Komma

https://www.utwente.nl/en/education/student-services/news-events/colloquia/bms-colloquia/2020/1/190228/colloquium-nienke-bach-kolling-est?code=8e1151cd

Speaker: Nienke Bach Kolling

Topic: Measuring differentiated instruction from different perspectives

Abstract: The process of adapting education to student differences is called differentiation. Previous research shows that students are more involved, more motivated and better performing when teachers differentiate their education. Therefore the Dutch Ministry of Education and the primary education counsel have made differentiation skills a basic requirement for all teachers in 2020. As a result, it is important that instruments are developed to assess teachers’ differentiation skills. There are three common methods for measuring differentiation: classroom observations by external observers, teacher self-assessments and student surveys. This research examined the degree of agreement between these three rater groups on how they assess teachers’ differentiation behaviour. To compare the different perspectives, an instrument was developed that included similar items for all three rater groups. The participants were nine primary school teachers (grade 8 to 10), their students (n = 171) and an external observer. They assessed the degree of differentiation during a math instruction for students in three instruction groups on 12 items. Between the observer and teachers moderate agreement or higher was found for six of the 32 items. Teachers and students, and observer and students, agreed on only two items. There is almost no agreement between different rater groups for the basic instruction group (only one item) and moderate agreement for the enrichment group (four items) and intensive group (five items). Generally, the degree of agreement between the rater groups is very limited. The results show that when measuring differentiation it is important to think about which measurement method is used, because with each method teachers’ differentiated behaviour is assessed differently.

 

Graduation Committee:

prof. dr. Adrie Visscher

dr. Marieke van Geel