Teaching at the Right Level Without Grouping: A Qualitative Single-Case Study of Individualised Reading Support for a Fifth-Grade Student
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59966/joape.v2i2.2793Keywords:
Teaching at the Right Level, reading difficulties, individualised instruction, primary education, single-case studyAbstract
Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) is widely adopted in Indonesian schools, yet its defining mechanism — grouping learners by assessed ability rather than by grade — cannot operate when only one child in a class is far behind. This study examines what remains of the approach when grouping is removed. Using a qualitative single-case design, it documents two planning–action–observation–reflection cycles of individualised reading support provided to a fifth-grade student who had not yet mastered the alphabet, in a public primary school in West Java. Data were drawn from participant observation, field notes, and semi-structured interviews with the classroom teacher and the parents. Analysis followed reflexive thematic analysis of the observational record. Three findings are reported. First, when applied to a single learner, TaRL reduces to level-matched individual instruction, and its distinctive contribution shifts from differentiation to diagnostic sequencing. Second, the interest-linked and picture-supported materials that sustained the student’s engagement also carried a pedagogical risk, since reliance on picture cues may support word identification without building the phonological decoding needed for unillustrated text. Third, the observed change in engagement and willingness to attempt reading was clear, whereas change in decoding skill could not be established from two sessions. The study argues that individualised TaRL is best understood as an entry point to sustained remedial instruction rather than as a substitute for it, and that reporting short interventions honestly matters more than reporting them favourably
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Copyright (c) 2025 Tanto Aljauharie Tantowie, Yuli Altri Rahmawangsih, Daryaman, Farikha Putri Aztika, Sindi Alpiani, Adinda Zahra Faudila, Dini Nurpadilah
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