THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION ON READING COMPREHENSION OF IRANIAN RURAL EFL LEARNERS

THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE AND POTENTIAL EFFECT(S) OF DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION (DI) ON READING COMPREHENSION OF IRANIAN RURAL EFL LEARNERS. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN A PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF A LESS PROSPEROUS AREA NEAR THE BORDER OF IRAN AND TURKEY. AMONG THE SECOND GRADE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE AREA, 60 WERE SELECTED AS THE SAMPLE WHO WERE BETWEEN 15-18 YEARS OLD. ON THE BASIS OF THE PRETEST, SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO HOMOGENOUS GROUPS, ONE OF THEM EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND THE OTHER ONE CONTROL GROUP, EACH INCLUDING 30 PARTICIPANTS. EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS TREATED FOR 12 SESSIONS USING PRINCIPLES AND RULES OF DI, AND AT THE END OF THE TREATMENT A POST-TEST WAS ADMINISTERED TO BOTH OF THE GROUPS AT THE SAME TIME AND IN THE SAME PLACE. AS THE RESULTS REVEALED, IN POST-TEST PHASE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP OUTPERFORMED CONTROL GROUP WITH A HIGHER MEAN SCORE, AND IT WAS SHOWN THAT DI HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON RURAL STUDENTS' READING COMPREHENSION. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY MAY HAVE PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHERS AND POLICY MAKERS AND SYLLABUS DESIGNERS, HELPING THEM IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF READING TASKS AND ALSO TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS.