Differentiated Instruction as Proactive Classroom Management in Early Childhood Science Learning: A Multi-Site Qualitative Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17977/um065.v7.i4.2027.3Keywords:
Classroom management, Differentiated instruction, Early childhood education, Inquiry-based science, Teacher competenceAbstract
Early childhood classrooms are developmentally heterogeneous, making instruction and classroom management inseparable challenges. This study examined how differentiated instruction was enacted within science-based learning and how teachers perceived and managed the resulting classroom dynamics. A qualitative multi-site case study was conducted across four early childhood education institutions in Brebes Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. Participating teachers were purposively selected because they implemented differentiated instruction, used inquiry-oriented science activities, and had at least two years of early childhood teaching experience. Data were generated through non-participant classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and analysis of daily lesson plans and instructional materials, then examined thematically. Three interconnected findings emerged. First, differentiation was enacted through adjusted task complexity, flexible grouping, varied hands-on activities, and responsive scaffolding. Second, these practices were associated with more sustained engagement, clearer routines and transitions, and less need for reactive behavior correction, suggesting that instructional design functioned as a form of proactive classroom management. Third, teacher competence and instructional flexibility supported implementation, whereas planning time and high teacher–child ratios constrained individualized support. The study proposes that differentiated science learning can support classroom management when differentiation, inquiry, routines, and responsive interaction are deliberately aligned. The findings offer implications for teacher professional learning, lesson planning, staffing, and inclusive early childhood practice.
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