Differentiated Instruction in a Public Junior High School: EFL Teachers’ Perception and Practices

Abstract

This qualitative case study was conducted in one of public junior high school in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The study was aimed to explore the English teachers’ practices in differentiated instruction (DI) and their perception toward the curriculum policy. The data were collected through open-ended questionnaire and interview. The participants were EFL teachers who have implemented DI. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings elucidate English teachers' implementation, revealing three overarching themes: planning, implementation, and evaluation. In the planning phase, identification, curriculum analysis, and preparation emerged as crucial aspects. The implementation stage highlighted variations in teaching materials, guidance provision, and variation in evaluation. Evaluation encompassed assessment processes, learning outcomes, and reflective practices. The second result showed the teachers’ misconception regarding the implementation of DI, namely, chaos class and concern about fairness. The teachers found the challenges in implementing DI, namely determine assessment, class management and need extra time to allocate the DI. However, the implementation of DI gave the advantages in learning English, such as students’ engagement, understanding in learning and building inclusive environment. For the better quality of DI, the teachers need several supports from the policy makers.