Investigating the Effects of Differentiated Instruction on High School Students’ Grammar Learning Achievement in an Ethiopian EFL Context, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

Abstract

Differentiated instruction promotes learning for diverse groups of students with different learning needs, readiness levels, learning profiles as well as different areas of strengths and weaknesses. However, despite its potential benefits in facilitating learning for all, it is neither sufficiently explored nor commonly used in the Ethiopian regular classrooms where the one-size-fits-all approach seems to be the norm in the Ethiopian EFL class. Thus, this study investigated the effects of DI as translated into classroom practices through flexible grouping, tiered activities/tasks, anchored activities, and scaffolding techniques, on grade 12 students’ grammar learning achievement scores. The non-equivalent pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental study design was adopted. The grammar achievement test was used to get quantitative data from two intact groups (23 experimental and 24 comparisons). The pre-test data served as baseline data to check the comparability of the two groups regarding the grammar learning achievement scores while alleviating possible confounding variables that may likely affect the possible results of the study. To analyse the quantitative pre-test and post-test data, the SPSS software Version-24 was used. In the data analysis process, the independent sample t-test and paired-sample t-test were used, after checking normality. The results showed that the experimental group considerably outperformed the comparison group taught through the one-size-fits-all approach. The findings revealed that differentiating instruction considerably improved the post-test scores of the experimental group. The study concluded that using a differentiated instructional approach improves grade 12 students’ grammar learning achievement in an EFL class. Finally, it was suggested that differentiated instruction should be integrated into the regular EFL class in teaching high school students