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Pec 102 - Module 4 Answers

This module focuses on understanding individual differences and diversity in the classroom, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and valuing these differences for effective teaching. It outlines various factors contributing to student diversity, the benefits of such diversity in enhancing learning, and strategies for teachers to accommodate diverse learning styles. Activities are included to engage students in exploring their similarities and differences, promoting a richer educational experience.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
46 views13 pages

Pec 102 - Module 4 Answers

This module focuses on understanding individual differences and diversity in the classroom, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and valuing these differences for effective teaching. It outlines various factors contributing to student diversity, the benefits of such diversity in enhancing learning, and strategies for teachers to accommodate diverse learning styles. Activities are included to engage students in exploring their similarities and differences, promoting a richer educational experience.

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gillanne0310
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MODULE 4

INDIVIDUAL
DIFFERENCES

MIELA H. DE GRACIA, EMD

Take the Challenge!

In this Module, challenge yourself to attain the following learning outcomes:


 Identify the different factors that bring about diversity in the classroom.
 Demonstrate a positive attitude towards diversity as an enriching element in the
learning environment.
 Come up with teaching strategies that consider students diversity.

Introduction

You probably heard someone say, “Everyone is unique”. Though it’s sounds really like a
cliché, one cannot ignore the truth in it. As a facilitator of learning, the teacher is tasked to
consider the individual differences among the students in planning for effective instructions.

Advance Organizer

Individual Differences

(Students Diversity)

Individual Differences Benefits of Diversity in Classroom Strategies for


Factors the Classroom Students Diversity

ENGAGE

GROUP ACTIIVITY 1
1. Examine the class where you belong.
2. Each of you will provide information about you.
Name: ASENTISTA, MARS GILLANNE BANDIVAS
Age: 28
Gender: FEMALE
Nationality: FILIPINO
Province: ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE
Language/ Dialect spoken: BISAYA
Hobbies/ Interest:
Favorite Subject: VALUES
Subject you are best in: COMMUNICATION
Subject you find difficult: MATH
Ambition: TO BECOME AN EFFECTIVE SOCIAL WORKER

3. Tally all your responses to come up with a class profile.

EXPLORE
ACTIVITY 2
1. In what ways are you and your classmates similar?
We are similar in that most of us are Filipinos, speak either Cebuano or
Tagalog, and are students pursuing a similar course. We also share common goals like
finishing school and helping our families, and many of us are interested in similar
subjects like English or Science.

2. In what ways are you and your classmates different?


We differ in our dialects, interests, family backgrounds, provinces, religious
beliefs, learning styles, and how we understand lessons. Some are more extroverted,
others are shy; some learn best by reading, others by doing.

3. How does a girl differ from a boy in behavior?


Girls tend to be more expressive with their emotions, collaborative, and
sometimes more detail-oriented. Boys may be more action-oriented, competitive, or
reserved emotionally. But it depends on individual personality, not just gender.

4. In what ways does an American differ from a Filipino?


Americans often value individualism and independence, while Filipinos
prioritize community, family, and social harmony. Cultural practices, food, language,
and communication styles differ, but both value education and success.
5. How does life in the province differ from that in the city?
Life in the province is more peaceful, slow-paced, and closer to nature. In
contrast, city life is busier, more modern, and more diverse in terms of opportunities
and people. Access to education and technology may also vary.

6. Are you glad you have similarities? Differences? Explain your answer.
Yes, because similarities help us connect and understand each other, while
differences help us learn from one another and grow. Our diversity makes the
classroom more dynamic and rich in perspectives.

7. How can the teacher utilize these similarities and differences in teaching you?
The teacher can design activities that allow students to share their experiences,
use varied teaching strategies (e.g., visuals, group work, discussions), and make sure
all students feel included. They can also highlight common goals while respecting
each learner’s uniqueness.

EXPLAIN

Factors that Bring about Student Diversity


In all learning environments, individuals interact with others who are in some ways
different from them. Recall how these differences were shown in your class tally- gender and
racial, ethnic and cultural background (nationality, province, language). This diversity also
comes from other factors like the following.
1. Socioeconomic Status – The millionaires’ lifestyle differ from the middle income or
lower income group.
2. Thinking/ Learning style – Some of your learn better by seeing something; others by
just listening; and still other by manipulating something.
3. Exceptionalities – In class there maybe one who has difficulty in spoken language
comprehension or in seeing, hearing, etc.

