Author

Menchie Marcos Agyao
Saint Louis College of Bulanao (SLCB)
Madopdop Lacnog West, Kalinga, Philippines
Email: agyaomenchiyy@gmail.com

Abstract

Public-school classrooms are increasingly composed of learners with diverse abilities, interests, cultural backgrounds, and learning styles. This diversity creates challenges for teachers who must ensure that all students are able to understand and engage with the lesson. Traditional one-size-fits-all teaching approaches often fail to meet the needs of all learners, making it necessary for teachers to adopt more flexible instructional strategies. Differentiated instruction has been recognized as an effective teaching approach that allows educators to modify content, process, product, and learning environment to address individual student needs and promote inclusive learning experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore the utilization of differentiated instruction among public elementary school teachers in Tabuk City, Kalinga. Specifically, the study aimed to identify the differentiated instructional strategies currently used by teachers, determine the advantages of implementing differentiated instruction in classrooms, and examine the challenges teachers encounter in its implementation across different subject areas. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological research design to understand the lived experiences of teachers in implementing differentiated instruction. Thirty (30) public elementary school teachers from the four districts of Tabuk City were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify common patterns, themes, and insights related to differentiated instructional practices. The findings revealed that teachers utilize various differentiated instruction strategies, such as ability-based grouping, tiered activities, varied instructional materials, learner choice in outputs, and integration of ICT tools. These practices helped increase student engagement, participation, and understanding of lessons. However, teachers also encountered challenges including large class sizes, limited preparation time, insufficient instructional materials, and limited training in technology integration.The study concludes that differentiated instruction supports inclusive and effective learning, but successful implementation requires continuous teacher training, adequate resources, and stronger institutional support.

Keywords: Differentiated instruction, inclusive education, teaching strategies

DOI: http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS0501856

Recommended citation:
Agyao, M. M. (2026). Public school teachers utilization of differentiated instruction. Pantao (The International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences) 5 (1), 9649-9657. http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS0501856

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