
based on readiness, other times based on similar and dissimilar from
interest and/or learning profile. themselves in terms of
• Groups can either be assigned by the teacher interest, readiness, and
or chosen by the students. learning profile
• Students can be assigned purposefully to a • Alternate purposeful
group or assigned randomly. This strategy assignment of groups with
allows students to work with a wide variety of random assignment or
peers and keeps them from being labeled as student selection
advanced or struggling. • Ensure that all students
have been given the skills to
For example, in a reading class, the teacher may work collaboratively
assign groups based on readiness for phonics • Provide clear guidelines for
instruction, but allow students to choose their own group functioning that are
groups for book reports, based on the book topic. taught in advance of group
work and consistently
reinforced
Differentiation Primary Use Description of Strategy Things to Consider
Strategy

Multiple Levels Readiness, • Teachers adjust the types of questions and • Use wait time before taking
of Questions Learning Profile the ways in which they are presented based on student answers
what is needed to advance problem-solving • Adjust the complexity,
skills and responses. abstractness, type of
• This strategy ensures that all students will be response necessary, and
accountable for information and thinking at a connections required
high level and that all students will be between topics based on
challenged. readiness and learning
• Finally, all students benefit from this strategy profile
because all can learn from a wide range of • Encourage students to build
questions and responses. upon their own answers and
For example, the teacher prepares a list of the answers of other
questions about a topic that the whole class is students
studying. During a discussion, the teacher asks • If appropriate, give students
initial questions to specific students, based on a chance to talk to partners
readiness. All students are encouraged to ask and or write down their answers
answer follow-up questions. before responding
Differentiation Primary Use Description of Strategy Things to Consider
Strategy

Learning Contracts Readiness, • Learning contracts begin with an agreement • Match skills to the readiness
Learning Profiles between the teacher and the student. of the learner
• The teacher specifies the necessary skills • Allow student choice in the
expected to be learned by the student and way in which material is
required components of the assignment, accessed and products are
while the student identifies methods for developed
completing the tasks. • Provide the contract in
• This strategy allows students to work at an writing, with a clear timeline
appropriate pace and can target learning and expectations
styles. Further, it helps students work • Include both skill- and
independently, learn planning skills, and content-based learning in
eliminate unnecessary skill practice. the contract
• For example, a student completes a learning
contract for a science project. He indicates that
he will research the topic of mitosis, create a
visual model to share with the class, and write
a report. The learning contract indicates the
dates by which each step of the project will be
completed.
Differentiation Primary Use Description of Strategy Things to Consider
Strategy

Choice Boards Readiness, • Choice boards are organizers that contain a • Include choices that reflect
Interest, Learning variety of activities. a range of interests and
Profiles • Students can choose one or several learning styles
activities to complete as they learn a skill or • Guide students in the choice
develop a product. of activities so that they are
• Choice boards can be organized so that challenged, but not
students are required to choose options that frustrated
focus on several different skills. • Provide clear instruction in
the use of choice boards
For example, after students read Romeo and
Juliet, students are given a choice board that
contains a list of possible products for each of the
following learning styles: visual, auditory,
kinesthetic, and tactile. Students must complete
two products from the board, and must choose
these products from two different learning styles.
Does Our
National
Curriculum
Emphasize On
Differentiation
Strategies?
 By types &
By expected
By task amount of
outcomes
support

By learning
By types of
By given time preferences &
questions
needs

By given
feedback
Ministry of Education Malaysia (2017)
Strategy 1: Differentiate by the task pupils are given

1. If teachers are using the same task for the whole class, using open-
ended tasks such as brainstorming allows a large number of correct
responses.
2. Open-ended tasks (e.g. Tell me the food words you know, or What will
happen next?) allow more proficient pupils to contribute more
unusual words, more complex language, or more original ideas.
3. Sometimes, the teacher can also give different tasks to more proficient
and less proficient groups of pupils according to their needs and
interests.
Strategy 2: Differentiate by the type and amount of support
provided

1. The teacher can support pupils to understand and use language with:
• their own instruction (e.g. ‘It begins with B. You read it. It’s on the desk.’)
• with gestures
• with visuals (e.g. flashcards on the board to help pupils understand or use
vocabulary)
• with written words (e.g. written words on a worksheet to help pupils with
spelling).
2. Different types and amount of support can be given to less proficient pupils,
depending on their needs, and extra challenge can be provided for more
proficient pupils. For example, you can give more proficient pupils basic verbal
instructions without using gestures.
Strategy 3: Differentiate by the outcome expected from pupils
1. The main aim is that every pupil says or writes something, so that they feel
successful. Two useful strategies here are:
i) Compulsory plus optional:
Here, the teacher sets pupils targets but allow for more responses if possible.
Some pupils will stop at the minimum target at first, but with more practice, they
will soon get the idea of going beyond the minimum target.
Ii) Remember and share:
If pupils are asked to remember and share, they have to tell the teacher words or
ideas they learned in a previous lesson or task (e.g. Look at the classroom objects
on my table. In one minute, I’ll cover them… Now, share with your group what
you remember and then tell me). Sometimes, less proficient pupils have good
memories, so as well as different outcomes, this task also allows different pupils
to make successful contributions.
Strategy 4: Differentiate by the time pupils are given to complete a task
• Some pupils need longer than others to complete tasks, especially when writing
is involved.
• When it is appropriate, these pupils should be given a little more time to finish,
and extra tasks for pupils who complete the task early should be provided (e.g.
Write as many animal words as you can; Name the things in this picture in the
textbook; Talk with your friend in English: you choose what to talk about).
• Rewarding fast finishers with something ‘fun’ to do (such as playing with toys or
drawing a picture) should be avoided, as this will encourage pupils to work
quickly, rather than to work carefully at their own speed.
• Extra tasks should extend and enrich learning.
Strategy 5: Differentiate by supporting individual learning preferences and needs