How Students Diversity Enriches the Learning Environment


A teacher may be “challenged” to handle a class with students so diverse. There may
be students having different cultural background, different language abilities, different
attitudes and aptitudes and behaviors. Some teachers might see this diversity as a difficult
predicament, really a hassle! Yet a more reflective teacher may see a diverse classroom as an
exciting place to learn not just for her students, but for herself, as well. A wise teacher may
choose to respect and celebrate diversity! Read on to discover the benefits and learning
opportunities that student diverse can bring to your classroom.
1. Students’ self awareness is enhanced by diversity. Exposing students to others with
diverse background and experiences also serves to help students focus on their
awareness of themselves. When they see how others are different, students are given
reference points or comparative perspectives which sharpen assessment of their own
attitudes, values and behaviors.
2. Student diversity contributes to cognitive development. The opportunity to gain
access to the perspectives of peers and to learn from other students, rather than the
instructor only, may be especially important for promoting the cognitive development
of learners. Supreme Court Justice, William J. Bennan said: “The classroom is
peculiarly the ‘marketplace of ideas.’ The depth and breadth of student learning are
enhanced by exposure to others from diverse backgrounds. Student diversity in the
classroom brings about different point of view and varied approaches to the learning
process.

As the German philosopher, Nietzsche, said over 100 years ago: “The more affects we
allow to speak about one thing, the more eyes, different eyes we can use to observe one thing,
the more complete will our concept of this thing, our objectives, be.”
3. Student diversity prepares learners for their role as responsible members of
society. Suzanne Morse stresses one competency that has strong implication for
instructional strategies that capitalized on diversity: “The capacity to imagine
situations or problems from all perspectives and to appreciate all aspects of diversity”.
Furthermore, she argues: “The classroom can provide more than just theory given by
the teachers in a lecture. With studentdiversity, the classroom becomes a ‘public
place’ where community can be practiced.
4. Student diversity can promote harmony. When student diversity is integrated into
the classroom teaching and learning process, it can become a vehicle for promoting
harmonious race relations. Through student-centered teaching strategies, diverse
students can be encouraged to interact and collaborate with one another on learning
task that emphasize unity of effort while capitalizing on their diversity of
backgrounds.

Some Tips on Student Diversity


1. Encourage learners to share their personal history and experience.
Students will be made to realize that they have something in common with the rest.
They also differ in several ways.

2. Integrate, learning experiences and activities which promote students’


multicultural and cross-cultural awareness.
 You can encourage or even initiate co-curricular experiences that are aimed at
promoting diversity awareness. These activities could be held to coincide with
already-scheduled national weeks or months which are designed for appreciation
of diverse groups: Disability Awareness Week, Linggo ng Wika, Indigenous
People’s Week, etc.
 Let students interview other students on campus who are from diverse
backgrounds (foreign students or students from other ethnic/ racial groups). These
students of different racial and ethnic origin serve as source of first-hand
information on topics related to their culture. This can also provide opportunity
for interactions among students who may otherwise never come in contact with
each other.
 Invite students to Internet discussion group or e-mail; have students “visit” foreign
counties and “talk” to natives of those countries.
 Ask students if they have ever been the personal target of prejudice or
discrimination and have them share these experiences with other members of the
class.

3. Aside from highlighting diversity, identify patterns of unity that transcend group
differences.
Clide Kluckholn, an early American anthropologist who spent a lifetime studying
human diversity across different cultures, concluded from his extensive research that,
“Every human is, at the same time, like all other humans, like some humans, and like
no other human” (cited in Wong, 1991). His observation suggests a paradox in the
human experience, namely: We are all the same in different ways. It may be important
to point out to students the biological reality that we, human beings, share
approximately 95% of our genes in common, and that less than 5% of our genes
account for the physical differences that exist among us. When focusing on human
differences, these commonalities should not be overlooked; otherwise, our repeated
attempts to promote student diversity may inadvertently promote student divisiveness.
One way to minimize the risk, and promote unit along with diversity, is to stress the
universality” of the learning experience by raising students’ consciousness of common
themes that bind all groups of people- in addition to highlighting the variations on
those themes.
 Periodically place students in homogenous group on the basis of shared demographic
characteristics (e.g., same-gender groups or same-race/ethnicity groups), and have
them share their personal views or experiences with respect to course issues. Then
form a panel comprised of representatives from each group who will report their
group’s ideas. You can serve as moderator and identify the key differences and
recurrent themes that emerge across different groups, or students who are not on the
panel can be assigned this task.
 Try to form group of students who are different with respect to one demographic
characteristic but similar with respect to another (e.g., similar gender but different
with respect to race/ ethnicity, or similar in age but different gender). This practice can
serve to increase student awareness that humans who are members of different groups
can, at the same time, be members of the same group- and share similar experiences,
needs or concerns.
 After students have completed self-assessment instruments (e.g., learning style
inventories or personality profiles), have them line up or movie to a corner of the
room according to their individual scores or overall profile. This practice can visibly
demonstrate to students how members of different student’s populations can be quite
similar with respect to their learning styles or personality profiles, i.e., students can
see how individual similarities can often overshadow group differences.

