The impact of teachers' experience and qualification on efficacy, knowledge and implementation of differentiated instruction

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in teachers' sense of efficacy, their knowledge, and implementation of DI based on their experience and qualification. The study also aims to investigate the moderating effect of teachers' experience and qualification. The study employs a tool composed of validated items and constructs from previous studies to collect data from a sample of 101 elementary teachers in a single atoll of Maldives. Parametric statistic of independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to investigate differences among groups of respondents while multiple regression using split sample was carried out to examine the moderation effect. Results indicate that there is a statistically significant difference in teachers' sense of efficacy across the three experience-groups, F (2, 93) = 3.56, p = .032. However, there is no significant difference in teachers' knowledge and implementation of DI based either on their experience or qualification. The results also indicate that neither teachers' experience nor their qualification was a significant moderator of the DI implementation model. It is recommended teachers be equipped with sufficient knowledge of DI by incorporating relevant content in teacher training programs.