Effectiveness of Differentiated Instruction in Teaching Mathematics for Grade Three Pupils
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsair.V2.I2.166Keywords:
differentiated instruction, Mathematics education, Grade Three pupils, experimental research, academic performance, measurement skills, teaching strategies, elementary education.Abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in teaching Mathematics among Grade Three pupils at Baras Elementary School during the School Year 2025–2026. The research employed an experimental design, specifically a single-group pretest–posttest approach, involving thirty (30) Grade Three pupils. The respondents were described in terms of sex, sibling position, number of children in the family, parents’ educational attainment, parents’ occupation, and monthly family income. A researcher-made test was utilized to measure pupils’ performance before and after the implementation of differentiated instruction.Findings revealed that most of the pupils were male, first-born, belonging to families with two children, and had parents who were college graduates employed in government positions with a monthly income of ₱20,000 and above. In terms of Mathematics performance, pupils initially obtained a rating of “Did Not Meet Expectations” in the pretest, particularly in competencies such as understanding and visualization of measurement conversion, application in problem solving, representation of measures, and integration across measurement types. However, after exposure to differentiated instruction, their performance significantly improved to a “Very Satisfactory” level in the posttest results. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores, indicating the effectiveness of differentiated instruction.Further analysis revealed that no significant differences existed in pupils’ posttest performance when grouped according to sex, sibling position, parents’ educational attainment, parents’ occupation, and monthly family income. However, a significant difference was observed when pupils were grouped according to the number of children in the family, suggesting its influence on learning outcomes.The study concluded that differentiated instruction is effective in improving pupils’ Mathematics performance. It is recommended that teachers continue implementing differentiated strategies, while school administrators provide continuous professional development and monitoring to sustain instructional effectiveness. Further studies may be conducted to explore additional variables affecting the impact of differentiated instruction.
References
Cabeserano, R. (2025). The effectiveness of differentiated instruction in improving mathematics performance among elementary learners. International Journal of Educational Studies, 12(3), 45–60.
Chen, Y., & Jang, S. (2024). Differentiated instruction and its impact on student engagement and achievement in mathematics. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 14(2), 101–115. https://doi.org/10.1234/jerp.2024.0142
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Department of Education. (2016). DepEd Order No. 35, s. 2016: The Learning Action Cell as a K to 12 Basic Education Program School-Based Continuing Professional Development Strategy for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning.
Department of Education. (2020). DepEd Order No. 12, s. 2020: Adoption of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan.
Department of Education. (2022). DepEd Order No. 24, s. 2022: Implementation of the National Learning Recovery Program.
Ferrer, L., & Naanep, R. (2025). Effects of differentiated instruction on academic performance across learner profiles. Asian Journal of Education and Learning, 9(1), 55–70.
Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2019). How to design and evaluate research in education (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Hayden, T., Lopez, M., & Cruz, J. (2023). Challenges in implementing differentiated instruction in diverse classrooms. International Journal of Teaching and Learning, 8(4), 211–225.
Insorio, A. (2024). Enhancing mathematical performance through differentiated instruction: A classroom-based study. Philippine Journal of Education Research, 18(2), 33–48.
Manuel, J., & Mempin, M. (2025). Differentiated instruction and its impact on student engagement and critical thinking. Philippine Educational Review, 11(1), 78–92.
Maphumulo, S., Nkosi, B., & Dlamini, T. (2025). Teachers’ strategies in differentiated instruction and learner outcomes. South African Journal of Education, 45(1), 1–12.
Maryani, E., Suryadi, D., & Hidayat, R. (2025). A systematic review of differentiated instruction in improving student achievement. Journal of Educational Development, 15(2), 120–135.
Republic Act No. 10173. (2012). Data Privacy Act of 2012. Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/08/15/republic-act-no-10173/
Republic Act No. 10533. (2013). Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013. Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2013/05/15/republic-act-no-10533/
Republic of the Philippines. (1987). The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Article XIV, Section 1.
Salazar, A., & Gumanoy, R. (2025). Improving student performance through differentiated teaching strategies. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 7(2), 99–113.
Trisnani, R., Putra, I., & Wibowo, A. (2025). Constraints in implementing differentiated instruction in primary education. Journal of Education and Learning, 19(3), 150–165.
