Differentiating Content as a Way of Enhancing Students’ Self-Efficacy: A Study of Private Schools in Ruiru Sub-county

Abstract

Research confirms that differentiated instruction has both academic and non-academic benefits for students. Individualized learning enhanced academic performance, and most importantly, a sense of self-efficacy are all associated with this mode of instruction. Teachers in Kenya, as in the rest of the world, hold the opinion that differentiation reflects the best professional comprehension of skilled and adaptable instruction. This study aimed to examine the effects of differentiated instruction on the self-efficacy of elementary school students. The investigation utilized the Theory of Multiple Intelligences and Self-Efficacy and a post-positivist methodology. In nine private primary schools in Ruiru Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya, 45 teachers and 1,022 pupils in upper primary levels (grades 6, 7, and 8) participated in the study. Using questionnaires, quantitative data was collected and analyzed using SPSS Student Version 14.0. The investigated aspect of differentiated instruction is content differentiation. It was discovered that differentiated content has a statistically significant impact on the self-efficacy of elementary school pupils. The establishment of comprehensive teacher professional development systems in private primary schools to equip teachers with the ability to effectively deliver differentiated instruction and build students' self-efficacy is one of the study's key recommendations. Among the areas for additional research is the conduct of a comparable study in public elementary schools. Additionally, longitudinal, and experimental studies can be conducted to examine the relationship between differentiated instruction and student self-efficacy in both private and public primary institutions. Additional recommendations include conducting research on other factors that contribute to the self-efficacy of elementary school students.