4. Communicate high expectations to students from all subgroups.


 Make a conscious attempt to call on, or draw in students from diverse groups by using
effective questioning techniques that reliably elicit student’s involvement. In addition
to consciously calling on them in class, other strategies for “drawing in” and
involving students include: (a) assigning them the role of reporter in small-group
discussions, i.e., the one who reports back the group’s ideas to the class, and (b)
having them engaged in paired discussions with another classmate with the stipulation
that each partner must take turns assuming the role of both listener and speaker, and
(c) scheduling instructors- students conferences with them outside the classroom.
 Learn the names of your students, especially the foreign names that you may have
difficulty pronouncing. This will enable you to establish early personal rapport with
them which can later serve as a social/emotional foundation or springboard for
encouraging them to participate.

5. Use varied instructional methods to accommodate student diversity in learning


styles.
 Diversify the sensory/perceptual modalities through which you deliver and present
information (e.g., orally, in print, diagrammatic and pictorial representations, or “hand
on” experiences).
 Diversify the instructional formats or procedures you use in class:
- Use formats that are student-centered (e.g., class discussions, small group work)
and teacher-centered (e.g., lectures, demonstrations).
- Use formats that are unstructured (e.g., trial-and-error discovery learning) and
structured (e.g., step-by-step instructions).
- Use procedures that involve both independent learning (e.g., independently
completed projects, individual presentations) and interdependent learning (e.g.,
collaborative learning in pairs or small groups).

6. Vary the examples you use to illustrate concepts in order to provide multiple
context that are relevant to students from diverse backgrounds.

Specific strategies for providing multiple examples and varied context that are
relevant to their varied backgrounds include the following:
 Have students complete personal information cards during the first week of class and
use this information to select examples or illustrations that are relevant to their
personal interest and life experiences.
 Use ideas, comments and questions that student raise in class, or which they choose to
write about to help you think for examples and illustrations to use.
 Ask students to provide their own examples of concepts based on experience drawn
from their personal lives.
 Have students apply concepts by placing them in a situation or context that is relevant
to their lives (e.g., “How would you show respect to all persons in your home?”).
7. Adapt to the students’ diverse backgrounds and learning styles by allowing them
personal choice and decision-making opportunities concerning what they will
learn and how they will learn it.
Giving the learner more decision-making opportunity with respect to learning
task
(a) Promotes positive student attitudes towards the subject matter, (b) fosters more
positive interactions among students, (c) results in students working more consistently
with lesser teacher intervention. Also, when individuals are allowed to exert some
control over a task, they tend to experience less anxiety or stress while performing
that task.

8. Diversify your methods of assessing and evaluating student learning.


You can accommodate student diversity not only by varying what you do with your
teaching, but also by varying what you ask students to do to demonstrate learning. In addition
to the traditional paper-and-pencil test and written assignments, students can demonstrate
their learning in a variety of performance formats, such as: (a) individually deliver oral
reports, (b) panel presentations, (c) group projects, (d) visual presentations, (e.g., concept
maps, slide presentations, power point presentations, collages, exhibits), or (d) dramatic
vignettes- presented live or on videotape. One potential benefit of allowing students to
choose how they demonstrate their learning is that the variety of options exercised may be a
powerful way to promote students awareness of the diversity of human learning styles. You
will have more of assessment in your courses on Assessment of Learning.

9. Purposely, form small-discussion group of students from diverse backgrounds.


You can form group of students with different learning styles, different cultural
background, etc.

Small peer-learning groups may be effective for promoting student progress to a more
advanced stage of cognitive development. Peer-learning groups may promote this
cognitive advancement because: (a) the instructor is removed from center stage,
thereby reducing the likelihood that the teacher is perceived as the ultimate or
absolute authority; and (b) students are exposed to the perspectives of other students,
thus increasing their appreciation of multiple viewpoints and different approaches to
learning.

EXTEND WITH SYNAPSE STREGHTENERS

ACTIVITY 3
Research on at least 2 images from diversity in the classroom and explain what each
image communicates about diversity.

This image shows inclusivity and collaboration. It communicates that diversity, when
embraced, leads to a richer, more engaging learning environment where everyone can
contribute and learn from each other.

