<![CDATA[Differentiated Instruction (DI) has been widely recognised as an effective approach for addressing learner diversity in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Despite its growing popularity, existing studies have primarily focused on the effectiveness of DI in improving students’ academic achievement, while limited attention has been given to understanding how teachers implement DI in vocational education settings. This study aims to explore how EFL teachers operationalise differentiated instruction in an Indonesian vocational high school and to develop a pedagogical model based on their instructional practices. Employing a qualitative case study design, the research involved three EFL teachers from SMK Negeri 1 Gowa, Indonesia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis framework. The findings revealed that DI is implemented through three interconnected stages: Diagnostic Mapping, Adaptive Instructional Delivery, and Reflective Evaluation. Teachers identified students’ readiness, interests, and learning profiles through diagnostic assessment, adapted content, process, and product according to learners’ needs, and continuously evaluated learning outcomes to improve instructional effectiveness. Based on these findings, the study proposes the Cyclical Differentiated Instruction Model (CDIM), which conceptualizes differentiation as a continuous process of assessment, adaptation, reflection, and instructional redesign. The model contributes to differentiated instruction literature by providing a process-oriented explanation of how DI is enacted in vocational EFL classrooms and offers practical implications for teachers, curriculum developers, and educational policymakers.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
