Managing Cognitive Load through Differentiated Instructional Processes to Enhance Mathematical Problem-Solving Skills
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59890/ijasse.v4i3.11Keywords:
Differentiated Instruction, Prior Ability, Mathematical Problem-Solving Ability, Cognitive LoadAbstract
Differentiated instruction (DI) has been identified as a strategy to accommodate the diversity of student characteristics; however, empirical evidence regarding its effect on mathematical problem-solving ability and cognitive load, particularly within the framework of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), remains limited and inconclusive. This study examined the effect of CLT-based differentiated instruction in which worked-examples, faded-examples, and problem-examples were assigned according to students' prior knowledge level on mathematical problem-solving ability and cognitive load. A randomized pretest-posttest control group design was employed involving 84 students (aged 14–15 years) in Serang, Indonesia, who were randomly assigned to either the DI group (n = 42) or the non-DI group (n = 42). Results indicated that the DI group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in mathematical problem-solving ability and a significantly greater reduction in cognitive load compared to the non-DI group. These findings provide empirical support for the effectiveness of CLT-based differentiated instruction in enhancing mathematical problem-solving ability while simultaneously reducing students' cognitive load, with implications for the design of adaptive instructional interventions in heterogeneous classrooms.
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