The concept of differentiated instruction (DI) is recommended for the productive handling of diversity, to which all teachers at all school types are committed. In an interview study on differentiated instruction in school practice, teachers addressed a connection between the use of differentiated instruction and classroom disruptions, which has not yet been the subject of empirical research. This article is dedicated to this connection, which has been derived from the interviews. The research question thus stems from school practice and the teachers' perspective. The results of this study, which evaluated 18 semi-structured interviews using qualitative content analysis, interestingly showed that some secondary school teachers deliberately use DI to reduce classroom disruptions, for example, to avoid excessive demands, frustration, boredom or students' refusal to work. Additionally, teachers report using certain measures to prevent classroom disruptions, such as tiered assignments and materials, the targeted composition of student work groups, or nonverbal learning aids. However, other teachers, in contrast, report that they explicitly do not use differentiated instruction because it is not even possible due to students' disciplinary difficulties, and DI tends to exacerbate classroom disruptions. The research question is framed theoretically, and results are discussed in the context of previous research.

Cross-national comparisons of differentiated instruction (DI) are often challenging because educational contexts vary across countries. Even so, DI consists of concrete pedagogical practices that teachers can use to tailor learning for all students, especially those at risk of educational disadvantage, which provides a strong basis for comparative inquiry. This study examines how teachers in Austria and Mexico enacted DI during the transition back to in person schooling after the COVID 19 pandemic. We used a qualitative design and conducted twenty semi-structured interviews with primary and secondary school teachers selected to capture variation in school level, subject area, and local context. Interviews focused on planning, classroom enactment, assessment, and perceived supports and constraints. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis with iterative coding and cross case comparison within and across countries. The findings show that educators in both countries most commonly used tiered assignments, heterogeneous grouping, and open educational approaches to address diverse learner needs. At the same time, notable cross-national differences emerged in how these strategies were chosen and implemented, reflecting distinct institutional conditions and classroom constraints. The study contributes to comparative research on DI by identifying shared practices and context specific adaptations during a period of educational recovery. We discuss implications for policy and teacher professional development, including sustained coaching, time for collaborative planning, and targeted resources for students who experienced learning loss, and outline directions for future research.

In consideration of the substantial increase in students' learning demands, teachers are urged to address student heterogeneity in their daily teaching practice by means of differentiated instruction (DI). The practice of DI, as a vehicle to achieve inclusive education, not only aims to support all students' academic learning but also foster their social and emotional development. However, current research in the field of DI has mostly been limited to an examination of its effects on students' achievement outcomes. Consequently, the potential impact of DI on students' socio-emotional outcomes has, up until now, received very little attention. In order to address this gap in research, the current study sought to investigate the effects of DI on students' emotional well-being, social inclusion and academic self-concept. Survey participants in this study included 602 lower secondary school students from 25 inclusive and regular classes in secondary schools in Mexico. Following multilevel analyses, the results have indicated that students' rating of their teachers' DI practice was not positively associated with their emotional well-being, social inclusion and academic self-concept. A further t-test for dependent samples demonstrated that students perceive their teachers' DI practice to be quite seldom. Implications and further lines of research are discussed.

Background: Differentiated instruction (DI) is a fundamental component of teaching quality, particularly in diverse and inclusive classrooms. While DI has been shown to enhance students' academic achievement, research at the secondary education level remains limited, and its impact on students' subjective well-being-widely recognized as essential for learning-has been largely unexplored. Moreover, effects may differ for students with special educational needs in learning (SEN-L). Aim: This study investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of classroom-level DI practices on students' academic achievement and subjective well-being in lower secondary education, incorporating both student and teacher perspectives. Additionally, it examined whether the effects of DI differ between students with and without SEN-L. Sample: Data were drawn from a longitudinal study with three measurement occasions (Grades 6, 7, and 9). The sample comprised 4654 sixth-grade students, along with 417 German and 398 mathematics teachers. Methods: Multilevel regression analyses with latent variables were conducted to investigate cross-sectional effects. To examine longitudinal effects, latent neighbor change models were applied. Results: Cross-sectionally, DI showed some small positive associations with academic achievement and, particularly student-reported DI, small positive associations with subjective well-being. DI predicted some changes in both outcomes over time, albeit inconsistently and with small-to-negligible effect sizes. The findings indicate only two small differential effects for students with SEN-L compared to other students. Conclusions: The study extends research on DI by focusing on both students' academic achievement and subjective well-being in lower secondary education, while calling for continued research into its longitudinal effects and underlying mechanisms.

