V3I6P61

The Effects of Differentiated Instruction on the Academic Achievement of Basic Science Pupils in Mixed-Ability Classrooms in Gwagwalada, Abuja

Dada Ayodele PhD^1*, Suleiman Dogonyaro Gulee, Ph.D² , Kass Tanko, Ph.D³

Abstract

The study examined the effects of differentiated instruction on the academic achievement of Basic Science learners among low achievers and high achievers in a mixed-ability classroom. It explored the strategies used by teachers to apply core principles of differentiated instruction in mixed-ability settings and monitored how pupils progressed academically. A total of 60 pupils (33 males, 27 females) from two intact classes served as the sample for this experimental study, which was conducted on 35 low achievers and 25 high achievers.

The instrument used for data collection was the Basic Science Achievement Test (BSAT), which was validated by lecturers in the Department of Science Education, University of Abuja. The BSAT’s reliability was established using the Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20), yielding a reliability coefficient of 0.89. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at a 0.05 level of significance.

The findings revealed a significant improvement in the academic scores of low achievers following the implementation of differentiated instruction. However, for high achievers, no significant difference was observed. It is evident that differentiated instruction is a teaching strategy that exerts a strong positive effect on the academic achievement of low-achieving pupils in Basic Science.

Keywords:

Mixed Ability, Basic Science, Achievement, Basic Science