A problem at three elementary schools in an Appalachian state was that some or all instructors were struggling to implement differentiated instruction in the classroom. Because differentiation is a research-based best practice, teachers should be consistently using this strategy to meet the varying needs found within the inclusive classroom. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate perceptions of third- and fourth-grade teachers on their knowledge, implementation, and selfassessment of using differentiated instruction in classrooms in three elementary schools in one Appalachian state. The two research questions that guided this study asked how third- and fourth-grade teachers used differentiation to support all students and what perceived opportunities and struggles these teachers believed affected their ability to implement this strategy. Nine out of the 14 third- and fourth-grade inclusive teachers who volunteered were asked to participate in semistructured phone interviews and lesson plan analysis. Data were hand coded and analyzed using a spreadsheet to look for reoccurring categories and themes. Six themes emerged within the collected qualitative data to include ability grouping, technology, planning for differentiated instruction, professional supports, lack of training, and instructional support. With the findings, specific professional development was created to help the teacher more consistently use differentiation in the classroom. This study has positive social change implications because it might lead to a stronger administrator and teacher understanding of the perceived uses of differentiation as well as the perceived opportunities and struggles to fully implement the strategy.

Differentiation, English Language Learners, Inclusion, Special Education, Teacher Education.

1) U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ed.gov/

2) Boroson, B. (2017). Inclusive education: Lessons from history. Educational Leadership, 74(7), 18–23. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership.aspx

3) Florian, L., & Beaton, M. (2017). Inclusive pedagogy in action: getting it right for every child. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 22(8), 870–884. doi:10.1080/13603116.2017.1412513

4) Avery, R. A. (2017). Teacher willingness on implementing differentiated instruction (DI) in the elementary classroom: A multiple case study (Doctoral dissertation). ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. Accession number (1964252438)

5) Deunk, M. I., Smale-Jacobsel, A. E., de Boer, H., Doolaard, S., & Bosker, R. J. (2018). Effective differentiation practices: A systematic review and meta- analysis of studies on the cognitive effects of differentiation practices in primary education. Educational Research Review, 24, 31-54. doi:10.1016/j.edurev.2018.02.002

6) Bushie, C. (2015). Literature review: Differentiation in education. BU Journal of Graduate Studies in Education, 7(2), 35–42. Retrieved from http://www.bu.edu /journalofeducation/

7) Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed ability classrooms (2nded.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

8) Tomlinson, C. A. (2017). How to differentiate instruction in academically diverse classrooms (3rd ed). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

9) Tobin, R., & Tippett, C. D (2014). Possibilities and potential barriers: Learning to plan for differentiated instruction in elementary science. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 12, 423–443. doi:10.1007/s10763- 013- 9414-z

10) Smeets, E., Ledoux, G., Regtvoort, A., Felix, C., & Moi Lous, A. (2015). Adaptive competencies for inclusive education: Research about competencies in primary school. Nijmegen, The Netherlands: ITS.

11) Prast, E. J., Van de Weijer-Bergsma, E., Kroesbergen, E. H., & Van Luit, J. E. H. (2018). Differentiated instruction in primary mathematics: Effects of teacher professional development on student achievement. Learning and Instruction, 54, 22–34. doi: .1016/j.learninstruc.2018.01.009

12) Gaitas, S., & Alves Martins, M. (2017). Teacher perceived difficulty in implementing differentiated instructional strategies in primary school. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 21(5), 544–556. doi:10.1080/13603116.2016.1223180

13) Smets, W. (2019). Challenges and checklists: Implementing differentiation: pedagogy provides a solid rationale for differentiated instruction in the History classroom, but this is not always an easy skill for teachers to acquire. Agora, 54(2), 22. Retrieved from https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/research/

14) Frunză, V., & Petre, C. (2015). Obstacles in learning’s differentiation and individualization on primary school. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 180, 573–579. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.02.162

15) Gilmour, F. (2018). Has inclusion gone too far? Weighing its effects on students with disabilities, their peers, and teachers. Education Next, 18(4), 8. Retrieved from https://www.educationnext.org/

16) Haug, P. (2016). Understanding inclusive education: Ideals and reality. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research 19:206–17. doi:10.1080/15017419.2016.1224778

17) Bemiller, M. (2019). Inclusion for all? An exploration of teacher’s reflections on inclusion in two elementary schools. Journal of Applied Social Science, 13(1), 74–88. doi:10.1177/1936724419826254

18) Anastasiou, D., Kauffman, J. M., & Di Nuovo, S. (2015). Inclusive education in Italy: description and reflections on full inclusion. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 30(4), 429-443. doi:10.1080/08856257.2015.1060075

