Differentiated Instruction as an Inclusive Educational Service: Improving Grade 9 Students’ Academic Performance in Araling Panlipunan as Social and Cultural Studies

Abstract

This study examined the effect of differentiated instruction as an inclusive educational service in improving the academic performance of Grade 9 students in Araling Panlipunan at Sta. Ana National High School during the School Year 2024–2025. Anchored in the concept of school as a learning community, differentiated instruction was implemented to address learners’ diverse academic readiness, interests, and learning profiles. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design was employed, involving two intact classes assigned as control and experimental groups. The control group received traditional instruction, while the experimental group was taught using differentiated strategies. A researcher-made achievement test aligned with the Most Essential Learning Competencies was administered as both pretest and posttest. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential tests, including paired and independent samples t-tests. Results showed no significant difference between the groups’ pretest scores, indicating comparable baseline performance. However, posttest results revealed a significant difference in favor of the experimental group, which also demonstrated a higher learning gain. The findings indicate that differentiated instruction effectively serves diverse learners and strengthens inclusive educational practice within the school community.