A Comparative Case Study on Differentiated Writing Activities by School Teachers in Two Malaysian Schools

Abstract

A typical classroom in Malaysia is full of students with mixed academic abilities and the growing student diversity calls for equal access to robust learning experiences. Taking this into account, teachers must therefore design lesson and assessment plans which can cater to a variety of students’ learning preferences. The differentiated approach is a method which advocates adaptation of instructional practices corresponding to the diverse needs of students to create equal learning opportunities for all. However, when it comes to assessment, teachers are still contingent upon uniform assessment methods irrespective of their students’ learning abilities. As classroom formative assessment is central to effective teaching and learning, the present study explores differentiated assessment practices of Malaysian ESL teachers. The objectives of this study are to examine and compare how four ESL secondary school teachers differentiate their formative writing assessment in classroom teaching and learning and what challenges they experience. Information was obtained through an open-ended survey with 4 secondary school teachers from 2 different schools in the northern region of Malaysia. The results show that regardless of educational experience, the respondents share similar notions on how to assess their students’ writing skills and similar challenges involving time constraints. The implications of the results strongly suggest more focused teacher professional development programs to facilitate implementation of differentiated assessment in Malaysia.