From Needs Assessment to Instructional Design: Developing the DIF-PBL Model for Inclusive Numeracy Learning

Abstract

Inclusive elementary classrooms require instructional approaches that accommodate students with diverse learning characteristics while ensuring equitable opportunities to develop numeracy competencies. Although Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Differentiated Instruction have individually demonstrated positive educational outcomes, limited studies have translated teachers’ instructional needs into evidence-based design requirements for an integrated instructional model. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to identify instructional problems, critical root causes, and instructional design requirements that provide the empirical foundation for developing the Differentiation-Based Problem-Based Learning (DIF-PBL) model for inclusive numeracy learning. A mixed-methods convergent parallel design was employed as the initial phase of a Research and Development (R&D) project. Participants included 20 inclusive elementary school teachers who completed a needs assessment questionnaire and three students representing different learner profiles who were involved in initial numeracy observations. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative observation data were analyzed descriptively and integrated with quantitative findings through methodological triangulation. The findings revealed four major issues: disparities in students’ numeracy achievement, limitations of conventional PBL in heterogeneous classrooms, practical challenges in implementing differentiated instruction, and a strong consensus regarding the urgency of developing a new instructional model. The analysis identified seven key instructional design requirements: adaptive learning pathways, flexible PBL syntax, Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract (CPA) learning sequences, systematic scaffolding, structured peer tutoring, tiered learning tasks, and adaptive assessment strategies. This study bridges empirical needs assessment and instructional design by translating authentic classroom evidence into evidence-based principles for developing the DIF-PBL model, providing a conceptual and empirical foundation for its subsequent prototype development, validation, and effectiveness evaluation.