Diversity among students in classrooms is evident. Since the ratification of the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2008), Germany is committed to implement an inclusive school system for every student, regardless of their individual (learning) needs. In order to implement inclusive education at the school level, teachers have to meet the individual needs of their students through the use of specific teaching practices, such as differentiated instruction (DI). However, research has already shown that teachers are struggling with teaching inclusive learning groups and that their implementation of DI into their daily teaching practice remains scarce. This study aimed to explore personal and contextual factors that influence teachers' (n = 805 in-service teachers) use of DI through data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). Results of the hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that high levels of self-efficacy as well as many learning opportunities during teacher training are associated with a higher rate of DI implementation. Moreover, the amount of teaching experiences and teaching at primary schools also had a significant influence. The results point at the need to develop teacher training curricula by strengthening practical learning and teaching opportunities.

Diverse learning groups in schools are a reality. In inclusive classrooms, teachers have to deal with diverse demands and therefore must adjust their teaching to the individual needs of every learner. Even though many teachers agree that the implementation of inclusive education is necessary as well as beneficial, at the same time many teachers in school practice do not feel ready or adequately prepared to deal with heterogeneous learning groups. Thus, there is a demand for concrete practices that help to realise inclusive teaching and learning that allows everyone to succeed. This contribution provides concrete practice-oriented suggestions of differentiated teaching practices that can be implemented by teachers in order to teach inclusively. In this article, the concept of differentiated instruction is clearly defined. A comprehensive overview of possible differentiation variants is also presented, and the practical suggestions are discussed in light of the increasing impact of digitisation.

Context: Despite the implementation of strategies designed to equip educators with the necessary cultural and linguistic responsiveness and related competencies, the education sector continues to face significant challenges in meeting the needs of these learners. This is primarily due to a mismatch between the demands of working with students from diverse backgrounds and the teacher training available. Moreover, researchers have repeatedly emphasized the importance of teachers' beliefs as a key element within teachers' pedagogical professionalism and teachers' implementation of diversity-sensitive teaching. The present study aims to examine the predictive role of teachers' characteristics (gender, perceptions of training), contact experiences, and classroom setting (special classes for refugees or mainstream classes, among others) on their multicultural beliefs. Methods: This study examined the influence of personal and contextual factors on teachers' multicultural beliefs using data from the Refugees in the German Educational System (ReGES) study. Specifically, we analyzed data from Refugee Cohort 2, collected in 2018, which included 320 secondary school teachers (68% female) instructing refugee students aged 14-16 years. The research employed a quantitative approach, utilizing longitudinal and multi-informant data to investigate the predictive role of these factors on teachers' multicultural perspectives. Results: The study's findings reveal significant variations in teachers' perceptions of their training for integrating refugee students and their levels of multicultural beliefs across different classroom settings. Regression analyses demonstrate that gender and classroom setting are predictive factors for teachers' multicultural beliefs. Contrary to expectations, however, teachers’ perceptions of in-service training and direct experiences with refugees accounted only for a small variance in their multicultural beliefs. Conclusion: The results underscore the importance of considering contextual factors in understanding and fostering multicultural perspectives among educators working with refugee students. Furthermore, the results of the study accentuate the multifaceted nature of teachers' multicultural beliefs and underscore the necessity for further, more in-depth investigation into the formation of these beliefs and the factors that influence them.

According to literature, teachers’ attitudes are a strong predictor of their differentiated instructional practice. However, empirical research exploring teachers’ attitudes, specifically towards the practice of DI, is still quite limited. Currently, there is only one instrument available that assesses teachers’ attitudes towards DI, that is the Teachers’ Attitudes towards Differentiated Instructional Scale (TAT-DIS), which has not been explored within any Arabian country. With this background, this study examines the psychometric characteristics of the Arabic version of the tool. A total 221 teachers in two Arabic countries, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, participated in the study. Results of the confirmatory analysis confirmed the hypothesized two-factor structure and internal consistencies of the subscales were good. Limitations and implications of the study are further discussed.

Due to the continuously increasing heterogeneity of the student body within classrooms worldwide, teachers are called to appropriately meet the educational needs of all learners. Differentiated Instruction (DI) is an effective inclusive approach addressing students' individual needs. However, research shows that although teachers recognise its relevance, they rarely implement DI. Literature has suggested that teachers' attitudes have a strong impact on their teaching behaviour. Different instruments have been developed to measure attitudes towards inclusion, inclusive practices, and heterogeneity. Yet, there are no existing scales focused on measuring teachers' attitudes towards the practice of DI. This study aims to introduce and provide psychometric evidence on a newly developed instrument that assesses teachers' attitudes towards DI (TAT-DIS). By means of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses performed on self-report data from N = 295 secondary school teachers, two sufficiently reliable scales (Value of DI and Perceived Insufficient Resources), totalling 8 items were derived. In investigating the impact of teachers' attitudes towards DI on their actual DI practice, Value of DI was the strongest predictor for DI: the more value or utility teachers ascribe to DI, the more they practice DI. Conversely, when teachers perceive a lack of resources, they implement less DI.

