Differentiated instruction for gifted students and their peers in Swedish mixed-ability classrooms: teachers’ principles and practices

Abstract

This study explores experiences of Swedish teachers implementing differentiated instruction (DI) for gifted students and their peers in mixed-ability classrooms. The rationale is to increase knowledge of this type of instruction and foster inclusive classrooms. Ten teachers (N = 10) experienced in DI and teaching gifted students were interviewed using a qualitative research design. Inductive content analysis delineated ten categories: (1) detecting and valuing differences, (2) creating a safe and joyful classroom, (3) assessing students’ knowledge, (4) clarifying goals and encouraging students’ ownership of learning, (5) instructing students in study skills, (6) promoting peer-to-peer interactions and group work, (7) engaging all students from the outset, (8) using flexible and open tasks, (9) providing multimodal tools alongside schoolbooks, and (10) presenting and valuing different outcomes. These categories emphasise both fundamental principles and practices at a classroom level, and constitute a DI cycle. They offer insights for implementing–or further developing–DI for gifted students and their peers in mixed-ability classrooms and are relevant to pre-service teachers, educational practitioners, policymakers, and researchers.