Investigating the Challenges Encountered by EFL Teachers in Practicing Differentiated Instruction in the Multiple – Intelligence Classes at University
Shano A. Ahmed
College of Basic Education- Salahaddin University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25130/jls.6.1.16
Keywords: challenges, strategies, differentiated instruction
Abstract
Investigating differentiated instruction in classrooms with learners who have multiple intelligence levels often leads teachers to face many challenges. When it comes to teaching and learning process, learners all are not the same. Though all learners learn, they still differ in their levels of prior experience, abilities of learning, learning style, learning profile, motivation level, interest, language skills, and even proficiency of language. But this does not mean that learners do not share some similarities in terms of size of classes they attend, personalities, hobbies, and their common expectations in learning. Thus, differentiated instruction seems mostly to meet the learner’s need to address variances among learners by utilizing various techniques and methods in the classroom through content, process, and product. Therefore, the predominant goal of differentiated instruction is for teachers to maximize the potential of all learners by proactively designing learning experiences in response to the needs of diverse learners. Hence, this study aims at exploring the challenges that EFL teachers face while practicing differentiated instruction in the multiple intelligence classes as well as examining the attitude of teachers towards the practice of differentiated instruction. It also aims at observing teachers’ differentiated instruction performance in their teaching classes and investigating the strategies teachers use in order to overcome those challenges. Interestingly, the investigation acknowledged that teachers have a desirable performance and potential attitude to implement differentiated instruction in the college classrooms. This might become distracted if teachers face problems such as time constraints, heavy workloads, and large classes that would impede teachers’ objectives in maintaining differentiated instruction for tailoring every learner’s interest and achieve higher level of academic success in teaching multiple intelligence classes. To achieve the research aims, two tools were used. The first one was a questionnaire which was used to examine the challenges faced by EFL teachers while practicing differentiated instruction in the multiple intelligence classes. The second tool was an observation tool to know if EFL teachers have willingness, awareness, readiness, and attitude to practice differentiated instruction in their classes or not and which strategy do they use in practicing differentiated instruction as well.
