Capturing instructional differentiation in educational research: investigating opportunities and challenges
Publication year
2022Number of pages
18 p.
Source
Educational Research, 64, 2, (2022), pp. 224-241ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor
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Organization
Radboud Docenten Academie (RDA)
SW OZ BSI OLO
SW OZ BSI ON
Journal title
Educational Research
Volume
vol. 64
Issue
iss. 2
Languages used
English (eng)
Page start
p. 224
Page end
p. 241
Subject
Learning and Plasticity; Social Development; Onderzoeksprogramma RDA | 2024-2028: Innovative Teaching and Learning | 2016-2023: Cultivating Creativity in EducationAbstract
Background: Instructional differentiation within classrooms involves educators' adaptations of instructional elements to meet diverse learner' needs. It is usually regarded as a crucial component of high-quality education that promotes equal and inclusive opportunities for all students. However, defining and operationalising this complex construct is challenging, and important, in efforts to better understand instructional differentiation and support learners worldwide. Purpose: This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of instructional differentiation. It discusses definitions and operationalisations of instructional differentiation in the educational research literature and argues for the inclusion of deliberateness and adaptiveness as two defining characteristics of instructional differentiation. Sources of evidence and main arguments: Using theoretical arguments and illustrations from empirical research, including a small-scale study of our own, we discuss and exemplify the value of considering deliberateness and adaptiveness in empirical research on instructional differentiation. Further, we consider the challenges and opportunities for research on instructional differentiation. Conclusions: Studying the deliberateness and adaptiveness of instructional variation calls for conceptual and operational alignment, and research methodologies that take into account the multiple perspectives of teachers and students. Our investigations draw attention to the conceptual complexity of instructional differentiation, challenges in practice and the need for professional development to support teachers' embedding of instructional differentiation practices.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Academic publications [245131]
- Electronic publications [132467]
- Faculty of Social Sciences [30338]
- Open Access publications [106059]
- Radboud Graduate School of Education [1955]
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