Lived Experiences of Science Teachers in the Utilization of Differentiated Instruction in Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA

This study explored the lived experiences of Filipino science teachers in implementing Differentiated Instruction (DI) in selected schools in Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA. It sought to understand the meanings teachers attributed to their experiences, identify the essential themes characterizing those experiences, and generate insights for a proposed framework for responsive differentiated science instruction. A qualitative phenomenological design was employed, with participants purposively selected based on their experience implementing DI in science classrooms. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method. The findings revealed five interrelated themes that characterize differentiated science instruction as a lived experience of responsive professional practice: encountering learner diversity as the starting point of differentiation; adapting science learning to individual needs; living with the tensions and demands of differentiated instruction; becoming flexible, reflective, and resourceful through experience; and finding fulfillment in learner engagement, understanding, and growth. Across these experiences, teachers described DI not as a fixed instructional technique or a set of isolated strategies, but as a continuous and context-responsive process of knowing learners, adapting instruction, negotiating classroom demands, and reflecting on learners’ responses and development. The essence of the experience lies in teachers’ sustained commitment to making science learning responsive to learner diversity while navigating the practical demands and constraints of classroom instruction. These findings provided the experiential basis for the development of a Responsive Differentiated Science Instruction (RDSI) Framework, which may serve as a guide for responsive, adaptive, and learner-centered science instruction.