Journal for Educational Research Online (JERO): Issue Community, Heterogeneity, and Individualized Instruction in Conflict?

In heterogeneous classrooms, in which individualized instruction is implemented, the importance of community could fade into the background. In the present study, interviews with teachers were used to investigate the conceptions of community that teachers have who implement individualized instruction in heterogeneous learning groups, and what actions they put into practice in the Classroom to create a community. Using content analysis, we identified different conceptions of community. Thereby the tension between individuality, heterogeneity, and community played a role for all teachers. It was also possible to identify different ways in which teachers productively combined individualized and learning within a community.

Keywords
Individualized instruction, Community, Heterogeneity, Teaching, Teachers