Enhancing EFL pedagogy through Differentiated Homework Assignments: A Montenegrin experiment

Abstract

Differentiated instruction is a proven teaching approach that allows educators to personalize lessons to meet the unique needs of each student. By customizing the content, materials, and activities based on a student’s level of English, background knowledge, needs, and interests, teachers can ensure that all learners are able to work at their own pace with appropriate materials. Our team built on research conducted at the University of Montenegro in 2022 by implementing an experiment that incorporated differentiated homework assignments for 45 Master’s students enrolled in a compulsory EFL Methodology course. Using a model lesson evaluation rubric to assess their work and a questionnaire to gather feedback, we found that differentiated instruction positively impacted student performance. Most participants reported highly favorable opinions on their experience and emphasized the positive effects of differentiated teaching on their teaching ability.