Date
2-28-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Advanced Educational Studies (PhD)
Chair
Melinda Carver
Keywords
differentiation, elementary, secondary, quantitative, causal-comparative, Two-Way ANOVA, years of experience
Disciplines
Educational Methods | Elementary Education
Recommended Citation
Locklear, Audra Callahan, "A Quantitative Causal-Comparative Study of the Effect of Differing Levels and Years of Experience on Christian Teachers’ Instructional Differentiation Scores" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6517.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6517
Abstract
This quantitative causal-comparative study explores the relationship between teachers’ differentiation scores on the Classroom Practices Surveys for teachers with more than five years or fewer than five years teaching experience among elementary and secondary educators in Christian Schools. The importance of this study lies in understanding the differentiation practices Christian school teachers use in serving their students. This study involved 123 teachers that are employed by Christian schools in various regions in the United States. The Classroom Practices Survey was made available through Facebook and snowballing. Statistical analysis was completed using a Two-Way ANOVA which examined the frequency of differentiation methods used by employment levels and career levels among teachers at Christian schools. Based on the results, the researcher rejected the null hypothesis of no significant difference in the overall teacher differentiation score, as measured by the Classroom Practices Survey, between levels of employment (elementary and secondary) on the Classroom Practices Survey. However, the null hypotheses were accepted for no significant difference in differentiated instructional practices used by career level or the interaction between employment and career level. Thus, the conclusion is made that the use of differentiated instructional strategies has a greater presence at the elementary level in Christian schools than at the secondary level. Recommendations for further research include a more expansive participant number by region, conducting a study with three or more levels of experience, and examination as to the reason why teachers in elementary school settings have a higher overall differentiation score.
