English Teachers’ Strategies in Implementing Differentiated Instruction in Three Public Senior High Schools

Abstract

This study explores the experiences of English teachers in implementing Differentiated Instruction (DI) within the framework of the Kurikulum Merdeka at three public senior high schools in Yogyakarta. It focuses on the strategies applied by the teachers in differentiating content, processes, and products. This research employed a phenomenography design by observing the learning process, interviewing the teachers, and analyzing teachers’ lesson plans. A purposive sampling method was used to opt the sample of this study. The sample was three English teachers from different schools in Yogyakarta (SMA N 1 Yogyakarta, SMA N 3 Yogyakarta, and SMA N 6 Yogyakarta). The findings reveal that teachers used various strategies to implement DI. They differentiate content by presenting material in multiple forms, using texts of varying difficulty levels, and incorporating diverse resources. Regarding process differentiation, teachers employ strategies such as group discussions and allowing students to choose their preferred working arrangements. Then, students can choose topics and forms for product differentiation to express their ideas, skills, and knowledge. The findings of this study offer meaningful insight that can assist educators in implementing DI, especially in senior high schools.