Research Article

Enhancing students’ numeracy skills through differentiated instruction strategies by considering student diversity

Alvin Odon Insorio 1 2 *
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1 San Pedro College of Business Administration, San Pedro, Laguna, PHILIPPINES2 San Pedro Relocation Center National High School, San Pedro, Laguna, PHILIPPINES* Corresponding Author
International Journal of Professional Development, Learners and Learning, 8(2), 2026, e2613, https://doi.org/10.30935/ijpdll/18932
Submitted: 01 May 2025, Published: 07 July 2026
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ABSTRACT

Students can only perform well in the mathematics subject if student diversity is appropriately handled. However, limited studies in Philippine schools address student diversity to improve student numeracy skills through differentiated instruction (DI). So, DI strategies were applied in mathematics classrooms to address student diversity for improving numeracy. The study aimed to enhance the numeracy skills of secondary school students through DI strategies such as assessing prior knowledge, open questions, parallel tasks, and technology integration by considering student diversity. A practical action research design with the plan-do-study-act model was used to implement DI strategies for three months in one school. Twenty mathematics teachers who underwent training via learning action cell sessions for five months and five thousand three hundred students from grade 7 to grade 11 served as participants. Teacher-made test material, an adapted questionnaire, and interviews were used to collect data validated by mathematics experts. The results showed that DI strategies addressed student diversity by delivering lessons based on the students’ interests, readiness, and learning preferences. Students’ numeracy skills increased after integrating DI strategies, as shown by the test scores. However, teachers’ challenges arose, like limited pedagogical skills, a shortage of resources, a time-consuming approach, and poor classroom management. The study proved that DI strategies were effective in addressing student diversity to improve the students’ numeracy skills. Therefore, mathematics teachers may integrate DI strategies to consider student diversity to produce better learning outcomes.
Keywords: differentiated instruction, numeracy, strategies, student diversity

CITATION (APA)

Insorio, A. O. (2026). Enhancing students’ numeracy skills through differentiated instruction strategies by considering student diversity. International Journal of Professional Development, Learners and Learning, 8(2), e2613. https://doi.org/10.30935/ijpdll/18932

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