Studies in Educational Evaluation 53 (2017) 115–121

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Studies in Educational Evaluation

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Perspectives of teachers on differentiated teaching in multi-cultural

South African secondary schools
Thelma de Jager, Dr.
Department of Educational Studies, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Article history:
Received 2 April 2016 South African teachers encounter numerous challenges in the creation of differentiated activities to
Received in revised form 10 August 2016 include diverse learner needs in effective teaching and learning. These challenges include the inability to
Accepted 10 August 2016 identify learning barriers and adapt the curriculum, teaching and assessment methods according to the
Available online 25 August 2016 learning styles and readiness levels of learners. The study aimed to explore secondary school teachers’
(n = 262) perspectives on the implementation of differentiated instruction in public secondary schools
Keywords: (n = 27), using qualitative and quantitative approaches. The results indicated that teachers cannot always
Adaptive teaching assist their learners when they need them; show them how to solve problems; or allow learners to work
Differentiated activities
on their own. In addition, various limitations, such as inadequate teacher training, large class sizes,
Multi-cultural
workload, undisciplined learners, lack of resources and parental involvement, second language
Readiness level
Teaching and learning instruction, inadequate support services and socio-economic barriers contribute to the use of teacher-
Secondary schools centred methods. The study recommends that intervention programmes in the form of workshops on
how to create differentiated activities should be prioritised in the professional development of teachers.
ã 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction several limitations that prevent them from including diverse

learner needs in effective teaching and learning. Research by
There is global debate about how teachers should effectively Engelbrecht, Oswald, and Forlin (2006) has shown that teachers
instruct learners with multiple intelligences, languages, levels of lack sufficient knowledge and skills on how to identify learners’
academic readiness, values, religions, parent education, socio- barriers and adapt curricula in ways that can meet the diverse
economic status, competences and skills (Fox, Vos, & Geldenhuys, needs of learners in their classrooms. Engelbrecht (2006) suggests
2007). Chataika, Mckenzie, Swart, and Lyner-Cleophas, (2012) that teacher-training programmes do not seem to adequately
argue that one of the challenges obstructing academic progress of address differentiated instruction, so that teachers do not create
South African learners is the lack of teachers’ skills in adjusting the differentiated activities. Moreover, Badat and Sayed (2014) state
curriculum to meet the diverse learning needs of a multicultural that schools from the lower income and rural areas are poorly
learner body. resourced and mostly characterised by ineffective teaching and
Williams, Olivier, and Pienaar (2009) emphasise that effective learning despite education policies to address learners’ needs in
teaching and learning is important for all learners to acquire the effective education.
knowledge, skills and competencies they require to become The results of ineffective teaching can be seen in the learner
economically productive, contribute to peaceful and democratic dropout figures in South Africa, which increase annually. In 2013,
societies, develop sustainable livelihoods, and enhance their only 562,112 of the 1,261,827 (45%) initial Grade 1 learners who
individual well-being. enrolled in 2002 wrote the National Grade 12 examination. This
According to Smit and Humpert (2012) and Tomlinson (2005), implies that learners who do not achieve academic success leave
differentiated instruction where the teacher employs various school before completing Grade 12 (Spaull, 2013). Chataika et al.
instructional practices that are adapted and applied to diverse and (2012) postulate that teachers’ lack of skills in adjusting the
individual learner needs in the classroom contribute to effective curriculum to meet the diverse learning needs of a multicultural
teaching and learning. However, South African teachers face learner body hampers the academic progress of South African
learners. Brand, Favazza, and Dalton (2012) concur, emphasising
the need to equip teachers with the necessary skills to create and
apply differentiated instruction in poorly resourced schools to
E-mail address: dejagert@tut.ac.za (T. de Jager).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2016.08.004
0191-491X/ã 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
116 T. de Jager / Studies in Educational Evaluation 53 (2017) 115–121

