Enhancing students’ academic performance by making the mathematics learning experience meaningful through differentiated instruction

Despite the great effort of mathematics teachers, many students felt that the mathematics experience needed to be more meaningful. So, differentiated instruction (DI) was implemented for two months to promote meaningful learning experiences. DI is a philosophy that caters to student diversity by providing various learning opportunities. This study was practical action research following the plan-do-study-act model aiming to enhance students’ mathematical academic performance. The participants, composed of two hundred fifty-two grade 11 students from the academic track, voluntarily participated. Data collection tools such as test material, questionnaires, and interview guides were used and validated by experts. Test scores, responses from questionnaires, and interviews were considered evidence of meaningful learning experience. Quantitative data are analyzed statistically using median, inter-quartile range, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and rank biserial, while thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. Findings revealed that DI strategies enhance the student’s academic performance in examinations. Before DI, students were less engaged in math activities, could not connect prior knowledge to the new lesson, and treated math as a complex subject. However, it turned up during the DI implementation. DI made the learning experience meaningful by connecting prior knowledge with new learning and applying it in real-life situations. DI in mathematics classes improved the student’s academic performance through a meaningful learning experience catering to student diversity. Making an enjoyable learning experience while focusing on concept development guaranteed the effectiveness of DI strategies like open questions, parallel tasks, and technology integration.