Novice Social Studies Teachers' Implementation of Differentiation: A Longitudinal Multicase Study

• In Event: 45.094 - Sheraton Roundtable Session Seven - Grand Centre
  In Roundtable Session: 45.094-6 - Teaching Social Studies Teachers

Abstract

This qualitative multicase study of secondary social studies teachers’ implementation of differentiation presents a longitudinal examination of two educators’ experiences as teacher candidates and beginning teachers. First, the study explored how participants conceptualized differentiation as candidates when enrolled in a course on differentiation taught by Carol Tomlinson. It then examined how participants conceptualized and implemented differentiation in their first two years of teaching, and how contextual factors in their schools informed implementation. Each participant was interviewed 13 times and observed in classroom settings over 20 times across 29 months. Findings indicated that, when their instruction involved fact-focused curricula rather than authentic disciplinary inquiry, participants did not see meaningful differences among students or a corresponding need for differentiation in their practice.

Authors

• Hilary Dack, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Nicholas Paul Triplett, University of North Carolina - Charlotte