Definition of differentiated instruction and key elements
Tomlinson (2005), as a leading expert in the field, defines differentiated instruction as a philosophy of teaching and learning based on the conviction that each learner is unique and describes it as proactive, qualitative in nature, rooted in assessment, student centered and organic. Womerly (2006) explains that DI is “a collection of best practices strategically employed to maximize students’ learning at every turn, including giving them tools to handle anything that is undifferentiated” (p.3). In essence, no matter which definition we use, DI requires teachers to understand each of their students and be able to present input and provide access to curriculum in a variety of ways, to ensure that all students are learning.
In order to fully understand the underlying concepts of DI, there are certain misunderstandings to be clarified. The DI teacher does not try to provide different materials, methods of learning, objectives and pacing for each and every student (Kiato, 1994). On the contrary, he/she focuses on “meaningful learning or powerful ideas for all students” (Tomlinson, 2001, p.2) by planning several activity options, not one for each student. The DI teacher does not design isolated tasks but he/she works with the whole class, small groups, individual students or a combination of all three. DI is not about homogenous grouping; on the contrary, the use of flexible grouping is a hallmark of the DI classroom. When teachers ask advanced learners to do extra work or assign the same tasks to the whole class and then let fast finishers play games are not differentiating their lesson to address their learners’ variance (Xanthou & Pavlou, undated).