Holloway, John H. “Preparing Teachers for Differentiation Instruction.” Educational Leadership (2000): 82-83.
Research Problem:
Preservice teachers are inadequately trained to differentiate instruction with their students. Although many novice teachers realize the need for differentiation in their classroom, they are unsure of how to actually implement it into their daily instruction. Teacher training programs are failing to address the ever-growing diversity in schools by not preparing future teachers with the strategies they need to meet the needs of all their students.
Research Questions:
Author John Holloway questions why teachers are failing to include differentiation into their instructional plans. He also questions whether there is a better way to assist new teachers to learn the skills as well as help them find ways to fully apply it to their lessons.
Data Collection Procedure:
A couple studies were conducted in order to assess the impact of teacher training programs in respect to differentiated instruction. The study aimed to figure out whether or not teachers are prepared for dealing with a diverse variety of learners. Both studies conducted research through confessions of real teachers on their feelings about teaching to a diverse population.
Findings:
The data found that many teachers felt ill prepared when it came to meeting the needs of all of their students and they agreed that they needed some improvement in that area. Many of the teachers felt as though their teaching training programs did not give them the skills they needed to teach the various ethnic and racial groups in their classroom effectively. The research findings also discovered that preservice teachers are not given enough courses on the subject to actually help them in the classroom. Many of these teachers also felt as though they were not given enough support and encouragement from their professors and supervisors to differentiate. The data suggested that teacher education programs be revised in order to better address the diversity of today’s population.
Martin, Susan Ferguson, and Andre Green. “Striking A Balance.” Science Teacher 79.4 (2012): 40-43. Academic Search Premier. 10 Oct. 2012.
Research Problem:
The authors identify the dilemma of providing instruction to English language learners that not only teaches them subject content, but also helps them with their English development. Many ELL students fail to understand the content because the instruction is not being differentiated to their individual language needs. The authors aim to find a solution to address this problem in order to better meet the needs of today’s linguistically diverse culture.
Research Questions:
Authors Susan Ferguson Martin and Andre Green questioned how learning centers could be used in the classroom to make sure that all students, regardless of their language, can interact with the content. They also questioned how to effectively implement the learning centers in a well-organized fashion so that each and every student is challenging their individual language skills while learning the content thoroughly.
Data Collection Procedure:
The authors implemented centers into a high school biology classroom that consisted of 18 ELL and 5 native English speakers. Each center considered learning objectives in order to make sure that it had the proper accommodations for each ELL student. The centers consisted of a worksheet center, a writing center, a computer center, and a personal dictionary center. Each center focused on content and offered appropriate differentiated accommodations for a variety of fluency levels.
Findings:
Using learning centers in a classroom with ELL students are a great tool to ensure that everyone is involved. Centers provide a way to assess ELL students’ understanding of the content matter without penalizing them for their language difficulties. Centers allow ELLs to master the content while giving them the opportunity to interact academically with their peers through a non-threatening means.
Kosanovich, Marcia, Karen Ladinsky, Luanne Nelson, and Joseph Torgesen. “Differentiated Reading Instruction: Small Group Alternative Lesson Structures for All Students.” Florida Center for Reading Research (n.d.): 1-9.
Research Problem:
The article was created in order to offer instructional alternatives to schools in Florida under the “Reading First” program. Although the program has good intentions, the teachers within these select schools seemed to be missing the mark when it came to offering differentiated reading instruction to their students. Many of the “Reading First” schools were actually falling more behind and the students were failing to meet grade level requirements in reading. Teachers in these schools need extra support and training in order to better meet the needs of their struggling readers.
Research Questions:
The authors bring several key terms into question in this article. They question the meaning of differentiated instruction as well as how to implement it into the classroom and how it works in small groups. They also questioned the two kinds of structures to use when teaching differentiated reading instruction. The two types of lesson structures are guided reading and skills-focused lessons.
Data Collection:
The research observed students oral reading fluency over a period of time from first to third grade in “Reading First” schools. The data was measured according to whether or not the students were meeting the benchmark requirements in reading for their grade level. The researchers also collected data by observing the teachers’ instruction methods during small group reading sessions.
Findings:
The data revealed an overall decline in students’ oral reading fluency under the “Reading First” program. This proved that teachers needed to be better trained in differentiated instruction in order to ensure that all students are progressing and no student is getting left behind. The most effective reading teachers make sure to incorporate both guided reading lessons as well as skills-focused lessons into their reading instruction. They can also evaluate all of their students in order to determine which areas need more attention and therefore give them the instruction they need to strengthen the weaknesses.
Tomlinson, Carol Ann. “Mapping a Route Toward Differentiated Instruction.” Personalized Learning 57.1 (1999): 12-16.
Research Problem:
It is important to acknowledge that students learn in a variety of ways. Differentiated instruction a crucial element in every classroom in order to ensure that all students academic success. However, many teachers are either not using it at all or using it incorrectly. There must be engagement, a thorough understanding, as well as opportunities to attend to students’ differences.
Research Questions:
Carol Ann Tomlinson questions whether or not it is reasonable to expect every student in the class to learn the same thing in the same way. She also considers how students can take responsibility for their own learning. Most importantly, she questions what methods should be used in order to effectively conduct differentiated instruction in the classroom.