prevent learners dropping out from school. The purpose of this outcomes that increase in difficulty and challenge them to reach
study was to determine the extent to which secondary teachers success beyond their current ability level. To progress to the ZPD
utilised differentiated instruction in poorly resourced schools. and independent learning, a knowledgeable person or teacher who
More specifically, this study sought to provide answers to the facilitates the individual’s learning is necessary (Riddle and
following questions: Dabbagh, 1999). Expanding on this idea, Lawrence-Brown
(2004) and Tobin and McInnes (2008) list the roles of the teacher
 How do secondary school teachers adapt their teaching practices in the differentiated classroom as follows: diagnose the needs of
to learners’ needs? learners, assist learners in learning, engage with learners through
 What are the perspectives of secondary school teachers on interactive communication, scaffold learning content for learners,
differentiated instruction? supplying them with additional examples and strategies on how to
learn effectively, provide quick feedback to learners to redirect
The data could provide an indication of the extent to which them back to the correct track when solving a problem or learning
differentiated teaching is employed in South African secondary new content.
school classrooms in addressing the needs of the growing diversity Differentiated instruction is also based on the social construc-
of learners. tivism theory of Vygotsky (1978), and later Wertsch and Tulviste
(1992), which emphasises the principle that the individual learner
1.1. Defining differentiated instruction must be instructed within a particular social and cultural context
(Subban, 2006). This theory views effective learning as best
Tomlinson and Strickland (2005) define differentiated instruc- supported through social collaborative and interactive learning
tion as a flexible and proactive way of adjusting teaching and with learners’ peers. In combination with this theory, differentiat-
learning that will assist learners in achieving maximum growth ed instruction emphasises the significance of learners collaborat-
and development. Differentiated instruction is a teaching and ing with their peers in completing class activities and teachers
learning approach used to teach learners with different abilities in using enquiry, feedback, reflection and support as methods in
the same class. The main aim of differentiated instruction is to constructive learning (Tomlinson, 2005).
recognise, identify and support learners in developing to their full Several studies confirm the advantages of differentiated
potential by accommodating their diverse background knowledge, instruction. In Missouri, McAdamis (2001) reports an improve-
readiness levels, language preferences, interest and learning styles ment of poor-performing learners’ test scores when employing
(Hall, 2002). Lawrence-Brown (2004) elaborates that reasonable differentiated instruction. The study also detected that learners
goals should be set to learners that address both their weaknesses were more enthusiastic and motivated to learn. Johnsen (2003)
and strengths in achieving academic success. The teacher plans notes that learners’ interest in differentiated activities improved. A
learning activities according to the interests, learning profile and study in Iran on female learners using differentiated instruction to
needs of learners. At the beginning of the lesson, outcomes that all teach vocabulary in mixed-ability classes showed a positive impact
learners need to achieve at the end of the lesson are clearly stated. on the learners’ academic performance (Alavinia & Farhady, 2012).
With the lesson outcomes in mind the teacher can adapt, modify Moreover, a study conducted in Kenya by Muthomi and Mbugua
and differentiate: content (what learners are supposed to learn), (2014) states that differentiated instruction improved secondary
process (teaching and learning strategies), product (the way in school learners’ achievement in mathematics significantly.
which learners prove they have learned the content), learning Despite positive study results on the advantages of differenti-
environment (the physical arrangement of the learning situation, ated instruction, research in South Africa indicates that a total of 97
which can include inclusive, small, large, or multi-age settings) and percent of teachers never or seldom use a flexible curriculum and
affect (socio-emotional factors: learners need to feel safe and extra time to accommodate the diverse learning needs of learners
invited to participate in the learning situation) (Tomlinson, 2001). (De Jager, 2013). The reasons derived from the study were that
These adaptions and modifications could enable all learners to teachers are not trained, able or willing to apply differentiated
reach the lesson outcomes at their own time and readiness level. teaching methods. Bernstein (2015) adds that teachers are poorly
Contrary to traditional teacher and textbook-centred learning managed, insufficiently trained, unable to manage class discipline,
methods, differentiated learning activities are learner-centred, and unable to teach effectively in diverse classes.
where the learners are responsible for their own learning. In supporting adaptive teaching methods, Pennington (2014) is
Differentiated activities allow learners to engage in individualised of the opinion that challenges in implementing differentiated
activities that are combined with collaborative discussions among instruction can be overcome with the effective use of technology.
their peers. Learners obtain extra assistance from their peers to By using the wide range of software programmes available,
solve a problem rather than using the teacher as the problem learners can overcome their learning barriers by completing
solver. The teacher’s role in a differentiated classroom is to differentiated learning activities; cover large amounts of content in
facilitate learning rather than conveying content knowledge. limited time; and at the same time establish their comprehension
of new content. As each learner works at his or her own pace, the
2. Background to the study teacher can support those individuals encountering problems.
Unfortunately, the lack of resources in South African public schools
The increase of diverse classrooms and inclusion of learners does not always enable teachers to use technology for adaptive
with disabilities in South Africa demand culturally sensitive and teaching. Earlier studies of Chisholm, Hoadley, Wa Kivulu, Brookes,
adaptive instruction that provides for the development of the Prinsloo, and Kgobe (2005) and Williams et al. (2009) point out
whole individual (Anderson, 2007). that teachers are not always willing to create differentiated
The principles and guidelines of differentiated instruction are activities as they experience insufficient resources, are pressured
rooted in years of teaching practices, research and theory. This is to complete a large amount of content in a limited time, are
profound in the ‘zone of proximal development’ (ZPD) theory of burdened with a heavy workload which deprives them of sufficient
Vygotsky (1978). The ZPD indicates that effective teaching and time to prepare differentiated activities, teach large classes and
learning take place when learning activities are adjusted to each lack sufficient training in adaptive teaching practices. Additionally,
learner’s preference of learning style. Further to this, Vygotsky Spaull (2013) and Reddy, Prinsloo, Netshitangani, Moletsane, Juan,
(1978) emphasises that learners should be instructed using several and Janse van Rensburg (2010) specify the socio-context of South
 T. de Jager / Studies in Educational Evaluation 53 (2017) 115–121 117

