The active involvement of teachers in action research for differentiation of the teaching-learning process: Understanding the needs of students and weaknesses of the curriculum

Abstract

The current participatory action research examines teachers’ involvement in differentiated teaching and learning strategies in mixed ability classrooms describing their steps from the point of defining the problem to the development and application of action in an effort to evaluate the impact of differentiation in developing and improving the reading abilities of students who are in the first class of the lyceum. It utilizes classroom observation, diary entries, interviews as well as pre and post tests. The action research illustrates the problems that arise during the course of implementation of the principles of differentiation, focusing on the ways in which teachers re-evaluate their perceptions on learning through individual and collective reflection, meet the needs of students and tackle weaknesses of the curriculum through co operation. At the same time, it also underscores the positive impact of differentiation on learning outcomes and the changed perceptions of students towards learning.