1. Does Research Support Differentiated Teaching Methods?
Jeffrey Ober, Ed.D. Student
Liberty University, 1971 University Drive, Lynchburg, VA
Introduction
Kolb Learning Styles
Additional Research
It is commonly accepted practice today to integrate different teaching methods in classroom. When asked, most people would say that they do have a preferred method to receive instruction, such as audio or visual. There are many books, seminars, and conferences that help individual instructors implement differentiated instruction, in the form of different teaching methods, in the classroom. While this may feel like a good way to approach instruction, is there any actual experimental research that shows the advantages of differentiated teaching methods? This presentation seeks to share where and how differentiated teaching methods have fared in research studies and experiments. Differentiated teaching has a place and a purpose in education, but teachers should not assume that using differentiated instruction will result in higher test scores or better performance by students.
Research has been proposed to examine a classroom of students:
Categorize students by personality type (Introvert & Extrovert)
Divide students into three classroom groups:
Group A: Taught using ONLY audio methods
Group B: Taught using ONLY visual methods
Group C: Control group, taught using normal methods
Examine the effects of the various specific types of teaching methods and compare them based on the personality types.
Hypotheses:
H01: There is no difference between achievement scores of students who receive teaching via visual-only teaching or audio-only teaching on Biblical knowledge tests.
H02: There is no difference between achievement scores of introvert or extrovert students, according to Myers-Briggs personality tests, on Biblical knowledge tests.
H03: There is no interaction between achievement scores of introvert or extrovert students, according to Myers-Briggs personality tests, who receive visual-only instruction and audio-only instruction on Biblical knowledge tests.
Differentiated Instruction In Use
Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may:
Design lessons based on students’ learning styles.
Group students by shared interest, topic or ability for assignments.
Assess students’ learning using formative assessment.
Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment.
Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students’ needs.
From Concordia University School of Education
Learning Styles & DI Research
Selected References
Abdollahimohammad, A., & Ja'afar, R. (2014). Learning style scales: A valid and reliable questionnaire. Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions, 11(22), doi:
Berry, T., & Settle, A. (2011). Learning style differences. International Journal of Education Research, 6(1), 1-8. Retrieved from
Lu, H., Jia, L., Gong, S.-h., & Clark, B. (2007). The relationship of Kolb learning styles, online learning behaviors and learning outcomes. Educational Technology & Society, 10(4), Retrieved from
Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2009). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in The Public Interest, 9(3), Retrieved from
Reiner, C., & Willingham, D. (2010). The Myth of Learning Styles. Change, 42(5),
Rogowsky, B. A., Calhoun, B., & Tallal, P. (2014). Matching learning style to instructional method: Effects on comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(1), doi:
Success in Differentiated Instruction
Research shows success with Differentiated Instruction in few areas:
Individual, one-on-one instances
Specific, narrowly applied areas such as music instruction
Personality Types
Areas where Learning Styles had no effects
Groups of students in classes using distance learning
Specific classes in medical training
Reading classes in public education settings
Is personality type a more effective indicator of how a student learns?