Different classrooms usually include pupils of different abilities regarding their prior and current knowledge, skills and behaviour. Being aware of different abilities is essential in order to create differentiated personalised learning plans and activities yet, it is not an easy job for the teachers (Hughes, 2008). However, this can be conducted by carefully assessing each pupil and plan to teach them what they don’t know instead of wasting time and teaching them what they already know. Accordingly this will assist in designing differentiated learning objectives to meet the needs of different pupils. In relation to this, differentiation has many meanings yet it is widely defined as making lessons easily accessible for all the pupils by carefully catering for their individual needs and varied abilities (Dymoke and Harrison, 2008, P116).
There are three main types of differentiation that are widely used; differentiation by task, outcome and support (Hughes (2008)). These approaches differ according to the way they are applied, lesson objective and the abilities present in the classroom. Moreover there are structural strategies that help to differentiate such as questioning, groupings, resources, pace, roles …etc. (CCEA, 2008, P. 28).
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These included differentiating through questioning, pace, extension activity and task. Teachers seemed to be aware of the abilities available in the classroom through the questions and tasks that were given to each group. The teachers have planned for including different types of differentiation like differentiation by task and support accordingly. Kerry (2002) mentioned the importance of considering the nature of the pupil’s abilities in class to decide on the best form of differentiation to be applied and the reason for applying it (Grigg, 2015),