Data Collection:
The author compared and contrasted three different classrooms teaching the same content. In the first classroom, the teacher provides instruction that lacks engagement, understanding, and there was barely any opportunity for differentiation. The second classroom provided some differentiation that was engaging, but it lacked meaning and the students were left with little understanding of the topic. The third classroom used differentiation in the correct way so that the student were able to discover meaning within the topic, they were heavily engaged, and they were all able to find understanding in a way that was appropriate for them.
Findings:
The third classroom used differentiation correctly because the teacher established a clear goal in which to meet by the end of the unit as well as identified an essential question by which to spark the interest of her students. She makes sure that all of her lessons are relevant and engaging to each and every one of her students. She is also fully aware of every child’s skill level and does her best to have each child meet the ultimate goal. The third classroom proved that differentiation is not something to implement occasionally, but rather it is a general philosophy of how the classroom in run. Differentiation is not so much about what the student learns, but it is really about how the student learns and the journey between start and finish.
Milner, H. R. (2011). Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in a Diverse Urban Classroom. The Urban Review, 43, 66-89.
Research Problem:
Milner observes the challenges and successes of being a white teacher in a diverse urban area. He stresses an importance of culturally relevant pedagogy in the classroom and the impact that it has on students’ commitment and learning. Milner uses past studies to identify best practices then designed his own research to provide evidence for his theory.
Research Questions:
The article defines culturally relevant pedagogy and outlines the desired outcomes of his theory. In a culturally relevant classroom, students should demonstrate academic success, sociopolitical consciousness and cultural competence. The research aims to provide evidence that this pedagogy is not only attainable but is highly successful.
Data Collection:
To gather data using culturally relevant pedagogy, Milner observes a teacher in an urban district. The observations take place at Bridge Middle School in the southeast part of the United States. The teacher, Mr. Hill, was selected through consistent recommendation from his peers. Mr. Hill had been teaching for only three years and had already been voted ‘Teacher of the Year’ in Bridge Middle School. The author observed the classroom one to two times a week over a two-year period. The majority of his time in the classroom, Milner was present as an observer and only rarely did he take part in classroom activities or conversation.
Findings:
Milner first gathers other research to develop a definition of culturally relevant pedagogy and cultural competence. He stresses the importance of using students’ culture in the classroom to create more meaningful learning and help students to better understand the world outside the classroom, most importantly to see contradictions and inequities that exist. The ultimate goal is to empower students. Culturally relevant pedagogy has three tenants; academic achievement, sociopolitical consciousness and cultural competence. Academic achievement is considered in the students’ ability to learn rather than successes on high-stakes testing. Sociopolitical consciousness seeks macro level impact on the students’ educational experiences. Cultural competence is achieved when students understand their own culture and are able to expand that understanding to other cultures.
Milner found the subject of his study, Mr. Hall, to be an exceptional example to the culturally relevant pedagogy he claims would aid in success in an urban classroom. Milner identifies the actions and abilities of Mr. Hall that help him to reach this cultural competence. As a middle school teacher, Mr. Hall forms meaningful and authentic relationships with the students. To do this, he pays close attention to the needs of each student and does not work on a one-size-fits-all approach. He recognizes student identities but more importantly does not shy away from confronting and discussing matters of race. This begins with identifying himself to the students and sharing what is common between he and them. These relationships create a sense of family in the classroom which plays a strong role in the success of the students. When you are in a family, you do not want to see others fail. Mr. Hill pushes students to reach their best abilities and students recognize that he is not going to accept any less than their best.
Milner finds this instruction and focus on relationships to be very beneficial in the classroom and encourages they be used more often. There is not quantitative data provided to further back these results.
McLeod, J., & Reynolds, R. (2010). Teaching Human Rights across the Curriculum. Ethos, 18(3), 17-21.
Research Problems
Millennium Goals have set forth to implement a curriculum in classrooms where social justice, liberty and equity are practiced. The Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989) was designed to protect students under age 18 and implementing such a curriculum as mentioned by millennium goals will be a step in the right direction so that learners can develop to their full potential and live peacefully while schools become centers of peace education. Teachers may use the transmission model to have students learn about human rights, but the best method is to have students learn through human rights, social justice and equity.
Research Questions
Julie McLeod and Ruth Reynolds question the difference between learning about and learning through human rights for the best educational model for social justice. The two authors also question the benefits of learning through human rights versus learning about human rights.
Data Collection Procedure
Three different schools were used as case study subjects in order to see how human rights curriculum can be used and how it can be best implemented in order to cover a range of topics in the classroom. The implemented curriculums were observed to see how students could transform from transmission subjects to human rights activists with knowledge about their community and new ideas of how to transform their communities into a place where social justice was practiced.
Findings
Three different schools implemented the Millennium Goals in order to cover very different topics. School A’s students lived in a coastal town and were upset about a long standing conflict between local residents and tourists. This teacher had the students learn through human rights when the students understood their right to freedom of expression. This human right helped students to understand the value of tolerance and to value social responsibility. School B’s students were angry about local graffiti on the school fence and pollution in the river. These students learned through human rights and became environmentally conscientious about their right to a healthy environment. Student C’s students focused on the human rights involved in the intensive language program for new immigrant children. The students learned to value their new country and the responsibility of life in a free society. Although all students learned different values through the curriculum, all students had the opportunity to experience critical thinking, conflict resolution, self-management and coping, communication and to negotiate decisions.