The implementation of differentiated instruction in English reading comprehension for upper primary students at rural schools in Chengdu

Abstract

This study focused on sixth-grade students in rural primary schools in Chengdu. The main purposes were: (1) to examine the current state of differentiated instruction in English reading comprehension for upper primary students in rural schools in Chengdu; (2) to compare the English reading comprehension performance between the experimental group and the control group; (3) to examine the level of satisfaction among students in the experimental group with the use of differentiated instruction in English reading comprehension. The subjects were 79 sixth-grade students from Xihe Primary School, with 40 in the experimental group (DI intervention) and 39 in the control group (traditional teaching). Using quantitative methods and SPSS, the study found that: (1) The main characteristics of insufficient DI implementation in rural schools were less teaching frequency, inconsistent use, insufficient teacher training, and insufficient understanding of teachers; (2) After eight weeks' intervention, the total English reading score of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.01), with B-level students making the greatest progress, and the experimental group's score dispersion was smaller and more stable; (3) DI significantly improved students' satisfaction with English reading teaching, with the experimental group scoring highly in adaptability of teaching objectives, participation, perceived learning effect, and effectiveness of teachers' guidance. The study concluded that differentiated instruction can effectively improve English reading comprehension ability of upper primary students in rural schools. However, limitations such as small sample size and short research time suggest future research should expand the scope and sample size for further validation.