Relationship Between Differentiated Instruction and Student Engagement in Mathematics Among Grade 10 Students of Tulungatung National High School

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between differentiated instruction and students’ engagement in Mathematics among Grade 10 students of Tulungatung National High School during the School Year 2025–2026. Despite the increasing use of differentiated instruction in secondary education, limited local studies have examined how this approach is associated with students’ behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement in Mathematics, particularly in public secondary schools. The study aimed to determine the level of implementation of differentiated instruction in terms of content, process, product, and learning environment, the level of students’ engagement, and the significant relationship between these variables. A quantitative correlational research design was used involving 30 Grade 10 students selected from four sections. Data were collected using a validated survey questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale, and reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha. Descriptive statistics such as weighted mean were used to determine the levels of differentiated instruction and engagement, while regression analysis was used to examine their relationship. Results showed that differentiated instruction was implemented at a high to very high level across all dimensions, particularly in learning environment (WM = 4.23) and content (WM = 4.21), while process (WM = 4.17) and product (WM = 4.20) were also rated high. Similarly, students demonstrated high levels of engagement in terms of emotional (WM = 4.20), behavioral (WM = 4.15), and cognitive (WM = 4.15) dimensions. Further analysis revealed a strong positive relationship (R = 0.72) between differentiated instruction and student engagement, with results indicating that differentiated instruction was significantly associated with student engagement (R² = 0.52, p < 0.05). The findings suggest that the use of varied instructional strategies responsive to learners’ needs is associated with higher levels of student engagement in Mathematics. It is recommended that teachers may further strengthen differentiated practices through professional development and contextualized learning activities to sustain student engagement.