Assessing the Influence of Differentiated Instruction on Enhancing Reading Comprehension Skills among Learners: A Quasi-Experimental Study
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Abstract
This quasi-experimental study aimed to investigate the impact of Differentiated Instruction (DI) on the reading comprehension skills of 30 Grade Eleven Academic Strand Learners. Using a pretest-posttest design, the research assessed the effects of DI on reading comprehension levels before and after treatment. The experimental group, comprising 30 participants, received DI, while the control group of 30 participants underwent traditional classroom instruction. It is essential to note that participants primarily used English as their second language (L2), and the research was conducted in the Philippines. The quasi-experimental design involved the pretest-posttest control group with matched subjects, utilizing reading comprehension passages with corresponding difficulty levels. Assessment tools included the Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) standardized test, adapted from Jerry Johns Basic Inventory (2008), and the Checklist of Intelligence Strengths (Armstrong, 2009) for determining participants' learning preferences. Descriptive statistics, including means and standard deviations, evaluated comprehension levels. The researcher employed t-tests for independent and correlated samples to test the relationship between variables, with a significance level set at .05 alpha. Findings indicated that learners undergoing Differentiated Instruction achieved a Middle High School Level of comprehension, while those in Traditional Classroom Instruction reached only a Sixth-level comprehension. The study underscored DI's positive impact on developing learners' reading comprehension skills, enhancing their interests and enthusiasm for better understanding. Importantly, integrating learners' preferences in Differentiated Instruction proved effective in fostering motivation and performance, shaping competitive, skillful, and knowledgeable 21st-Century Learners.
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References
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