TITLE:
In Pursuit of Equal Access to Quality Education: A Guide to the Implementation of Differentiated Teaching for Diverse Minds
AUTHORS:
Antony Musasa
KEYWORDS:
Differentiated Learning, Zone of Proximal Development, Teachers’ Professional Development
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.12 No.3,
March
15,
2024
ABSTRACT: Tomlinson &
Moon (2013) defines differentiation as the common belief
that educators, by understanding their learners, can perceive the world from
their standpoint. This open discussion explores the practical challenges
confronting educators in the area of differentiated teaching, a pedagogical
approach designed to accommodate the diverse needs of learners. Key challenges
explored include the identification of individual learners’ starting levels, conducting needs analyses,
tailoring content to varying proficiency levels, and adeptly managing the
dynamics of a diverse classroom. Effectively addressing these challenges necessitates ongoing professional development
initiatives and collaborative efforts
among educators. This paper underscores the significance of considering prior knowledge, Zone of
Proximal Development (ZPD), curriculum,
and the horizon as potential starting points for meaningful learning experiences. Additionally, it introduces a
visual classification tool designed to
assist educators in the differentiation of learning for each learner. The propositions in this paper represent a partial attempt to alleviate the complex
challenges encountered by educators in their classrooms, paving the way for
more effective and inclusive teaching practices.