Improving Academic Performance of Learners in Science Through Differentiated Instruction Dainalyn M. Diambrang (a), Sindao D. Asis (b), Hafsah R. Abubacar (c)
a) Sapad Central Elementary School, Division of Lanao del Norte, Region 10, Department of Education, Philippines
b) Sapad Central Elementary School, Division of Lanao del Norte, Region 10, Department of Education, Philippines
c) Sapad Central Elementary School, Division of Lanao del Norte, Region 10, Department of Education, Philippines
Abstract
All classrooms contain diverse groups of learners. This situation continues to exist as a challenge in providing quality education among the educators. Differentiated instruction in terms of learning styles and level of readiness of individual learner can address the problem on the class diversity. The main concern of this study is to improve the academic performance of the learners in Science by equipping the teacher with skills in using differentiated instruction. One group pretest and posttest research design was employed in conducting the study and purposive sampling method was used in selecting the respondents who were the learners from the last section of Grade Four. It was conducted at Sapad Central Elementary School specifically on the second quarter of the school year 2017 to 2018. Body Organs Questionnaires in Science, checklist on differentiated instruction, and learning styles inventory were the instruments used in collecting data of the study. The selected Science teacher was trained with skills on using differentiated instruction using the checklist adapted from Tomlinson (2006) and the said Science questionnaires together with its Table of Specification had undergone assessment for validity and reliability purposes. This was followed by having the Science teacher use differentiated instruction in teaching Science lessons and having the respondents answer the questionnaires in pretest and posttest. Appropriate statistical tools such as frequency and percentage, arithmetic mean, and paired t-test were then utilized to analyze the data gathered. The results of the study revealed that there is a significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of the respondents and they have better performance in the posttest compared to pretest because of employing differentiated instruction in the classroom teaching. This concludes that differentiation of learners is effective in improving the academic performance of Grade Four learners.
Keywords: differentiated instruction, science, academic performance, diversity of learners, intact group, Sapad, Lanao del norte
