Supporting Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Design of Differentiated Instruction with a Transparent Lesson Plan Template
Location
PARB 227 (Second Floor)
Proposal Track
Practice Report
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
Planning and differentiation are key components of elementary teachers’ work in classrooms. Therefore, teacher education programs must prepare their preservice teachers for this future responsibility. This study examines how the integration of a more targeted lesson plan template and increased explicit in-class instruction impacts preservice teachers’ knowledge and implementation of differentiated instruction in an Elementary Education teacher certification program. Findings indicate that the new, more targeted lesson plan template and increased time dedicated to explicit differentiated instruction across the Elementary Education program led candidates to feel more knowledgeable about differentiated instruction and how to design and implement instruction for diverse learners. There were also areas in which our preservice teachers felt the program could improve, both within course instruction and regarding the lesson plan template.
Keywords
differentiated instruction, preservice teacher education, TiLT, lesson planning
Professional Bio
Dr. Charlotte Mundy-Henderson's current research interests are in-service and pre-service teacher education – particularly in high-poverty schools, K-6 literacy, and children’s literature. Her teaching experiences include grades 2-5 in public schools and undergraduate through doctoral level courses in higher education.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Mundy-Henderson, Charlotte; Gierhart, Aaron R.; and Maarouf, Saoussan, "Supporting Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Design of Differentiated Instruction with a Transparent Lesson Plan Template" (2022). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 28.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2022/2022/28
Supporting Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Design of Differentiated Instruction with a Transparent Lesson Plan Template
PARB 227 (Second Floor)
Planning and differentiation are key components of elementary teachers’ work in classrooms. Therefore, teacher education programs must prepare their preservice teachers for this future responsibility. This study examines how the integration of a more targeted lesson plan template and increased explicit in-class instruction impacts preservice teachers’ knowledge and implementation of differentiated instruction in an Elementary Education teacher certification program. Findings indicate that the new, more targeted lesson plan template and increased time dedicated to explicit differentiated instruction across the Elementary Education program led candidates to feel more knowledgeable about differentiated instruction and how to design and implement instruction for diverse learners. There were also areas in which our preservice teachers felt the program could improve, both within course instruction and regarding the lesson plan template.
