Examining Classroom Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Perceptions Regarding Differentiated Instruction and Their Professional Self-Efficacy Perceptions

Abstract

It is highly probable that every student whose individual differences are accepted and made to feel valued will be able to achieve success. At this point, differentiated teaching emerges as a theory that addresses individual differences and offers students the opportunity to learn in flexible and collaborative environments with diversity. In order for differentiated teaching to be implemented efficiently, classroom teachers need to know the differences of their students and differentiate education in a way that can address them. This research was conducted in a quantitative research with a relational screening model in order to determine the level of self-efficacy perception of classroom teachers regarding differentiated teaching and to reveal whether there is a significant relationship between the self-efficacy perception levels of teachers, who are the key implementers of differentiated teaching, regarding the profession. The universe of the research consisted of classroom teachers working in primary schools affiliated with the Muş National Education Directorate in the 2023-2024 Academic Year. The sample group in the research process consisted of 355 classroom teachers determined by simple, unbiased sampling. For the purpose of the research, the “Differentiated Instruction Self-Efficacy Scale” and “Teacher Self-Efficacy Perception Scale” were applied to the teachers. As a result, it was revealed that the differentiated instruction self-efficacy beliefs and participation levels of the classroom teachers were high, and it was determined that there was a positive linear and strong relationship between the differentiated instruction self-efficacy perceptions and professional self-efficacy perceptions, and that the differentiated instruction self-efficacy perceptions positively and strongly affected the professional self-efficacy perceptions..