Abstract:

This study aims to determine the effect of differentiated education training applied to social studies teachers on increasing self-sufficiency, and developing differentiated activity preparation skills. The research used convergent parallel mixed method design. The participants consist of 26 teachers, 13 for the experimental group and 13 for the control group. After the pre-tests which were conducted in the study, firstly a 5-day theoretical differentiated education training was conducted with the teachers in the experimental group, and then the differentiated activities prepared by the researcher were applied to the GT and potential GT students in the classrooms for two months, under the guidance of the researcher.  Meanwhile, mentor support was provided for the teachers. In the second teacher training, the applications made with the teachers who personally experienced the application process of the differentiated activities were evaluated and the training of developing differentiated training activities with teachers continued. At the end of the applied training, the differentiated activities prepared by the teachers were applied in the classrooms for two more months. At the end of this whole process, post-tests were applied and teachers' opinions about the application were taken. As a result of the research, training applied within the framework of the applied differentiation education results in that their perceptions of self-sufficiency increased significantly, and the teachers' ability to prepare activities improved. As a result of the study, the teachers stated that the teacher training provided is beneficial for the education of the GT students, and that it is beneficial to have extended, applied and mentor-supported training process.

Keywords: