VIRTUAL DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN MANDARIN TEACHING: A REVIEW

Abstract

Differentiated instruction, also known as differentiated learning, is a teaching philosophy that considers the needs of all students, including when they are in a virtual learning environment. Virtual strategies and differentiated instruction could be tailored to every learner’s needs and are more convincing than the traditional “one-size-fits-all” approach to teaching. Virtual differentiated instruction shows concerns about students’ existence, encouraging engagement while fulfilling the needs of high-performance students. However, there is little information regarding the application of virtual differentiated instruction by teachers. Besides, teachers might not regularly adapt instruction to students’ specific characteristics. Hence, this research intends to determine the status of differentiated instruction’s implementation in Mandarin virtual learning. The review demonstrates that educators are aware of the existence and importance of differentiated instruction. The practice of differentiated instruction is growing among Mandarin educators, with voices urging for proper training and guidance for its realisation. Of late, Mandarin researchers have been focusing on technology-enhanced learning. Scholars have directly or indirectly been applying the differentiated instruction approach in their teaching practices, with positive impacts on students’ learning. Nevertheless, some discrepancies need to be considered in ensuring its success. An understanding of differentiated instruction in Mandarin virtual classes can help instructors adopt the approach efficiently with attuned strategies to cater to students’ diversity. It could also provide ideas to other educators in differentiating their teaching strategies towards enhancing students’ learning performances.   Keywords: Differentiated instruction, virtual learning, Mandarin foreign language, technology-enhance learning, students’ diversity.   Cite as: Chua, N. A., Soon, G. Y., Ibrahim, M. Y., Che Noh, C. H., Mansor, N. R., Zaid, C. M., … Shen, D. M. (2021). Virtual differentiated instruction and its implementation in Mandarin teaching: A review.  Journal of Nusantara Studies, 6(2), 231-249. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol6iss2pp231-249