Differentiated instruction in the EFL classroom: Discrepancies between teachers’ self-report questionnaires and actual practices

Differentiated Instruction: Challenges and Opportunities in EFL Classroom

“…Teachers' ability to effectively embrace this instructional approach, however, is probably to be restricted by their inexperience with the DI's basic concepts. They may not experience its benefits therefore, which might cause them to develop a negative opinion of DI and revert to the traditional approach which they have familiar with (Sougari & Mavroudi, 2019). Thus, these teachers must alter their instructional perspective to be more accepting of the variances in their classrooms.…”

“…Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of differentiated instruction in EFL classrooms. It has been demonstrated to improve intellectual growth and interest in the subject, students' comprehension of the significant concept, and a method that could help all students learn and make greater progress (AlHashmi & Elyas, 2018;Kotob & Abadi, 2019;Magableh & Abdullah, 2020b;Sougari & Mavroudi, 2019). Kotob and Abadi (2019) found the implementation of differentiated instruction, there was a significant rise in the academic performance of students who had previously been categorized as having low achievement.…”

“…The student-to-teacher ratios, inadequate pre-service training for teachers, a dearth of appropriate tools to implement differentiated instruction, a lack of student acquisition, and reliance on tried-and-true methods of instruction all ranked among the most significant obstacles (Aldossari, 2018). Teachers would have been prevented from making the necessary changes to their classroom teaching due to practical issues (such as a lack of time or resources) or the additional preparatory time needed for its application (Sougari & Mavroudi, 2019;Widiati et al, 2023). Limited time is a difficulty in DI, as a lack of deep learning cannot occur without it (Porta & Todd, 2022).…”

“…This mismatch in teacher roles may have a theoretical justification. Teachers may acknowledge monitoring and facilitating students' learning but because of practical issues (such as pressure to finish the course material or time constraints they may regress towards the more comfortable procedure of continuing to act as a controller) (Sougari & Mavroudi, 2019).…”

Differentiated Learning and Proposed Strategies for Teaching a Foreign Language

“…With differentiated learning in the foreign language classroom, we offer the opportunity for students' individual needs to lead to a meaningful and successful learning process (Naka, 2017;Heacox, 2012Heacox, , 2002Subban, 2006). Sougari and Mavroudi (2019) proposed some strategies by the relevant bibliography (McCarthy 2017;Huebner 2010;Βαστάκη 2010;Dooley 2009) for maximizing learning outcomes for all students. For example, it is mentioned that "flexible grouping is an important differentiated strategy, as working with different classmates on various tasks enables learners to become aware of their individual strengths and weaknesses, to benefit from their classmates' talents, as well as to improve their social skills".…”