African public schools as follows: poor management of schools, Before the research commenced, ethical clearance and permis-
lack of class attendance, discipline and parental involvement; sion to conduct the study in selected schools were obtained from
linguistic and cultural diversity; English second language instruc- the Gauteng Department of Basic Education. The objectives of the
tion; limited literacy and numeracy skills, overcrowded classes study were clearly communicated to all participants and consent
(1:32), violence; sexual abuse; crime; poverty; unqualified forms were signed by all participating schools’ principals and
teachers; lack of resources; teachers (12%) diagnosed with AIDS/ teachers willing to participate in the study. This procedure was
HIV. followed by making appointments with the participants to
The researcher therefore concludes that the literature supports complete the questionnaires that provided data in answering
the assertion that differentiated instruction is important for the first research question: ‘How do secondary school teachers adapt
addressing diverse learners’ needs. For this reason, the study their teaching practices to learners’ needs? Participants completed
sought to establish secondary school teachers’ perspectives on the the questionnaires (see Appendix A) using a two-point scale with
application of differentiated instruction in multi-cultural second- the options ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’.
ary school classrooms. After completion of the questionnaires, interviews varying
between 30 and 45 min were conducted with volunteering
2.1. Methodology sampled secondary school teachers (n = 20) teaching in public
schools (n = 18). The views of teachers were important in
Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to deter- answering the second research question: ‘What are the perspectives
mine secondary school teachers’ perspectives on differentiated of secondary school teachers on differentiated instruction?’
teaching in their classes. The quantitative approach comprised the The main aims of the interviews were to establish teachers’
voluntary completion of a questionnaire by secondary school knowledge on differentiated teaching, the teaching methods they
teachers (n = 262) of 27 public secondary schools in townships of use, and which limitations prevent them from creating differenti-
South Africa. The study was executed in public schools only, where ated activities in class. The following open-ended questions were
teachers are still challenged with insufficient training, lack of posed to them during the interviews:
resources and large learner-teacher ratios per class (Chisholm
et al., 2005). Several of the interviewed participants indicated that 1. Can you describe how you view differentiated teaching?
the learners in their schools experienced severe poverty where 2. Which methods do you apply to address learners’ learning
parents were mostly unemployed and unable to provide in the barriers in effective teaching?
basic needs of their children, such as shelter and nutrition. 3. Which limitations affect the application of differentiated
Learners living in such conditions are inclined to experience activities in your classes?
emotional stress, lack of concentration and other symptoms that
may affect their learning. Responses to these questions were audio-recorded, analysed
The first phase consisted of the collection of quantitative data and grouped in themes of frequent occurrence. The main issues
using a questionnaire to establish secondary school teachers’ emanating from the identified themes were compared with
perspectives on the use of differentiated instruction in their previous research studies to identify the extent to which
classrooms. Based on research studies of Danielson (2013) and differentiated teaching is applied in South African secondary
Pianta and Hamre (2009),Van de Grift (2007) developed and schools.
refined an observation instrument on effective differentiated
teaching that was used as a framework for the construction of the 2.2. Analysis and discussion of data
questionnaire used in this study. Maulana, Helms-Lorenz, and Van
de Grift (2014) tested the questionnaire in countries experiencing 2.2.1. Questionnaires
similar education challenges as South Africa (e.g. Slovak Republic, The collected quantitative data was statistically analysed using
very rural parts of Scotland and Croatia). Therefore, the researcher the software SPSS (Version 23.0) programme and are summarised
found the questionnaire to be reliable and valid for analysing the in Table 1 below.
quantitative data of this study. Respondents “agreed” that they: explain content in different
ways (97%); use various approaches so that learners can

