Differentiated Instruction - Motivation and Academic Achievement Across Distinct Disciplines

Abstract

Differentiated instruction (DI) is gaining popularity as a pedagogical method/method of teaching, with the move towards inclusion. Research indicates that DI’s effects on student performance and engagement are significant and positive, though there are some inconsistencies when it comes to specific findings. This study sought to investigate the extent of the effects of DI on student academic performance and motivation across two courses from distinct disciplines - English and Chemistry - in a chosen international school in Beijing, China. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design using a sample of 32 high school students. Anonymized data on motivation were collected using a validated researcher-developed Academic Motivation Scale (AMS), while academic achievement was measured by standardized testing scores. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used in analyzing and presenting data collected for the study. Results indicated that the differentiation was effective at increasing motivation to a statistically significant extent, in line with the literature. However, student academic performance as measured by test scores was not shown to have been significantly influenced by DI. It was also found that the effects of DI did not significantly differ between the two chosen courses. The results imply that in this study, DI’s superiority in one particular subject/discipline has not yet been established, but future studies can be conducted in a more substantial time frame which may potentially lead to more significant results.