PENDAMPINGAN BERDIFERENSIASI BAGI PESERTA DIDIK LOW-LEVEL LEARNERS DAN TUNARUNGU-WICARA DALAM PEMBELAJARAN BAHASA INGGRIS

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe the implementation of differentiated mentoring for two low-level learners in grade X and one grade XI student with a hearing and speech impairment in English language learning at SMAS Hohidiai/Rahai Tobelo, a school that implements the Merdeka Curriculum while adapting an Australian curriculum, taught by a native-speaker teacher through full English instruction. A descriptive qualitative case study approach was used. Data were collected through participant observation, interviews with the cooperating teacher and curriculum staff, a simple placement test, documentation, field notes, and daily journals across roughly nine mentoring sessions, then analyzed descriptively through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that tailored teaching materials and worksheets, vocabulary-reinforcement activities (Hangman, Spelling Bee, and Silent Reading), individual mentoring combined with peer tutoring, and the use of Duolingo for the hearing-impaired student gradually improved the three students' comprehension of instructions, mastery of basic vocabulary, task independence, participation, and confidence. These findings reinforce that differentiated instruction attentive to learners' characteristics can be an effective strategy for narrowing English proficiency gaps.