Integrating Culturally Responsive Differentiated Learning Engagement Strategies into Teachers' Instructional Practices through Peer-to-Peer Coaching and Collaboration: A Design-Based Campus Improvement Study

This design-based study examined the impact of integrating culturally responsive, differentiated learning strategies into teachers’ instructional practices through peer-to-peer coaching and collaboration on instruction at East High School, a Title I campus in West Texas. Historical data revealed that fewer than 65% of students met the Approaches grade level on English I and English II end-of-course exams, with underperformance particularly evident among economically disadvantaged and diverse students. The study addressed the problem that English teachers, while meeting in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), were not engaging in structured, data-informed collaborative lesson planning. A seven-week intervention included professional development on culturally responsive teaching (CRT), collaborative lesson planning, and peer-to-peer coaching cycles involving planning, observation, feedback, and reflection. Participants included five English teachers, along with instructional leaders, and data were collected from surveys, PLC field notes, coaching reflections, classroom observations, and exit interview questions. Findings revealed that data-informed collaboration within PLCs deepened teachers’ understanding of CRT, moving beyond superficial practices to intentional differentiation and engagement strategies. Peer-to-peer coaching fostered reflection, exchange of strategies, and immediate application of culturally responsive practices. Collaboration in PLCs enhanced teachers’ confidence, professional growth, and shared responsibility for student learning. This study demonstrates that collaboration, supported by instructional leadership and peer coaching, can strengthen teacher capacity to implement culturally responsive, data-informed strategies, creating engaging learning environments in secondary English classrooms.