“But that’s the frustration of teaching”. A Qualitative Study on Differentiation in the Swedish EFL Classroom

Abstract

An individualistic shift has made its way into the school context through e.g. the Salamanca Statement, the Swedish upper secondary school curriculum and syllabus for English. Due to this, teachers need methods, such as differentiation, to accommodate the education to individual student needs. The implementation of differentiation is relevant in Swedish EFL classrooms as national steering documents support adjusting teaching methods to learner needs in order to enhance academic performance and learning outcomes. Much research has been conducted on differentiation, providing various definitions, approaches and frameworks. The 5D-model was used as theoretical framework in this study. The aim of this study was to explore the challenges Swedish EFL teachers at upper secondary schools encounter with differentiation in mixed-ability classrooms, as well as the strategies they use to manage them. In order to reach this aim, six teachers from schools with varying achievement levels were interviewed. The interviews revealed various components of challenges and strategies in relation to differentiation. While much data was directly relevant to the aim and research questions, i.e. focused on challenges and strategies, the responses also yielded information about material resources, support, AI tools, learning profiles, and motivation. Because these aspects concerned significant pedagogical practices, they were included in the results. The most prominent challenges included lack of time, large class sizes, and lack of resources or support. The strategies that were emphasised by most participants included reactive differentiation and varied teaching methods. Reactive differentiation being the most frequently practiced aligns with the challenge of lack of time.