Table 1
Results of the teacher questionnaire.

Secondary school teachers (n = 262) Disagree Agree

When the learners of this class do not perform according to their abilities, I make time to support them with extra help. 9% 91%
(n = 24) (n = 248)
Sometimes I feel I cannot assist all learners when they need me. 35% 65%
(n = 92) (n = 170)
When the learners of this class do not comprehend the lesson material, I use another approach. 5% 95%
(n = 13) (n = 249)
If learners do not understand the content of the lesson, I explain it in different ways. 3% 97%
(n = 8) (n = 254)
I cannot tell if learners are keeping up with me. 29% 71%
(n = 76) (n = 186)
I show learners different ways of how to solve a problem 42% 58%
(n = 110) (n = 152)
I create various learning activities that learners can choose from. 37% 63%
(n = 97) (n = 165)
I have to guide learners step-by-step when executing the activities. 21% 79%
(n = 55) (n = 206)
I cannot allow learners in this class to work on their own. 44% 56%
(n = 115) (n = 147)
118 T. de Jager / Studies in Educational Evaluation 53 (2017) 115–121

understand content (95%); ‘make time to support them with extra All learners enjoy observing real life objects and show interest in
help’ (91%); ‘have to guide learners step-by-step when executing the topic when they are taken on a field excursion.
the activities’ (79%); ‘cannot tell if learners are keeping up with the
Several participants (n = 11) said that they used field excursions
me’ (71%); ‘sometimes I feel I cannot assist all learners when they
to stimulate learners’ interest in the topic. Studies of Johnsen
need me’(65%); ‘create various learning activities that learners can
(2003) and Tomlinson (2005) accentuate the stimulation of
choose from’ (63%); ‘show learners different ways in how to solve a
learners’ interest in differentiated instruction.
problem’ (58%); ‘cannot allow learners in this class to work on their
own’ (56%).
2.6. Traditional talk and textbook method
It can be concluded that the teacher participants were unsure
whether they could allow their learners to work on their own in
The prescribed textbook is compiled according to the new
class activities (44% ‘agreed’ and 56% ‘disagreed’), some teachers
curriculum; I use the activities in the textbook for class- and
showed their learners alternative ways of how to solve a problem
homework.
(58% agreed), while others did not (42% ‘disagreed’); most teachers
The textbook contains all the content I need to teach.
agreed that they could not assist all learners when they needed
them (65%) while (35%) felt that they could. Alarmingly, nearly all participants (n = 18) found the textbook to
be an important aid in their instruction. It can therefore be
2.3. Interviews assumed that teachers prefer using teacher-centred methods.
These responses are in opposition to differentiated learning
The verbatim responses to the interview questions are provided activities that are learner-centred and where learners are
below. responsible for their own learning (Anderson, 2007; Engelbrecht
Question 1: Can you describe how you view differentiated et al., 2006).
teaching? Question 3: Which limitations affect the application of differenti-
To adapt your teaching approach and to include all learners from ated activities in your classes?
different backgrounds
Using teaching methods that are different from the normal 2.7. Limited time and workload
methods to support learners in learning
It is impossible to use differentiated activities. I do not have
Surprisingly, all participants could clearly define the concept
enough time to allow every learner to work at his/her own pace and
differentiated teaching. Answers varied from adjusting your
to ensure all my learners pass my subject. The curriculum is loaded
teaching approach to using different or specific teaching methods
with content.
in supporting learners’ learning.
It takes many hours to design activities for various intelligences as I
Question 2: Which methods do you apply to address all learners’
am not experienced and effectively trained on how to do it.
learning barriers in effective teaching?
I rather repeat the work and ensure learners understand the
concepts.
2.4. Group work
A lack of time was identified as a limitation in preparing and
I use group work to allow active participation of all my learners implementing differentiated activities. Moreover, some of the
in the class activities. participants (n = 9) remarked that they would rather repeat the
work than engage their learners in differentiated activities that
Participants (n = 14) indicated that they used group work to
might not be successful. In accordance with the findings of
engage learners in active class participation. This implies that
Chisholm et al. (2005), responses indicated that teachers’
teachers engage learners in learner-centred methods. Tomlinson
workload, completing the curriculum in a specific time frame
(2001) emphasises that group work is important in differentiated
and extra-mural activities limited them in creating differentiated
instruction as it enables learners to collaborate and learn from
activities.
their peers.

