Internal differentiation as a fundamental prerequisite for inclusion in primary education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14712/25337890.6252Keywords:
internal differentiation, inclusive education, pedagogical means of differentiated instruction, individualisation, qualitative research designAbstract
The research focuses on the current trend of improving the quality of education, which entails increased demands on teachers’ competencies in implementing differentiated instruction for primary school pupils from the very beginning of compulsory schooling. The key subject of the research investigation is the inclusive concept of differentiated instruction, understood as a comprehensive modification of educational content, process, product, and assessment within the educational process. According to the Strategy for Education Policy of the Czech Republic until 2030+ (Fryč et al., 2020), internal differentiation is defined as a key strategy for enhancing the quality of educational processes at both primary and secondary levels of education. This approach enables the reduction of external differentiation and strengthens methods supporting inclusive education in contemporary heterogeneous classrooms. However, teachers are not yet sufficiently prepared to apply these approaches effectively in practice. This study, grounded in a qualitative research design, employs participant observation and semi-structured interviews with seven teachers from different regions of the Czech Republic. The aim is to systematically map the implementation of selected pedagogical strategies between 2021 and 2023 in the teaching of the Czech language and mathematics to first- and second-grade pupils in primary education. The multiple-case study represents a two-year research investigation into the implementation of differentiated instruction strategies with a focus on their inclusive conception, which permeates all components of the educational process. The study highlights the urgent need for further research in this critically important area, particularly in light of the insufficient exploration of pedagogical means of differentiation and individualisation within the Czech educational research context.
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