Nigeria is committed to implementing inclusive education. Because special schools are few and inadequate, many parents enrol their children with special needs in nearby regular schools. Teachers must therefore be trained to provide learning opportunities for all students, regardless of their individual learning needs. An effective way of training future teachers is to link theory with practical teaching experiences while studying teacher training at university. Consequently, all Nigerian student teachers must complete a 14–16‐week teaching placement. During this placement, student teachers encounter inclusive classrooms for the first time, where they must teach learners with and without special needs. Despite the increasing emphasis on inclusive education in Nigeria, there is limited research on how student teachers experience and navigate inclusive classrooms during their teaching placement. To bridge this gap, this study examines the experiences of 20 Nigerian secondary school student teachers during their placement. Structured interviews were conducted and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results reveal that the main challenge student teachers face in inclusive classrooms is how to address students' challenging behaviour. Notably, many student teachers associate challenging classroom behaviour primarily with learners with special needs, highlighting a need for deeper understanding and training in inclusive teaching strategies. They also clearly stated that they need more competence in managing students with special needs. In this vein, student teachers claimed that there is a need for better teacher trainers as well as more support in schools. The student teachers valued their placements for helping them develop their competencies in managing learners with special needs. The student teachers felt able to ‘accept’ students with special needs and limit their harshness. The study concludes with recommendations for enhancing teacher training courses, particularly in equipping student teachers with practical strategies for managing diverse learning needs in inclusive classrooms.

Although every person has the right to education, not all students complete compulsory schooling. In fact, early school leaving (ESL) remains a challenge in many countries, including Mexico. This study tested sociodemographic factors, perception of inclusion, differentiated instruction practices, and general self-efficacy as predictors of students' intentions of ESL. The sample included 602 middle school students from inclusive and regular classrooms in Mexico. Our results show that, overall, students' intention to quit school early is low. Furthermore, a higher intention to leave school early is related to students' SEN status, whereas a higher emotional well-being, social inclusion and academic self-concept is correlated to a lower level of ESL intention. Additionally, a higher perception of differentiated instructional practices is positively correlated with the intention to quit school. Interestingly, no correlations were found between students' intention to leave school early and gender, general self-efficacy or classroom setting (inclusive vs. regular class).

Currently, refugee Ukrainian learners are attending German mainstream schools, leading to an even more diverse student population. Given that the German school system is committed to provide inclusive education for all, this study aims to examine how teachers address Ukrainian students learning needs by means of differentiated instruction. To this end, a qualitative study was conducted in which eight elementary school and advanced secondary school teachers were interviewed. Findings revealed that refugee Ukrainian students in German mainstream schools are taught alongside German students, but are also placed in separated classrooms. Additionally, they occasionally participate in remote learning via Zoom from Ukraine. Furthermore, teachers reported using more frequently tiered assignments or peer tutoring systems. In contrast, practices such as mastery learning or open education are seldomly implemented. Implications of the results, as well as limitations and further lines of research are discussed.

Due to the increasing heterogeneity of students within learning groups at school, teachers are urged to appropriately address students’ learning needs by means of differentiated instruction. Given that the successful and effective implementation of differentiated instruction relies mostly on teachers, research has extensively explored teacher-related variables, such as attitudes, that have a strong impact on their use of differentiated instruction. However, empirical research exploring teachers’ attitudes, specifically towards the practice of DI, is still quite limited. In addition, up to now, there is only one available instrument that assesses teachers’ attitudes towards DI, the Teachers’ Attitudes towards Differentiated Instructional Scale (TAT-DIS). In this context, the purpose of the present study is to report on the instrument’s adaptation and implementation within the mainland Chinese context. The sample consisted of 650 primary and 702 secondary school teachers from western and central areas of China. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the original two-factor structure: the value of DI and perceived insufficient resources. Regarding the internal consistencies of the subscales, the reliabilities of both subscales were good. Additionally, differences across the sociodemographic variables such as gender and school educational level were found. Limitations are discussed and future lines of research are recommended.