2.8. Identify learning disabilities

2.5. Visual illustrations and technology

I find it difficult to identify my learners’ learning barriers. It is

Illustrations, videos and pictures work well in my class, but I
only by the end of the year that I know their abilities.
have to bring my own equipment from home to school; therefore, I
Parents should assist us in identifying their children’s learning
cannot use these methods as often as I wish to.
barriers at the beginning of the year
I found that a technology-assisted programme interested learners.
Even those with learning barriers scored high marks on that section All participants indicated that it was difficult for them to
of the work. identify all their learners’ needs and that parents could assist them
I cannot use an overhead projector as the school does not always in identifying their children’s learning barriers. The pace at which
finances to pay the electricity bill . . . it is difficult to plan my teachers teach may not include all learners in constructive
lessons. learning. Chataika et al. (2012) and Engelbrecht (2006) postulate
that one of the challenges obstructing the academic progress of
It was noted that only six of the participants wanted to use
South African learners is the inability of teachers to identify their
technology to teach but experienced difficulties in obtaining and
learners’ needs and to adjust the curriculum accordingly.
using technology equipment in their schools. Technology can be a
useful support aid to provide visual illustrations and engage all
2.9. Inadequate training
learners actively in class activities (Hall, 2002). Despite the
advantages of technology, finances at schools could prevent
I did not receive any training on how to identify learners’
teachers from applying technology tools to assist with differenti-
learning barriers.
ated instruction.
Field excursions
 T. de Jager / Studies in Educational Evaluation 53 (2017) 115–121 119

I have not attended any workshops on how to create differentiated actively in class activities and do not always mingle with their
activities. peers because of an inability to communicate in English. Effective
communication with peers assists learners to identify their own
The majority of participants (n = 19) said that they were not able
weaknesses and strengths and enables them to improve their
or sufficiently trained on how to identify learning barriers in their
construction of knowledge by learning directly from their class-
classes and were not always able to apply various teaching
mates (Alavinia & Farhady, 2012).
methods to accommodate learners’ diverse needs. Brand et al.
(2012) and Engelbrecht (2006) emphasise the need to equip South
2.14. Inadequate support services
African teachers with the necessary skills to create and apply
differentiated instruction according to learners’ needs.
Our school do not have facilitators to support the wheel chair
learners to the bathrooms or to assist them in class.
2.10. Discipline and behaviour of learners
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) does not support us with
sufficient occupational therapists, psychologists and medical
I often apply new methods but change back to my old teaching
assistance for learners in our classes, to enable us to address the
methods as I struggle to manage effective learner behaviour during
needs of learners with learning disabilities.
the lesson. Especially when you allow them to work in a group with
Learners cannot travel to centres for additional support, due to
their peers.
time and finance constraints. We find that these learners
Notwithstanding the earlier statement that participants (n = 14) eventually leave the school before completing Grade 12.
use group work, the majority of participants (n = 16) pointed out
Participants (n = 11) remarked that they needed extra support
that they could not always employ new or group activities as they
from the DBE in the form of facilitators, wheel chairs, bus transport
were unable to manage class discipline. Bernstein (2015) agrees
services, occupational therapists, psychologists and medical
that many South African teachers are poorly managed, insuffi-
assistance for learners to enable them to address the needs of
ciently trained and unable to manage class discipline effectively.
learners with learning disabilities. Inappropriate and inadequate
support structures may lead to the exclusion of learners and even
2.11. Large class sizes
to learners leaving the school at an early age as their needs are not
addressed in school. This finding accords with the view of Brand
Not one of my classes is smaller than 40 learners per class. It is
et al. (2012) that one of the most significant barriers to learning
extremely difficult to support learners with differentiated activities
remains the inability of learners to access the existing educational
and extra assistance.
provision and other services that contribute to the learning
It was worrying that all participants responded that they found process.
it difficult to support all their learners with their learning problems
as their class sizes were too large. Chisholm et al. (2005) state that 2.15. Lack of parental involvement
teachers are not always willing to create differentiated activities as
they experience insufficient resources, are pressured to complete a Parents primarily hold teachers responsible for their children’s
large amount of content in a limited time, are burdened with a education and most of them are uninvolved in school activities.
heavy workload, teach large classes, and lack sufficient training in Parents are uninvolved and do not always discuss their children’
adaptive teaching practices. learning barriers with us at the beginning of the academic year.

