An article by Richard James Rogers, award-winning author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback
This blog post has been beautifully illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.
Accompanying podcast episode:
As a teacher with over twenty years of experience across the UK and Thailand, I’ve come to realise one of the most important truths in education: treating every student the same is not the same as giving every student a fair chance.
Like many early-career educators, I believed that equality, which means giving all students the same tasks, the same resources, and the same deadlines, was the fairest way to teach. However, time and experience taught me that equity, not equality, is what truly transforms learning. It involves giving each student what they need to succeed. Sometimes that means providing different forms of support to different learners.
🎯 Equality vs Equity: Understanding the Distinction
Equality in education refers to providing the same input, such as resources, instruction, and expectations, to all students, regardless of their background or ability.
Equity, by contrast, refers to providing varied support based on each student’s individual needs. This ensures that every learner has a real chance to reach similar outcomes (American Institutes for Research, 2021).
As educators, recognising this difference is crucial. While equality may appear fair on the surface, it can unintentionally overlook real barriers that prevent students from achieving their potential.
🧪 A Student Who Changed My Perspective
I once taught a student who had never studied Chemistry before enrolling in my IGCSE course. In Term 1, she scored a Grade U on her initial assessments, which was far below a pass. Some teachers might have seen her as too far behind to succeed.
I saw something different. I saw potential.
We worked together closely. I created a personalised study plan, offered regular one-on-one coaching, and gave her access to simplified materials that broke down difficult concepts into manageable sections. She was incredibly committed, and I made sure she had the right tools and support at every stage.
By the end of the academic year, she achieved a Grade A* in her final IGCSE examination.
That transformation did not happen because of equal treatment. It happened because of equitable support that matched her specific needs.
🛠️ Equity in Action: Practical Classroom Strategies
Here is how I integrate equity into my everyday teaching practice:
1. Diagnostic Assessment
Before teaching new material, I assess students’ prior knowledge. This helps me plan lessons that are appropriate for their current level of understanding (Tomlinson, 2014).
2. Differentiated Instruction
I design tasks at various levels of complexity and allow students to demonstrate understanding in multiple ways (Gregory and Chapman, 2013).
3. Targeted Support
Students who need additional time, alternative materials, or more personalised guidance receive it. Fairness means giving students what they need, not giving everyone the same thing (Sands, Kozleski and French, 2000).
4. Flexible Feedback
I adjust how often and in what format I provide feedback based on what works best for each student. Some thrive with independence, while others benefit from frequent check-ins. It’s important to explore a variety of methods, such a live-marking, learning journals, peer-assessment and automated assessment. If you’re finding that feedback is eating up too much of your time to be sustainable, then you might find my blog post on efficient feedback strategies helpful.
🌍 Why Equity Matters Now More Than Ever
In today’s post-pandemic world, students are returning to school with greater disparities in learning and wellbeing than ever before. UNESCO (2023) stresses that schools must prioritise equity in their recovery plans to avoid widening existing gaps.
This is especially true in international and multicultural schools, where learners bring a wide range of linguistic, cultural, and academic experiences. A one-size-fits-all model no longer meets the needs of our students, and it likely never did.
💡 Final Thoughts
That IGCSE Chemistry student taught me more than any professional development course ever could. She did not need the same treatment as everyone else. She needed the right support at the right time.
In education, equality may look fair. However, only equity ensures that every student has a genuine chance to succeed.
When we commit to equity, we are not lowering expectations. We are raising access. That is how real learning happens.
📚 Bibliography
American Institutes for Research (2021). What is Educational Equity?. [online] Available at: https://www.air.org/resource/what-educational-equity [Accessed 31 May 2025].
Cook-Sather, A. (2006). Sound, presence, and power: “Student voice” in educational research and reform. Curriculum Inquiry, 36(4), pp.359–390.
Gregory, G.H. and Chapman, C. (2013). Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Does Not Fit All. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Sands, D.I., Kozleski, E.B. and French, N.K. (2000). Inclusive education for the 21st century. Remedial and Special Education, 21(2), pp.66–78.
Tomlinson, C.A. (2014). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners. 2nd ed. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
UNESCO (2023). Global Education Monitoring Report 2023: Inclusive Education in Times of Crisis. Paris: UNESCO Publishing.
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