Der vorliegende Beitrag thematisiert die Veränderung der intrinsischen Motivation von Lehramtsstudierenden der Primar- und Sekundarstufe, bezogen auf deren Beschäftigung mit inklusionspädagogischen Fragestellungen, durch inklusionssensible Lehrveranstaltungen. Es wird dabei den Fragen nachgegangen, inwiefern diese intrinsische Motivation durch inklusionssensible Lehrveranstaltungen entwickelt bzw. gefördert wird und inwiefern hierbei die Wahl des Lehramtsstudienganges der Studierenden von Bedeutung ist. Dabei stehen digitale Lehr-Lern-Einheiten, die im Projekt FDQI-HU entwickelt wurden, im Zentrum der Untersuchung. Mittels deskriptiver Auswertung einer quantitativen Fragebogenstudie mit einem Prä-Post-Design (n = 74) wird gezeigt, dass Lehramtsstudierende der im Fokus stehenden Lehrveranstaltungen ein hohes Maß an intrinsischer Motivation, sich mit inklusionspädagogischen Fragenstellungen zu beschäftigen, aufweisen. Allerdings zeigte sich am Ende des Semesters keine Steigerung ihrer diesbezüglichen intrinsischen Motivation. Des Weiteren unterscheidet sich diese intrinsische Motivation der Studierenden nach Lehramtsstudiengang.

With the increasing student diversity, inclusive education has only become more relevant. Given that inclusive education is considered as the most effective approach to improve quality of education and promote equity and social cohesion, research has focused on examining the facilitators and barriers of meaningful inclusive education as well as the effectiveness of inclusive education on students’ academic outcomes. In contrast, far less attention has been paid to explore students’ non-achievement outcomes, such as their socio-emotional development. Therefore, this brief report presents the results of a small-scale exploratory study which examines Mexican students’ perceptions regarding their social inclusion, emotional well-being, and academic self-concept. A total of 101 Mexican students were included in the sample. Nonparametric tests such as Chi-square goodness of fit, Mann–Whitney U and Dunn’s tests were conducted to analyze the data. Overall, results show that students in general perceive themselves included at school, however, students attending private schools experience less emotional well-being. Implications of the results as well as further lines of research are discussed.

Following an embedded sequential explanatory mixed-method research design in which quantitative and qualitative data were merged, this paper examines teachers' experiences of stress and job satis-faction and their relation to the DI practice. The quantitative study uses data from the National Educa-tional Panel Study in Germany (N 1/4 209 teachers), while the qualitative study analyses interview responses of 24 secondary school teachers. Findings reveal that teachers experience positive effects from implementing DI, but also perceive the practice as slightly stressful. Additionally, the paper discusses teachers' DI training needs and the implications of the results, and calls for further research.(c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Given the almost 2-year COVID-19 school-related closure in Mexico, children and adolescents have experienced a negative impact not only on their learning, but as well as on their mental health and well-being. Although international research has shown that distant learning as a response to the COVID-19 school-related closures has severely affected students with special education needs, there is still a lack of studies conducted in Mexico. Thus, this study attempts to tackle this gap by exploring how Mexican students with and without special education needs coped with distance learning as well as its impact on their emotional experiences. A total of 293 Mexican lower secondary students participated in the study. Independent sample t-tests indicated that, in comparison with students without special needs, students with special needs coped significantly worse during distance learning as well as had higher levels of negative activation. Additionally, multiple linear regression analyses revealed that students' self-efficacy functioned as an important coping mechanism. Implications of the results, as well as further lines of research are discussed.

PURPOSE. Given the ever-increasing diversity of the global student body and the individual learning needs of students, the establishment of inclusive educational settings has become still more relevant worldwide. Empirical evidence suggests that the success of inclusive schooling strongly relies on the attitudes of all stakeholders involved. As a result, research has focused intensively on examining the determinants of teacher and parent attitudes toward inclusive education. However, when considering students’ attitudes toward inclusive education, empirical research to date has focused primarily on examining the attitudes (and their determinants) of students without special education needs toward their peers without special education needs, while research on students’ general attitudes toward learning in inclusive educational settings is scarce. Against this background, this study aimed to explore the determinants of Mexican lower secondary school students’ attitudes toward inclusive education. METHODS. A total of 307 Mexican lower secondary students from 20 classes participated voluntarily in this study. The students completed a voluntary online self-report questionnaire on their attitudes toward inclusive education. Based on the literature review on individual and context-level determinants of students’ attitudes, the questionnaire, including data on students’ sociodemographic variables and general self-efficacy, as well as ratings of their teachers differentiated instructional practice, was developed. CONCLUSION. The findings of this study emphasize that solely attending a class together with a peer with special educational needs does not inherently translate into more positive attitudes towards inclusion, but rather the quality of contact and meaningful experiences between students do. Additionally, considering the significant role that students’ general self-efficacy has on their attitudes, the present study calls for appropriate instructional actions and interventions in which students can foster their personal beliefs on how they can engage with other students as well as with educational tasks within inclusive learning settings.