Differentiated Instruction In the Classroom - Research Paper Example

At the California Montessori Project Charter School teachers use differentiated teaching methods that are based on Maria Montessori’s philosophy of following the child. In other schools in Sacramento the teachers that will be interviewed will share their techniques for small group work. There are also academic programs, such as “Handwriting without Tears,” that provide differentiation written into the curriculum. Each of these curricula is creating a new pathway for teaching, specifically because of the positive results which are currently being achieved.

To continue with this approach, are also several trying to refine and work forward with the learning approaches that are used. Purpose of this Study The purpose of this study is to define the approaches to differentiation as well as whether this will benefit students that are learning with specific approaches. When examining the differentiation in the classroom, there will be the focus on showing the accomplishments, progression and potential problems associated with this approach. Defining this will benefit students, teachers and educators, specifically because there will be more knowledge and background on differentiation.

This will be combined with the understanding that education can begin to progress and change for classrooms which are inclusive of alternative styles for teaching. The research will provide information from Gardner, Vygotsky and Montessori as some of the researchers working with differentiated instruction. The research conducted to support this paper will help teachers with new skills and knowledge to best support their students in the classroom. It will also work to identify more of the. The significance of the study is to prepare teachers to expand their horizons when it comes to instructional strategies that are evidence-based and a proven product.

It is expected that through this study, there will be the capability of creating new approaches to teaching and learning. Understanding the benefits and the gaps of differential instruction can help to refine the new methodology of teaching while assisting those within the classroom to approach students in a different manner. If this methodology can begin to evolve and become a standard within the classroom, there will be the capability of creating new opportunities for growth in the educational system.

This report makes a conclusion that the concepts which were used in the qualitative study, as well as the quantitative research show that there is a demand to change the overall instruction in the classroom. The theoretical approaches show that there are diverse needs, both with the socio – cultural basis and with the cognitive learning capabilities which the children carry. This is combined with the needed changes associated with diverse settings which are now incorporating special education with gifted students, specifically because of the recognition that each student doesn’t have slower or faster learning abilities, but instead has different ways of learning.

The theoretical concepts show that there are many associations with benefits and needs for differential instruction. While there is a strong need for the instruction, there are also questions over how to intertwine the theories with practical methodologies. The Montessori Method is one which has found exploration as a main approach to the classroom.