DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION IN A MIXED ABILITY ESL CLASSROOM

Abstract

This study investigated the implementation of differentiated instruction (DI) in mixed-ability ESL classrooms, focusing on the perspectives of Malaysian pre-service teachers. The research aimed to explore impacts of wide proficiency level gaps in a classroom towards DI implementation by looking into teachers' perceptions and finally analyzing the benefits and drawbacks of DI in these types of classrooms. A quantitative survey design was employed, utilizing a close-ended questionnaire distributed to 100 pre-service teachers from an Institute of Teacher Education, selected via purposive sampling. The findings revealed that participants possessed a high level of understanding and held positive perceptions of DI, recognizing its benefits in adapting content, process, and assessment to cater to diverse learners. They acknowledged that DI fosters an inclusive environment, increases student motivation, and promotes peer collaboration. However, significant challenges were reported, including the considerable time required for lesson preparation, difficulties in classroom management, and the complexity of fair assessment. These challenges were exacerbated in classrooms with wide proficiency-level gaps, which hindered the consistent and effective application of DI. The study concludes that while pre-service teachers value DI as a pedagogical approach, its successful implementation is constrained by practical difficulties related to large class sizes and extreme student diversity. Implications for teacher training and classroom streaming policies are discussed.