The impact of differentiated instruction on the academic performance of students with special educational needs

Abstract

Background: The issue of adapting learning to the students’ individual needs is becoming increasingly relevant in modern educational practice. The aimof the study is to determine the effectiveness of different methods of differentiated instructionand their impact on academic performance, motivation,and independence of primary school students. Methods:The study employedWechsler Individual Achievement Test-4, Academic Motivation Scale, observation and the methods of statistical analysis (Levene’stest, Mann-Whitney U-test). Results:The results showed that the average student motivation scores on the Academic Motivation Scale increased from 3.2 to 4.1 after the implementation of differentiated instruction, while student autonomy assessed on the Student Satisfaction Inventory, increased from 3.0 to 4.0. Conclusion:The implementation of differentiated instruction also proved to be effective in improving academic performance, where the students’ averagescore increased from 65 to 80.The practical significance of the obtained results isthe possibility of improving educational strategies and the quality of the educational process. Further research may focus onexamining the long-term effects of these methods and the integration of new technologies to improve learning effectiveness.