Principals and Supervisors' Perspectives on Employing Differentiated Instruction Strategies in TEFL

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the views of school principals and educational supervisors on the employment of differentiated instruction in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL). To achieve this aim, the researcher used the descriptive survey approach. A questionnaire was used to assess the extent to which English language female teachers used differentiated instruction strategies, namely problem-solving, gradual activities, and think/pair/share. The study sample included (125) school principals and English language supervisors from Bisha Province. Since differentiated instruction aims to meet the different needs of students through the use of various strategies, the results of the study showed that the degree of teacher’s use of the problem-solving strategy in teaching English was high, with an arithmetic mean of (2.34), while the degree of the use of gradual activities and think/pair/share strategies was average, with an average of (1.93). The study also showed that differentiated instruction in general was average, with an arithmetic mean of (2.19). Based on the results, the researcher presented several recommendations, most notably the need to enhance the use of problem-solving strategies in teaching English in particular, and in teaching other subjects in general.