<![CDATA[Conceptual understanding in Natural and Social Sciences (IPAS) learning requires inquiry-based instruction responsive to students’ diverse needs. This study examined the implementation of scientific learning integrated with differentiated instruction and its relationship with students’ conceptual understanding. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent pretest–posttest control group design involved 30 fifth-grade students from two intact classes in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. The three-meeting intervention was supported by classroom observations and a teacher interview. The experimental group demonstrated greater mean improvement (14.30 vs. 7.40 points) and normalized gain (0.23 vs. 0.12) than the control group, with a statistically significant between-group difference (p = .004). However, both gains remained low. The findings suggest that guided inquiry and differentiated scaffolding offer promising instructional support, although the short intervention and limited classroom replication constrain causal interpretation. Keywords: Conceptual understanding; differentiated instruction; IPAS learning; scientific learning]]>
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