High School Teachers’ Perceived Usage of Differentiated Instructional Practices

Abstract
The use of differentiated instructional (DI) practices has been found as an effective approach to improving student learning in inclusive settings. In 2015, Ghana adopted DI in its policy on inclusive education to address the diverse educational needs of all children. The use of DI hinges on teachers’ capability, however, in Ghana, much less is known about high school teachers' understanding of the concept of differentiated instruction, their preparedness and usage of DI strategies to address the diverse learning needs of students. To address these gaps in the literature, this study used an original questionnaire designed based on the conceptual framework of Tomlinson’s (2005) comprehensive model of differentiated instruction. In total, 204 high school teachers recruited from ten conveniently selected high schools across three regions in Ghana were surveyed about their usage of DI. The results revealed that the majority of high school teachers have been introduced to differentiated instruction practices (84%) and inclusive education (89%). Although the teachers acknowledged the difference in student’s readiness, interests and learning profiles and the relevance of using them to inform instructions, one-sixth felt inadequately prepared to use DI and the majority (84%) still expressed interest in learning more about how to use DI. The findings of the study and its implication for teacher education for inclusion in Ghana and research studies in sub-Saharan Africa are discussed.