Differentiated Instruction Based on Thinking Styles

Despite being widely promoted in education, differentiated instruction is often underutilized or misunderstood in actual classroom practice. Filipino educators have increasingly recognized its value in enhancing engagement, yet questions remain about how sustainable and transferable these methods are across subjects and grade levels. Differentiated instruction that aligns with students’ thinking styles has shown promise in increasing engagement and comprehension. However, beyond these short-term academic gains, less is known about its long-term effects on motivation and its adaptability across diverse educational contexts. With today’s push for inclusive and learner-centered pedagogies, this research seeks to evaluate the broader effectiveness of thinking-style-based differentiation beyond isolated success cases in science or language classes.

Who Can Use These Topics

This research is ideal for students and professionals pursuing the following courses or strands:

College Programs:

• Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEEd)

• Bachelor of Secondary Education – Major in English, Math, or Science

• Bachelor of Special Needs Education (BSNEd)

• BS Psychology

• BA in Developmental Studies

Senior High School Strands:

• Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS)

• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

• General Academic Strand (GAS)

Why This Topic Needs Research

Recent studies have emphasized the immediate benefits of differentiated instruction, but gaps in knowledge persist. Below are the key areas requiring further investigation:

• Limited cross-subject and longitudinal data: Most studies, like that of Jarnawi et al. (2025), focused solely on science instruction and did not track students over time to evaluate motivation or performance beyond the intervention period. The need remains for broader, more longitudinal designs that assess the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in other core subjects.

• Unexplored sustained engagement mechanisms: While Goyibova et al. (2025) confirmed short-term comprehension gains in foreign language learning, they did not examine if those gains translate into improved retention, motivation, or autonomous learning in the long run. This limits understanding of differentiation’s enduring academic value.

• Insufficient large-scale testing of teacher implementation: Although Moallemi (2024) demonstrated that individualized teaching improved engagement, the sample size and time frame were limited. Broader research is needed to confirm whether consistent use of differentiated strategies leads to systemic performance improvement across schools.

• Disconnect between training and classroom reality: Geletu and Mihiretie (2024) revealed that professional development improves teacher awareness of differentiated instruction, yet actual classroom execution often fails to match student needs. Research must now investigate which specific supports enable effective implementation that boosts student engagement.

• Context-specific and modality limitations: Aldanese and Limpot (2023) found that classroom management mediates the effect of differentiation, but their study was limited to one Philippine city. There is a need to explore whether the same relationship holds across regions, school types, and both online and face-to-face modalities.

• Unclear link between engagement and performance: Ramilo and Ting (2025) showed that differentiated instruction improved student engagement, yet academic performance remained unchanged. This raises questions about what moderating factors—like teacher quality or learner background—affect whether engagement leads to actual achievement.

• Student response remains under-researched: Hatmanto and Rahmawati (2023) examined Filipino teachers’ attitudes toward differentiation but did not evaluate how students themselves respond to differentiated strategies. Research should include the learner voice to better understand engagement, participation, and self-regulation.

Feasibility & Challenges by Target Group

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References

Aldanese, P. G. B., & Limpot, M. Y. (2023). The mediating effects of classroom management and the relationship between differentiated instruction in teaching and student engagement. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 44(4), 1-13.

Geletu, G. M., & Mihiretie, D. M. (2024). The effects of primary school teachers’ professional development activities on differentiated instructional practices and possibilities of elevating students’ learning engagement. Education 3-13, 52(8), 1222-1237.

Goyibova, N., Muslimov, N., Sabirova, G., Kadirova, N., & Samatova, B. (2025). Differentiation approach in education: Tailoring instruction for diverse learner needs. MethodsX, 103163.

Hatmanto, E. D., & Rahmawati, F. (2023). Unleashing the Potential: Exploring Attitudes and Overcoming Challenges in Implementing Differentiated Instruction in the Philippines’ English Language Classrooms. In E3S web of conferences (Vol. 425, p. 02001). EDP Sciences.

Jarnawi, M., Haeruddin, H., Werdhiana, I. K., Syamsuriwal, S., & Mu’aziyah, S. E. S. (2025). Integrating thinking styles into differentiated instruction: enhancing learning outcomes in science education. Integrated Science Education Journal, 6(1), 47-53.

Moallemi, R. (2024). The relationship between differentiated instruction and learner levels of engagement at university. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 17(1), 21-46.

Ramilo, J. P., & Ting, M. S. (2025). Effectiveness of Differentiated Instruction, Level of Engagement and Academic Performance of Students with Diverse Learning Needs in an Inclusive Classroom in SDO Calamba City.

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