Perception of Readiness of Novice English Teachers on Differentiated Instruction in CEFR-Aligned ESL Classroom

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating the level of readiness of Malaysian novice English teachers in secondary schools in implementing differentiated instruction in ESL classrooms. A quantitative research design was used, employing an online survey as the method of data collection. Respondents were identified through purposive sampling technique with the creatia: teachers with 3 years and below of experiences, must teach English in secondary schools either in Seremban or Port Dickson districts. The sample size represents 64% of the target population of approximately 100 novice teachers. An online survey comprising 12 items was administered to 64 novice English teachers. The questionnaire items were designed around three constructs to assess the readiness of novice teachers in implementing differentiated instruction: content (what students learn), process (how students learn), and product (how students demonstrate their learning).  A four point Likert scale was used in this study. The data was analyzed descriptively by obtaining the mean scores. From the findings obtained, novice English teachers were “Slightly Prepared” in differentiating instruction for all three components namely content, process and product. It is evident that novice English teachers require considerable assistance with content preparation, instructional strategies and assessment adaptation.