The Effectiveness of Differentiated Teaching Strategy in Developing Reading Comprehension Skills of Fourth Grade Students in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the differentiated teaching strategy in developing reading comprehension skills of fourth grade students in the United Arab Emirates. The study sample consisted of (49) male and female students, who were randomly distributed into an experimental group (23 students), and a control group (26 students). The experimental group was taught using the Differentiated Teaching strategy, and the control group was taught using the traditional method. To conduct the study and answer its questions, the researchers used the quasi-experimental approach and constructed a reading comprehension test. After the completion of the study, the post-test of reading comprehension skills was implemented; scores of the two groups were obtained; and the data were analyzed using the appropriate statistical methods. The results revealed that there were statistically significant differences in the post-test at the four levels (literal, deductive, critical, and creative) and reading skills in general between the scores of the two study groups in favor of the experimental group. This indicates that the Differentiated Teaching strategy had a positive impact on developing students' reading comprehension skills. In light of the results, a number of recommendations were drafted and presented.