As classrooms increasingly become diverse in academic ability, one-size-fits-all instructional strategies become less effective. It is, therefore, important to investigate approaches to instruction that increase students' interest, cognitive engagement, and achievement regardless of their academic ability. The study thus examined the effect of differentiated instruction in the form of scaffolded learning on the interest, cognitive engagement, and achievement among students with varying academic abilities in school Chemistry. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design with a sample size of sixty-two secondary school students randomly assigned into two groups. The Chemistry Interest Scale (CIS), Cognitive Engagement Scale (CES), and Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) were validated and used as the instruments for data collection. Mean, standard deviation, and ANCOVA were used for data analyses. The findings of the study showed that differentiated instruction significantly affects students’ interest and cognitive engagement in Chemistry. Also, no significant difference existed between the mean achievement scores of high- and low-achieving students in chemistry when they were taught using differentiated instruction. Based on these findings, the researchers recommended using differentiated instruction to promote students’ interest, cognitive engagement, and achievement among low and high-ability students.

Authors:
Maria Tsakeni, University of the Free State, South Africa
Stephen Chinedu Nwafor, University of the Free State, South Africa

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Maria Tsakeni is an Associate Professor and Head of the Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Technology Education Department in the Faculty of Education at the University of The Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-tsakeni-31318374/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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