• When appropriate, teachers can support preferences by letting pupils make

choices about what they do and how they do it. Sometimes, for example, pupils
decide for themselves which tasks they want to do (e.g. the gestures they create
for an action song, or a revision game), depending on the ways they prefer to
learn (for example visually, through speaking or listening, or through
movement).
• Different pairings and groupings will allow pupils to work in different ways –
teachers can sometimes pair up pupils who can help and support each other
• Sometimes teachers might want to mix girls and boys, or have single-sex
pairs/groups. In some tasks, pupils can be assigned different roles to do, for
example a group manager, writer or artist. given extra tasks.
Strategy 6: Differentiate by the types of question asked

• Open questions usually have more possible answers, and longer responses.
Asking closed questions to less proficient pupils (e.g. Which boy is James? Is it a
dog or a cat?) gives them a chance to produce accurate answers, as they are
usually easier to answer than open questions.
• Asking open questions to more proficient pupils (e.g. What can Mandy do now?)
provides extra challenge. As less proficient pupils grow in confidence and
competence, teachers can ask them more open questions.
• Sometimes there are also good reasons for asking more proficient pupils easier
questions, as this involves them in the lesson and helps the pace of the lesson.
Strategy 7: Differentiate by the feedback given

• Feedback given to pupils should be varied according to their ability to act on

the feedback. For example, if a pupil who is less proficient at Writing has tried
hard and produces work with a number of misspellings, feedback can be given
on what they did well, and only 2 or 3 misspellings of common or important
words highlighted.
• The pupil should respond to this feedback because the suggested improvement
is achievable for them. If a stronger pupil writes well and makes 2 misspellings,
the teacher can tell them the lines in which the misspellings are, and ask them to
find and correct them.
• The pupil should be able to respond to the extra challenge built in to this
feedback. The same principle applies to giving feedback on pupils’ spoken
language.
National Centre
on Intensive
Intervention USA
& MOEM
strategy:
similarities &
differences?
What did
research say?
Differentiation to suit student's
readiness
In classrooms where individual
Students learn more effectively students worked at a high
Students learn more effectively
when teachers diagnose a success rate, they felt better
when a task structure matches a
student’s skill level and prescribe about themselves and the
student’s level of development
appropriate tasks (Fisher et al., subjects they were studying, and
(Hunt, 1971).
1980). also learned more (Fisher et al.,
1980).

Students in multigrade
classrooms, where differentiation
is both an intent and a necessity,
outperform students in single-
grade classrooms on 75 percent
of measures used (Miller, 1990).
Differentiation to suit student's
interests
When an individual’s interest is
tapped, learning is more likely to
be rewarding and the student
more likely to become an
autonomous learner (Bruner,
1961).
When students feel a sense of
By helping students discover and
“flow” with their work, they are
pursue interests, we can
more likely to work hard, to work
maximize their engagement with
in a sustained fashion, and to
learning, their productivity, and
want to develop the skills
their individual talents (Amabile,
necessary to complete the work
1983; Collins & Amabile, 1999).
(Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).
The freedom to choose what to
work on, questions to pursue,
and topics for study lays the
groundwork for creative
achievement (Collins & Amabile,
1999).
 Differentiation to suit student's
learning profiles

Students’ own neurological patterns—

A person’s gender can influence the way
such as attention control, memory
that person sees and interacts with the
systems, language systems, sequential and When students’ cultural differences are
world—including the classroom. Although
spatial ordering systems, motor systems, ignored or misunderstood in the
generalizing to a particular gender is not
higher-order thinking systems, and social classroom, the academic success of
appropriate, there are likely some female-
thinking systems— affect how they learn. students from many minority groups is
preferred learning patterns and some
When a classroom is a mismatch for a likely to be undermined (Delpit, 1995).
male-preferred learning patterns (Gilligan,
student’s needs, that student is likely to
1982; Gurian, 2001; Tannen, 1990).
struggle in school (Levine, 2002).
Imagine that you are teaching a class with mixed
abilities. Each of them has different preferences
and interests. How does your instruction look like?
Consider the curriculum-related elements and
students' needs and variance.
THANK YOU
 Help me summarize
Differentiation is...
• ??

Is a modification of...
• ??

Classroom system consists of...

• ??

Among the strategies are...

• ??
 Help me summarize
Differentiation is...
• Classroom practices that focus on individual students and course content
• Focusing on whom we teach, where we teach, and how we teach
Is a modification of...
• Students needs and variance (readiness, interest, learning profile)
• Curriculum-related elements (content, process, product, affect)
Classroom system consists of...
• Instruction, learning environment, curriculum, assessment

Among the strategies are...

• Independent study, flexible grouping, questioning techniques, learni9ng contract, choice board