Participants (n = 17) agreed that active involvement of parents

2.12. Lack of resources
in their children’s education was central to successful academic
progress. Although parents are still the primary caretakers of their
I have learners with various learning disabilities in my class,
children and the teacher only the facilitator and educator, many
dyslexia, visual impairment etc. But, we cannot accommodate all
parents tend to neglect this role. Parents do not always assist
their needs due to a lack of resources.
teachers in pointing out possible learning disabilities of their
We do not have running water, ablutions and electricity at schools
children, which is important for the learners’ adjustment to the
for several months in a year.
successful learning of new content and teaching methods.
A lack of resources in schools was frequently (n = 11) indicated
during the interviews. Insufficient basic resources such as toilets 2.16. Socio-economic barriers
and electricity not only contribute to an unhealthy learning
environment but also weaken learning and teaching in a school. In We do not have sufficient funding for copying additional
addition, insufficient teaching resources could prevent interactive activities for group work and differentiated instruction and write
participation in the curriculum activities, as extra support the activities on the board. This is not only time consuming but I
materials are needed (Badat & Sayed, 2014; Chisholm et al., 2005). cannot use colour pictures and videos that we can make the lesson
interesting.’
2.13. Second language teaching Many learners in our school experience severe poverty where
parents are unemployed and are not able to provide in the basic
Most of my learners are taught in a second language, which need such as shelter and nutrition. We observe that learners living
contributes to unsuccessful academic achievement. in such conditions are inclined to experience emotional stress, lack
Second language learners do not always interact in class activities of concentration and other learning disabilities which may affect
because of their speech problem. their learning’.

Participants (n = 15) often referred to English second language The teachers are challenged when creating differentiated
instruction as influential in learners’ poor academic performance. activities with a lack of copying facilities, technology support
Second and third language teaching lead to linguistic challenges and extra media to assist effective teaching and learning.
that contribute to poor academic performance in most cases (Fox Furthermore, learners come to school tired, hungry and lacking
et al., 2007). It is often found that these learners do not engage concentration skills, which affects successful learning.
120 T. de Jager / Studies in Educational Evaluation 53 (2017) 115–121

