<![CDATA[Vocational education in Indonesia, especially in Vocational High Schools (SMK), often struggles to equip students with skills that align with industry demands. This study investigates the effectiveness and perceived usability of differentiated instruction under the Merdeka Curriculum in enhancing learning outcomes in the Electrical Engineering program at SMKN 2 Payakumbuh. A quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design was used, involving two groups: an experimental group receiving differentiated instruction and a control group receiving traditional teaching. Data collection included pre-tests, post-tests, and student questionnaires. The instructional design for the experimental group was tailored to students’ learning styles, readiness, and interests. Students in the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher post-test scores compared to the control group. The N-gain score for the experimental group reached 0.67 (moderate improvement), outperforming the control group (0.57). Additionally, students rated the practicality of the differentiated instruction highly, with a perceived usability score of 83.23%. The findings suggest that differentiated instruction effectively enhances academic performance and student engagement in vocational education. The positive student response indicates that such tailored approaches are both acceptable and practical in real classroom settings. Differentiated instruction under the Merdeka Curriculum shows promise as an effective model for vocational education. Broader implementation across other SMK programs is recommended to validate its scalability and impact.]]>
