The purpose of this study was to find common perceptions and practices of differentiated instruction by fifth grade teachers. Currently, there is little research on the perspectives of teachers who are learning about and utilizing differentiated instruction in the classroom. This study reviews teacher perceptions about differentiated instruction, their common practices of differentiated instruction, and their sources of training for learning about differentiated instruction. This study's broad questions are: How do teachers perceive their own implementation of differentiated instruction in the classroom? What practices are common among educators when implementing differentiated instruction? What sources provided training to teachers about the use and implementation of differentiated instruction? An investigation was conducted to determine if there are any common perceptions and practices among fifth grade teachers who utilize differentiated instruction as a tool in their classroom. The results of the study strengthened the premise that differentiated instruction is perceived by teachers as a useful tool in the multidimensional classrooms of today and that the use of differentiation in the three core areas of content differentiation, process differentiation and product differentiation are integral to the success of the students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]