Dutch elementary school teachers’ differentiation practices during Science and Technology lessons

Although differentiation is essential to quality teaching, portraits of how teachers adjust lessons of specific subjects to students' needs are scarce. This study investigated Dutch teachers' differentiation practices in elementary Science and Technology (S&T) education. In a multiple-case design, data obtained from lesson plans, interviews and observations of nine elementary-school teachers were triangulated. All teachers adjusted their lesson's environment and/or process with the aim to support children's learning. Adjustments in product and content were less common and more targeted at fostering children's curiosity or creativity. These findings are discussed in relation to theoretical frameworks and empirical results in other contexts.