The response of biology education program students to differentiated learning as the implementation of independent learning that supports creativity.

Differentiated learning is organized via the Merdeka Curriculum. This adjustment calls for students to participate actively in differentiated learning in a way that is clear-cut and proficient. The goals of this study were to: (1) demonstrate how differentiated learning is used in Tidar University's biology education program; and (2) examine how students react to it. This was an exploratory study using a qualitative methodology. In the third semester of the 2022–2023 academic year, sixty students from Tidar University's Biology Education Program served as the research subjects. A questionnaire with fifteen closed-ended questions was used to gather the data, which were then descriptively analyzed. The results of completing the questionnaire showed that differentiated learning is beginning to be implemented as a result of the introduction of biology learning in Tidar University's biology education program. This was demonstrated by the introduction of multiple courses that let students organize lecture materials in accordance with their passions and originality. Students who underwent this type of learning process concurred that they understood the concept and had good, consistent learning motivation. The students thought differentiated instruction could enhance their capacity for creativity and conceptual understanding. Nonetheless, there was a need for improvement in the way students understood the features, components, and significance of differentiated learning in carrying out the Merdeka Curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]