Differentiated instruction in science education: A thematic evolution through bibliometrics

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Taufik Hidayat, Wasis, Nadi Suprapto, Hasan Nuurul Hidaayatullaah

2026 Multidisciplinary Reviews Vol. 9 Issue 6 Article Cited by 0 SDG 4 Quartile

Abstract

This study is a literature review that aims to identify thematic areas, key trends, key contributors, and contributions to the field of research by addressing the topic of differentiated instruction (DI) in science education. This literature review uses the Scopus database from 1964-2024 with bibliometric analysis on the biblioshiny application to obtain research results in the form of graphical and image data visualizations. Since 2010, this topic has increased according to the visualization results in term of the number of publications and continued to be of interest and spotlight in the 21st century. The central theme of the thematic evolution analysis shows the integration of DI with STEM, inquiry-based learning, and teacher professional development. Inclusive learning, active learning, and equity, become supporting themes in this study. These findings show the correlation between DI and the 21st century education. Leading authors and institutions have made significant contributions to advanced research in this field. The metadata of this research shows there are three highest ranks of countries contributors to this DI in science education; US, Indonesia, and Canada. Blonder and Decoito have been key contributors in this study. The conclusion of this study is that the trend of differentiated instruction (DI) in science education can provide space for creating active and diverse learning according to individual needs, thus supporting inclusive learning. The integration of DI with innovative learnings such as inquiry and STEM are recommended for further research. This study can be used as a basis for further research on the effectiveness of the globally and holistically approaching differentiation, especially within low resource contexs. © 2026, Malque Publishing. All rights reserved.

Affiliations

Department of Science Education, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Physics Education, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia

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