Abstract

The present research seeks to investigate the effectiveness of using differentiated instruction strategies, in teaching mathematics, on the development of achievement among the first grade secondary female students. It, seeks, also, to determine the correlation between the grades of the first grade secondary female students on the two instruments of measuring persistence during solving mathematical problems and achievement. The experimental sample of the research consisted of (78) female students of the first grade secondary school female students at Damietta Educational Administration, (2018/2019). They were divided into two groups; an experimental group (n=41) and a control group (n=37). The experimental group was subdivided into small groups according to their learning patterns based on VARK Model, Instructional materials were prepared for each one of the learning patterns. Persistence was used as a categorical variable. The research hypotheses were as follows: 1. There were statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the control and experimental groups (at the level of 0.05) in the post-tests of both the achievement test and the persistence scale, in favor of the experimental group scores. 2. There was a statistically significant correlation (at the level of 0.05) between the scores of students in the post-test of achievement and their scores on the persistence scale . 3. There were statistically significant differences (at the level of 0.05) between the mean ranks of high persistent students' scores and low persistent students' scores in the post-test of achievement, in favor of the high persistent students' mean ranks. 4. Differentiated instruction contributed to raising the level of achievement and persistence of the experimental group students, hence the effect size was more than 0.8. Research findings revealed the effectiveness of the utilized experimental procedures in raising the achievement level of the experimental group female students regarding the Matrices Unit required by the first grade secondary female students. Findings revealed, also, an improvement in the students' level of persistence. The author found a strong positive correlation between achievement and persistence.