PRACTICUM WEEK: 4

DATE: (24 April 2022)

CLASS: 2 UITM

TITLE: The Effective of Differentiate Task

1. Focus issue
 During my fourth week of teaching English at 2 UITM, I discovered that
some of my students were unable to provide correct answers, despite the
fact that the questions were very simple and easy to answer. Only a few
students are able to give me the correct answer. I realised my students
come from different levels of background and knowledge of the English
language. I discovered that they are not very confident in giving the
answer and instead simply wait for their friends to give it and copy it. They
are to depend on their teacher and their friends who are good at English to
complete the task given. At the same time, 2 UITM is a large class that
has 38 students in it. This would make it difficult for me to focus on each
student because it would slow down my lesson development and
sometimes leave the higher proficiency students bored while they waited
for me to help the low proficiency students one at a time. I gave all of them
the same teaching material to measure their understanding. I did that to
save my time and facilitate my lesson for the day. I am not giving them the
task according to the students’ level of capability. From the results, I
realised my students left the answers blank and made a lot of errors. This
situation proves to me that I do not know my students' backgrounds well. I
should try to find a way to fix this problem so it doesn't happen again.

2. Analysis of focus issue:

 The issue due in my lesson is that 2 UITM consists of a variety of
backgrounds of students’ knowledge. The students are separated into 3
levels of understanding, which are low, intermediate, and high-achievers.
My low students cannot answer the questions in the time frame given, and
they also cannot interpret what the questions want. If they were able to
 complete the questions, unfortunately they gave the incorrect answers.
This situation really makes me upset because my students can't really
receive well what I teach them on that day. I am concerned that it may
demotivate my low-learner students in their English studies. Students who
are not motivated are simply not interested and need to be engaged in
order to participate fully in class. I believe they should do the differentiated
activity for them to go through the lesson with their high-learner peers. I
don’t want them to feel lost or separated from the learning process.
Learning English should be enjoyable, and the students should enjoy the
process.

 
3. Literature Review on the issue:
 According to Hedge (2000), mixed-ability classes have students with varying
abilities in learning language, and that may be the key underlying cause of
challenges experienced by teachers who teach mixed-ability classes.
Emphasizing the differences in abilities among students in mixed-ability
classes, Hedge (2000) argued that students differ in their cognitive abilities
and this consequently affects their language learning abilities. Hedge (2000)
identified learners as high-ability learners (fast learners); moderate-ability
learners and low-ability learners (slow learners) of foreign language.
Supporting this view, Chapman and King (2003) opined that in mixed-ability
foreign language classes, students with most difficulties in learning language
tend to experience severe to moderate spelling and reading difficulties.
Chapman and King (2003) further noted that other learners without a history
of reading and spelling difficulties might also find it challenging to learn foreign
language.

4. Suggestion for Follow-up Action

 Based on the analysis, I need to know and understand my student’s
weakness and strength. I need to group my students according to their levels
and differentiate in terms of their activity, task or the exercise given. I should
not use the same materials for all of them because my students have a
 different understanding of English. I may use simple language while giving the
instructions or speaking and try to speak more slowly. I have to make the
instructions more explicit. I prefer not to ask them open-ended questions
instead they had better ask precise questions requiring the definite answer. I
have to prepare my teaching materials, which are concrete, simple, and
varied. I also have to do some differentiated tasks between the lower and
higher learners. This would provide an opportunity for the slow learners to
participate in the activities alongside with their classmates despite having the
different understandings.

5. Time Duration for Solution 

 1 Day

6. Follow-up Action 
 I have prepared a few materials for assessment to assess my students'
understanding. I simplified my instruction and spoke simply and more slowly. I
changed the structure of the question to make it more understandable, but it
still remains on the same issue. My high-achieving students used the
questions from the textbook, but for my slow and medium-paced learners, I
created a new handout that is still the same as the textbook approach. From
here, I am certain that my slow and mid-learner students will be able to
engage in the learning process with the high-learner students.

7. Date that conduct Follow-up Action

 24 April 2022

  8. Efficiency of Suggested Solutions 

 The result of the approaches above is that my students are really motivated
and confident in the class, especially when they are told to come forward and
answer the questions. They were able to give correct answers, as with their
high-learner friends, even with the help of materials provided by the teacher.
This would give them confidence to continue the learning process. The result
is that my students expect and eagerly await my arrival in every English class.
    9. Conclusion / Reflection

 I am pleased because my students were able to perform well in completing

the tasks assigned to them. They took part in the activity together, which gave
them more confidence to speak out and express their response. The answer
provided is also correct based on the questions given. I can see there is no
gap between slow, medium, and high-learner students in the activity. They
enjoyed the learning process together.

10. Reference
 Ansari, M. S. (2013). Coping with the Problems of Mixed Ability Classes: A
Study in the Context of Teaching English as SL/FL. International Journal of
English: Literature, Language & Skills. AI-Subaiei, M.S. (2017).

 Challenges in Mixed Ability Classes and Strategies Utilized by ELI. Teachers

to Cope with Them. English Language Teaching; 10(6):182-189. Retrieved on
19th Dec 2019 from http://ijhe.sciedupress.com International Journal of Higher
Education Vol. 9, No. 1; 2020 Published by Sci edu Press 268 ISSN 1927-
6044 E-ISSN 1927-6052 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317241644_Challenges_in_Mixed_Ability_
Classes_and_Strategies_U tilized_by_ELI_Teachers_to_Cope_with_Them.
https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v10n6p182