Strategies and Challenges in Implementing Differentiated Instruction Among High School Mathematics Teachers

Abstract

Differentiated Instruction (DI) is widely recognized as an effective approach for addressing learner diversity in Mathematics classrooms; however, its consistent implementation remains challenging for many teachers. This study examined the extent to which high school Mathematics teachers practice differentiated instruction strategies and the challenges they encounter in implementing them. Quantitative findings revealed that teachers demonstrated a high extent of practice in differentiated instruction across content, process, product, and learning environment. Despite this, challenges related to time constraints, large class sizes, limited instructional resources, diverse learner needs, and workload demands were also reported. Statistical analysis indicated no significant relationship between the extent of differentiated instruction practice and the challenges encountered. The findings suggest that while teachers actively employ differentiated instruction strategies, systemic and contextual barriers continue to influence their classroom practices. These results highlight the need for teachers to employ various strategies to address these difficulties, including flexible grouping, formative assessment, peer collaboration, contextualized activities, and continuous monitoring, sustained instructional support and professional development to strengthen the effective implementation of differentiated instruction in high school Mathematics classrooms.