2.17. Findings school tired, hungry and lacking in concentration skills, which
places the learners at risk of unsuccessful learning.
Differentiated instruction is considered important for effective Tomlinson (2005) and Hall (2002) point out the advantage of
teaching in multicultural South African schools to prevent the differentiated instruction where learners are engaged in individual
exclusion of learners from education. Central to the study was the learning activities and collaborate in the group and learn from their
need to identify and understand the nature of the challenges that peers. However, in South Africa, for many learners teaching and
could cause ineffective implementation of differentiated instruc- learning take place through a second language. This could
tion in secondary school classrooms. Firstly, the study aimed to contribute to ineffective communication and collaboration with
detect the extent to which secondary school teachers are their peers as learners find it difficult to express themselves. In
employing differentiated teaching. A prominent result of the addition, teachers teach at their own pace to complete the
quantitative data analysis indicated that teachers were unable to curriculum in time and will rather repeat the work than engage
assist all learners when they needed them (65% ‘agreed’), could not their learners in differentiated activities that might not be
always show their learners different ways in solving a problem successful. Chisholm et al. (2005) agree that teachers’ workload,
(58% agreed), and could not allow their learners to work on their the completion of the curriculum in a specific time frame, and
own in class activities (44% ‘agreed’). These results could possibly extra mural activities limit them in creating differentiated
be linked to teachers’ perspectives concerning the limitations they activities; hence they revert to teaching from the textbook as
experience when implementing differentiated teaching and the main instruction method.
inadequate training in differentiated instruction. Although all teachers stated that they were well informed on
In contradiction to the above results, responses of the what differentiated instruction entails, most participants indicated
qualitative data (question 1 and 2) proved that differentiated that they had not been trained on how to create differentiated
teaching was not a new concept to teachers and they did employ activities. It can be concluded that student teachers and practising
diverse teaching methods. On the other hand, the quantitative data teachers need adequate training and that intervention pro-
indicated that teachers were not always able to assist their learners grammes in the form of workshops should be priority.
when they needed them and could not employ various methods to
assist their learners in solving problems. The difference in 3. Conclusion
responses between the questionnaires and interviews could
possibly be linked to the anonymous completion of questionnaires Teachers are not adequately trained to create and implement
where teachers could give a more true reflection on what is differentiated activities. Student-teacher training programmes and
happening in their classes. In the interviews participants might in-service training on how to implement differentiated instruction
have wanted to impress the researcher with their good classroom is imperative for including all learners’ diverse needs in effective
practices and these responses might not always be a true learning. In addition, teachers encounter various limitations that
reflection. prevent them from creating differentiated activities. A lack of time
During the interviews participants indicated that they used to complete the curriculum is perhaps the biggest limitation and
group work, applied visual and technology media to a limited difficult to overcome when implementing differentiated instruc-
extent due to financial constraints, and engaged learners in tion, even in schools that can afford technology-assisted lesson
interesting field excursions to assist their learners in constructive activities. Although the creation of differentiated activities may be
learning. Despite the advantages of technology to assist the time consuming, as with any instructional practice, fluency comes
teacher, limited finances at schools prevent teachers from applying with experience. The author is of the opinion that if time and
technology tools to assist with differentiated instruction. Contrary effective training were devoted to the creation of differentiated
to the methods they indicated (which could support differentiated activities, less time would eventually be devoted to repeating
instruction), the majority of teachers preferred using the textbook content resulting from non-differentiated instruction.
as instruction method. Using a teacher-centred method is in A follow-up study is important to establish whether in-service
contradiction to the learner-centred methods of differentiated training workshops for teachers in public schools could improve
instruction (Tomlinson, 2005). Various limitations could contrib- the implementation of differentiated activities despite the
ute to teachers’ use of teacher-centred methods. Responses challenges they experience. The limitation of this study is that
indicated that they were not always able to identify learning responses represent only public secondary schools of South Africa.
disabilities, received inadequate training in the construction of
differentiated activities, and had to deal with large class sizes, Appendix A.
undisciplined learners, lack of resources and parental involvement,
second language instruction, inadequate support services of the Secondary school teachers (n = 262) Disagree Agree
DBE, and socio-economic barriers of learners. When the learners of this class do not perform according to
As indicated by the research of Brand et al. (2012) and their abilities, I make time to support them with extra help.
Engelbrecht (2006), teachers are not always able or sufficiently Sometimes I feel I cannot assist all learners when they need
trained to identify learning barriers in their classes and to apply me.
When the learners of this class do not comprehend the lesson
diverse teaching methods to accommodate diverse learner needs. material, I use another approach.
Contributing to this challenge is the lack of parental involvement. If learners do not understand the content of the lesson, I
Involved parents could assist teachers in pointing out possible explain it in different ways.
learning disabilities of their children, which would enable teachers I cannot tell if learners are keeping up with me.
I show learners different ways of how to solve a problem
to support learners in overcoming their learning barriers. However,
I create various learning activities that learners can choose
learners with disabilities need extra support services such as from.
facilitators, wheel chairs, bus transport services, occupational I have to guide learners step-by-step when executing the
therapists, psychologists and medical assistance that are not activities.
always provided for. I cannot allow learners in this class to work on their own.

As mentioned above, public schools are mostly situated in areas

afflicted by poverty, which contributes to ineffective teaching and
learning (Reddy et al., 2010; Spaull, 2013). Many learners attend
 T. de Jager / Studies in Educational Evaluation 53 (2017) 115–121 121

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