From attitudes to practice: The role of differentiated instruction in enhancing teaching effectiveness among special education teachers in inclusive classrooms

Abstract

Differentiated instruction is widely recognized as a contemporary pedagogical approach that supports inclusive education by addressing the diverse and unique needs of students with disabilities within a single classroom environment. The present study aimed to investigate special education teachers’ attitudes toward the use of differentiated instruction in inclusive classrooms, as well as to examine the relationship between the use of differentiated instruction and teaching effectiveness. A mixed-methods research design (sequential explanatory design) was employed. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire administered to  (78)special education teachers in Saudi Arabia, followed by qualitative data gathered through semi-structured interviews with (25) teachers drawn from the same participant pool to obtain in-depth insights. The quantitative findings revealed that teachers held highly positive attitudes toward differentiated instruction, with no statistically significant differences observed according to the study variables, Except for the educational stage variable. In contrast, the qualitative findings indicated variability in the extent to which differentiated instructional strategies were practically implemented in classroom settings. Moreover, the results demonstrated a positive correlation between the use of differentiated instruction and teaching effectiveness, highlighting the importance of this pedagogical approach in enhancing the quality of instruction provided to students with disabilities.