From perception to practice: how Chinese teachers perceive and implement differentiated instruction in primary and secondary schools

Abstract

Differentiated instruction (DI) allows teachers to work optimally with students' diverse learning needs. The qualitative study presented here used a semi-structured interview to explore how Chinese primary (N = 14) and secondary (N = 14) teachers perceived and implemented DI in their daily work. A deductive and inductive approach, based on the DI-Quest model (Coubergs 2017), was used to analyse the data. The findings suggest that a significant majority of teachers favour growth mindset and student-centred approaches. In the present study, both primary and secondary teachers were aware of multiple forms and aspects of student diversity and could use various approaches to adapt their instruction in light of these. Notably, respondents were more likely to adapt their instruction to accommodate students' various levels of readiness than they were to adapt it to their interests and learning profiles. This study concludes that teachers may benefit from professional training designed to enhance their understanding, and proficiency in the implementation, of DI.