Use of differentiated instruction by teachers of mathematics in meeting the diverse needs of pupils in selected secondary schools in Choma district.
| dc.contributor.author | Chuumbwe, Chikuni | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-05-16T12:20:55Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-05-16T12:20:55Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2019 | |
| dc.description | Thesis of Master of Education in Mathematics Education | |
| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of differentiated instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils by teachers of mathematics in four selected secondary schools in Choma District. The sample comprised 178 respondents from four selected secondary schools of which 18 were teachers of mathematics and 160 Grade eleven pupils. Forty pupils from each school participated in the study. Simple random sampling was used to select schools and pupils while purposive sampling was used to select the 18 teachers of mathematics. The study used a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The research instruments that were used in the study include questionnaires and an observation checklist which were designed by the researcher. There was a questionnaire for pupils and a questionnaire for teachers of mathematics to complete. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 16.0) was used to analyse quantitative data from questionnaires using descriptive statistics basically in form frequency tables and histograms. Qualitative data obtained from open-ended questions and an observation checklist was analysed by coding and grouping the emerging themes. The findings of the study revealed that most teachers of mathematics rarely attended to the diverse needs of pupils in the classroom. From pupils’ responses and classroom observations, teachers never grouped pupils either according to their interests or abilities. Teachers of mathematics mainly taught their pupils as a unit not as individuals. Teachers rarely considered the benefit of assessment for learning and focused mainly on end of term and promotional examinations. However, in few cases where teachers of mathematics attempted to differentiate instruction, the study revealed group work, recap strategy, question and answer sessions, homework and remedial work, pupil demonstration and appropriate high level questions to fast learners as some of teaching strategies used by teachers. The study further revealed that in few cases where teaching used the differentiated instruction methods, the major challenges were over-enrolment, insufficient time, abnormal workload, managing the gap between slow and fast learners, pressure from stakeholders to cover the syllabus, insufficient teaching and learning materials, pupils’ poor mathematical background and pupils’ negative attitude towards mathematics. The study recommended that schools through the office of the head teacher should procure sufficient and appropriate teaching and learning materials. It also recommended that Ministry of General Education and Head teachers should focus more on assessment for learning. School administrators and management must control the enrolments to mitigate the challenge of over enrolments. Finally the government must deploy and recruit more teachers of mathematics in secondary schools to reduce the teaching loads for serving teachers. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://dspace.unza.zm/handle/123456789/8614 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | The University of Zambia | |
| dc.title | Use of differentiated instruction by teachers of mathematics in meeting the diverse needs of pupils in selected secondary schools in Choma district. | |
| dc.type | Thesis |