19) Ozaydin, L. (2015). Teaching play skills to visually impaired preschool children: Its effect on social interaction. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Bilimleri/Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 15(4), 1021–1038. Retrieved from https://www. researchgate.net/journal/1303-0485_Educational_Sciences_ Theory_and_Practice

20) Coubergs, C., Stryven, K., Vanthournout, G., & Engels, N. (2017). Measuring teachers' perceptions about differentiated instruction: the DI-Quest instrument and model. Stud. Educ. Eval. 53, 41–54. doi:10.1016/j.stueduc.2017.02.004

21) Ncube, S. (2011). Peer-Collaboration: An effective teaching strategy for inclusive classrooms. Journal of the International Association of Special Education, 12(1), 79–80. Retrieved from https://www.iase.org/publications.htm

22) Silveira-Zaldivar, T., & Curtis, H. (2019). “I’m not trained for this!” and other barriers to evidence-based social skills interventions for elementary students with high functioning autism in inclusion. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 12(1), 53–66. doi:10.26822/iejee.2019155337

23) Yu, S. (2019). Head start teachers’ attitudes and perceived competence toward inclusion. Journal of Early Intervention, 41(1), 30–43. doi:10.1177/1053815118801372

24) Haelermans, C., Ghysels, J., & Prince, F. (2015). Increasing performance by differentiated teaching? Experimental evidence of the student benefits of digital differentiation. British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(6), 1161– 1174. doi:10.1111/bjet.12209

25) Wan, S. W.-Y. (2017). Differentiated instruction: are Hong Kong in-service teachers ready? Teachers & Teaching, 23(3), 284–311. doi:10.1080/13540602.2016.1204289

26) Cooney, P. (2019). Dealing with Difference: Differentiation in the Christian School. Christian Teachers Journal, 27(2), 12–15. Retrieved from https://www.cen.ed u.au/index.ph p/services/christian-teachers-journal

27) Bagot, E., & Latham, R. (2019). Teaching from an overflow: Develop, deliver, differentiate: Tried and tested techniques, combined with a love of history, make differentiated instruction rewarding for teachers as well as students. Agora, 54(2), 27–32. Retrieved from https://agorajournal.squarespace.com/

28) Lang, M. L. (2019). Planning for differentiated instruction: Instructional leadership practices perceived by administrators and teachers in middle schools. Educational Planning, 26(2), 29–45. Retrieved from http://isep.info/educational-planningjournal

29) Dack, H. (2019). The role of teacher preparation program coherence in supporting candidate appropriation of the pedagogical tools of differentiated instruction. Teaching & Teacher Education. 78, 125-140. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2018.11.011

30) Jenset, I. S., Klette, K., & Hammerness, K. (2018). Grounding teacher education in practice around the world: An examination of teacher education coursework in teacher education programs in Finland, Norway, and the United States. Journal of Teacher Education, 2, 184. doi:10.1177/0022487117728248

31) Parks, M. (2019). Theory to practice: Differentiation for preservice teachers. Science & Children, 57(2), 90. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/journal/sciechil

32) Bodovski, K., Byun, S., Chykina, V., & Chung, H. J. (2017). Searching for the golden model of education: Crossnational analysis of math achievement. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 47(5), 722– 741. doi: 10.1080/03057925.2016.1274881

33) Taole, M. J. (2019). Differentiation in response to learner diversity in rural south African multi-grade classrooms. International Journal of Learner Diversity & Identities, 26(2), 37–46. doi:10.18848/2327-0128/cgp/v26i02/37-48

34) Brigandi, C. B., Gilson, C. M., & Miller, M. (2019). Professional development and differentiated instruction in an elementary school pullout program: A gifted education case study. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 42(4), 362–395. doi:10.1177/0162353219874418

35) Siam, K., & Al-Natour, M. (2016). Teacher’s differentiated instruction practices and implementation challenges for learning disabilities in Jordan. International Education Studies, 9(12), 167–181. doi:10.5539/ies.v9n12p167

36) Bondie, R. S., Dahnke, C., & Zusho, A. (2019). How does changing “one-size-fits-all” to differentiated instruction affect teaching? Review of Research in Education, 43(1), 336–362. doi:10.3102/0091732X18821130

37) Tufford, L., & Newman, P. (2010). Bracketing in Qualitative Research. Qualitative Social Work,11(1). doi:10.1177/1473325010368316

38) Dennis, D., & Hemmings, C. (2019). Making the simple more complex: The influence of job‐embedded professional development in supporting teacher expertise in reading. Literacy, 53(3), 143–149. doi:10.1111/lit.12172

VOLUME 04 ISSUE 01 JANUARY 2021