Effectiveness of Differentiated Instruction in Teaching The Merchant of Venice: An Action Research with Grade 12 Students

Abstract

Teachers in Bhutanese schools need to be prepared with various teaching skills to cater to students with different learning styles while delivering lessons. This action research evaluated the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in teaching Shakespeare’s 16th-century play, The Merchant of Venice, to grade 12 students at Nangkor Central School. The study investigated how differentiated teaching strategies impacted students’ learning outcomes compared to traditional teaching methods. Using a quantitative approach, two groups of 30 students were formed: a control group that received conventional teaching and an experimental group that experienced differentiated instruction over four weeks. Pre- and post-tests were administered to measure improvements in understanding and performance in The Merchant of Venice. Results indicated that while both groups showed improvement, the controlled group achieved significantly higher mean scores compared to the experimental group. The findings suggested that conventional teaching methods may be more effective in certain contexts, highlighting the need for further exploration into the long-term effects of differentiated instruction.