DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION IN GRADE 11 MATHEMATICS BASED ON CAREER ORIENTATION FOR STUDENTS WITH LIMITED MATHEMATICAL COMPETENCE

This study proposes a career-oriented differentiated instruction approach for grade 11 Mathematics students with limited mathematical competence. The study surveys students’ learning difficulties, learning motivation, and career awareness while examining the role of career related contexts in supporting mathematical application. A cross sectional survey was conducted with 412 students and 18 teachers in Lam Dong Province using both quantitative and qualitative data. The findings show that students mainly struggle with understanding abstract mathematical concepts and applying knowledge to problem solving, while motivation for learning and career awareness remains limited. Unlike conventional differentiated instruction approaches that mainly differentiate task difficulty, the proposed approach positions career-related contexts as the organizing basis of learning activities. Accordingly, professional situations require mathematical thinking, and learning tasks are differentiated according to levels of practical problem-solving. The findings also indicate that career-related contexts can reduce the abstractness of mathematical knowledge and support more active student engagement.