Annamária Kótay-Nagy: DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION WITH TECHNOLOGY IN THE HUNGARIAN EFL CLASSROOM
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3 Research Design and Methods
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3.3 Phase 2: Identifying Common Patterns of TEDI in the Primary and Secondary School EFL Class (Studies 3, 4, and 5)
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3.3.3 The Classroom Observation Study (Study 4)

3.3.3 The Classroom Observation Study (Study 4)

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3.3.3.1 Methods of Data Collection. The aim of Study 4 was to observe how the focal participants use technology for differentiated instruction in their lesson. I used a nonobtrusive and nonstructured type of qualitative observation, which aims to observe and record acts, activities, events as well as the characteristics of the physical setting, including the objects found in it, “to discover what people do and with whom, what is happening, and if there are any trends and patterns discernible in these activities” (McKechnie, 2008, p. 574). To this end, a semi-structured observation schedule (Cohen et al., 2007) suitable for taking focused qualitative field notes was compiled and piloted, the steps of which are presented in Section 3.3.3.2.
 

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3.3.3.2 The Development and Piloting of the Observation Schedule. As McKechnie (2008) points out, while qualitative observations avoid using predefined coding schemes to avoid “the potential blinders of preconceived notions” (p. 573), it is nevertheless advisable to identify relevant indicators and explanatory concepts from the literature that can serve as guidelines during the observation. Following this line of thought, in my research I used Tomlinson’s (1999, 2014) model of DI as the theoretical framework of the observation (for a discussion of the model, see Section 2.1.3). In all the lessons I observed, I looked for patterns of how technology was used either by the teacher or the students to differentiate the content, the process, the product and the learning environment along students’ interests, readiness levels and learning profiles.

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Besides, I was also looking at how students behaved in the lessons, specifically whether signs of motivated learning behaviour and engagement were present. As discussed in Section 2.2.3.2, the observable manifestations of these two constructs greatly overlap (Ainley, 2012; Cleary & Zimmerman, 2012; Henry & Thorsen, 2018; Martin, 2012; Philp & Duchesne, 2016; Reeve, 2012). Therefore, following recent research on the topic (e.g., Baralt et al., 2016; Philp & Duchesne, 2016), I treated these two notions together under certain observable signs, such as active participation in discussions, staying focused and on-task, smiling and laughing, and showing eagerness and excitement.

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The data collection instrument was a semi-structured observation schedule (Cohen et al., 2007) I compiled for focused field note-taking. The first version of this schedule had three main parts. It included a box for recording the main stages of the lesson, as well as a matrix based on the two dimensions of Tomlinson’s (1999, 2014) model of DI, with the curriculum areas (content, process, product, learning environment) being on the vertical axis and the learner differences being on the horizontal axis. I also added a section next to the matrix to record my comments and reflections on the observed TEDI practices and student behaviours. This initial version of the schedule is attached in Appendix K.

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I piloted the observation schedule in one of Vanda’s EFL lessons with her second graders in the spring of 2023. The piloting served two aims; firstly, to test whether the instrument can be used to record data, more specifically, in the words of Cohen et al. (2007), to check whether the categories included in the schedule actually serve as effective and “flexible guidelines for data collection” (p. 576), and, secondly, to gain practice in completing the schedule, and ensure that I am “consistent in entering the data” (p. 399).

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I learned important lessons during the piloting. While I could record the main stages of the lesson in detail, and the matrix I compiled based on Tomlinson’s (1999, 2014) model also helped in identifying certain elements of the observed TEDI practices, I realised that using such a complex matrix at the data collection phase posed a challenge in separating objective observations from subjective interpretations, a principle that is especially important in qualitative observations. As Cohen et al (2007) argue, qualitative observations “should focus on the observable and make explicit the inferential” and “the construction of abstractions and generalizations might commence early but should not starve the researcher of novel channels of inquiry” (p. 407). My impression was that using this matrix demanded too much on-the-spot analysis, which might have diverted my attention from other phenomena to be observed, and thus posed a threat to the reliability of data collection.

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In light of these experiences, after the piloting, I revised the schedule so that factual observations could be explicitly separated from interpretive notes, and I also replaced the matrix with simple guiding questions that focused on the details of ICT use and DI strategies. These changes, as were my experiences with the subsequent observation of Bea’s class and my post-observation analysis of the notes taken in that lesson, made the data collection more feasible, as I could focus more on what could be directly observed and distinguish these observations from my interpretations (Cohen et al., 2007). The revised version of the schedule, which was used in the main observation study as well, is attached in Appendix L.
 

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3.3.3.3 Participants and Data Collection Procedures. As mentioned earlier, the aim of Study 4 was to observe how the focal participants use technology for differentiated instruction in their lessons. The participants, therefore, included the five focal participants from the three schools, and the students participating in their lessons observed (see Table 15). The observations took place in the spring and autumn of 2023. I observed one, 45-minute lesson of each focal participant and took notes using the observation schedule described in Section 3.3.3.2. After the lessons, I also had brief, 15-minute informal discussions with the teachers. During these conversations, they described the observed group, demonstrated the main features of some of the applications they used in the lesson, and shared their opinions on the benefits of these tools.
 

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Table 15 The Participants of the Classes Observed in Study 4
Teacher
School
Grade
Number of students
Bea
School A
Grade 5
12
Rebeka
School A
Grade 6
9
Tímea
School A
Grade 12
6
Emma
School B
Grade 9
10
Kamilla
School C
Grade 4
8
 

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3.3.3.4 Methods of Data Analysis. Similarly to Study 1 and Study 3, the data were subjected to template analysis in line with the guidelines of King (2012). Two overarching a priori themes were identified for the initial template, which corresponded to the research questions of the study, and each had sub-themes drawn from the consulted theoretical and empirical literature. The a priori themes and sub-themes are shown in Table 16.
 

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Table 16 Template Used for Data Analysis in Study 4
A priori theme 
Sub-themes 
Curriculum areas of TEDI 
  • Content 
  • Process 
  • Product 
  • Learning environment 
Affordances of TEDI 
  • Enhanced instruction (self-paced learning, student choice)
  • Increased motivation and engagement (active participation, smiling, staying focused, eagerness)
 
 

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I coded and analysed the observation notes in ATLAS.ti 8.4.3, using template analysis (King, 2012). The process involved coding segments of the notes, comparing them against the predefined themes and sub-themes, and reviewing and adjusting the template in a recursive manner until all the notes were coded. The first draft of the emerging structure was subjected to peer debriefing by a colleague of mine in the PhD programme, upon which some themes were further refined. To ensure the reliability of the coding, I used the code-recode strategy (Saldaña, 2013) by revisiting my dataset two weeks after the initial coding. The peer debriefing and code-recode procedures confirmed that the emerging template was a suitable framework for organising the observational notes. Altogether 2 main themes, 6 sub-themes and 14 codes were assigned to a total of 58 field note segments. Table 17 provides a numerical overview of these themes, sub-themes and codes, while a sample of coded observation notes is attached in Appendix M.
 

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Table 17 An Overview of the Final Themes, Sub-Themes, and Codes in Study 4
Theme
(Sum: 2)
Sub-theme
(Sum: 6)
Code
(Sum: 14)
Number of times code was used
(Sum: 58)
Percentage of all codes
(%)
Number of lessons
(n = 5)
Percentage of all lessons
(%)
1.
Elements of TEDI
1.1 Content
1.1.1 tiered reading applications
2
3.4
1
20
1.1.2 online learning resources with scaffolding potential
6
10.3
4
80
1.2 Process
1.2.1 vocabulary apps
2
3,4
1
20
1.2.2 interactive activity sets
5
8.6
2
40
1.3 Product
1.3.1 content creation tools
3
5.2
3
60
1.4 Learning environment
1.4.1 gamification platforms
4
6.9
2
40
1.4.2 quiz games
3
5.2
2
40
2. Affordances of TEDI
2.1 Enhanced instruction
2.1.1 self-paced learning
3
5.2
3
60
2.2.1 student choice
6
10.3
5
100
2.1.3 privacy
4
6.9
4
80
2.2 Increased student motivation and engagement
2.2.1 active participation in discussions
4
6.9
2
40
2.2.2 smiling, laughing
5
8.6
4
80
2.2.3 staying focused and on-task
5
8.6
5
100
2.2.4 eagerness, excitement
6
10.3
3
60
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