This image highlights diverse learning needs and styles. It communicates the
importance of equitable access to education, showing that teaching must be adapted to suit all
learners.

EXTEND BY APPLYING

ACTIVITY 4
Name: ASENTISTA, MARS GILLANNE B. Date:
Describe/present the concept on individual differences by means of the following:
(You may choose one only.)
POEM

"Different but One"


Each student brings a different flame,
No two ideas are quite the same.
Some love numbers, some love art,
Each with a voice, a mind, a heart.

From different lands and walks of life,


Some face peace, and some face strife.
Yet here we learn, we share, we grow,
Together, more than we can know.

EXTEND BY RESEARCHING

ACTIVITY 5
Read a research or study related to student diversity. Fill out the matrix below.
PROBLEM RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

How does student diversity affect Qualitative study through classroom


engagement and classroom observation and student interviews
participation?

Title and Source: Santos, M. (2021).


Cultural Inclusion in the Filipino
Classroom. Journal of Education Research,
15(2), 45–59.

FINDINGS CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

Students from diverse backgrounds Teachers must incorporate culturally


bring different perspectives and responsive teaching and multiple
learning preferences. Inclusive modes of instruction to maximize
strategies increased participation and student engagement and support.
reduced dropout.

EVALUATE

ACTIVITY 6
1. By means of a graphic organizer, identify the factors that bring about diversity in the
classroom.

Gender

Socioeco
Abilities nomic
Status
2. Think of a slogan that celebrates diversity in the classroom. Male posters and have a
Student Diversity Day Poster Exhibit.

“DIFFERENT ROOTS, ONE TREE – GROWING TOGETHER IN LEARNING”

Strategy Explanation
Differentiated Tailoring content and tasks based on students’ readiness, interests, and
Instruction learning profiles.
Group Work with Mixed Allows students to learn from one another’s strengths and perspectives.
Abilities
Use of Multimodal Combines videos, images, reading, and hands-on tasks to address various
Resources learning styles.
Student Choice in Letting students choose topics or formats increases engagement and
Projects relevance.
Cultural Integration Incorporating students' languages and cultures in examples or readings
makes learning more meaningful.
3. Cite teaching strategies and explain how these teaching strategies consider student
diversity.

5-MINUTE NON-STOP WRITING

ACTIVITY 7
Your 5 minute non-stop writing begins NOW!
From the Module on Individual Differences, I realized that..
I realized that diversity in the classroom is not a challenge to be feared but an
opportunity to be embraced. Every learner is unique—not just in terms of academic ability
but in their personality, learning style, cultural heritage, language, family background,
interests, and even worldview. These differences make the classroom a vibrant, dynamic
space where learning becomes richer and more meaningful.

I now understand that no single teaching method or approach can meet the needs of all
students. As a future educator, I am responsible for ensuring that every student, regardless of
their background or ability, has an equal opportunity to succeed. This means I must be
flexible in the way I plan and deliver my lessons. I need to prepare multiple formats of
instruction—visual, auditory, kinesthetic—so that students can process information in the
way that suits them best. I must also consider students with exceptionalities and provide
reasonable accommodations and support to ensure that no one is left behind.

The module also emphasized the importance of empathy in teaching. It taught me that being
an effective teacher isn’t just about delivering knowledge—it’s about knowing my students,
understanding their lives, and being sensitive to their emotional and social needs. A student’s
behavior or performance in class may be influenced by factors outside school—poverty,
cultural expectations, family responsibilities, discrimination, or even language barriers.
Recognizing this helps me avoid making unfair assumptions and encourages me to offer
compassion and understanding instead of judgment.

I also realized that student diversity enhances learning—not only for the students but for
the teacher as well. When learners with different perspectives, experiences, and ways of
thinking come together, they challenge each other to see the world differently. Through
collaborative work, respectful discussion, and mutual understanding, students learn how to
value differences, build relationships, and develop important social and emotional skills.
These are life skills they will carry beyond the classroom into their roles as citizens in a
diverse society.

An inclusive classroom does not simply tolerate differences—it celebrates them. It’s a place
where every learner feels welcomed, respected, and seen. Inclusion is not just a strategy—it
is a mindset, a commitment to justice, and a reflection of the belief that all learners have
value and potential. This module made me more aware that my role as a teacher is not to
treat every student the same, but to treat each one with fairness, dignity, and care,
according to their unique needs and strengths.

In conclusion, this module deepened my understanding that education is not just about
transferring content. It is about building a learning community where students grow
together in knowledge, in respect for others, and in confidence in themselves. Individual
differences are not obstacles—they are opportunities to teach better, to grow deeper, and to
touch lives more meaningfully.

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