Differentiated Instruction in Primary Schools: Implementation and Challenges in Indonesia

Abstract

The paper identifies the level and nature of differentiated instruction (DI) implementation in Indonesian primary schools. Teachers reported their level of DI adoption and reacted to five vignettes reflecting key dimensions of DI. Research data revealed overall DI implementation is significantly below the mastery learning benchmark (80%). Nevertheless, teachers feel they are able to cope with student diversity and have basic ideas about DI implementation. Research implications point at educational policies to invest in initial teacher training and professional development, next to a need for parent involvement. Future research could centre on studying actual teacher behavior in classrooms, next to experimenting with particular DI-strategies. Keywords: Differentiated instruction, teaching strategies, primary school, teacher, Indonesia