Teacher confidence to implement the principles, guidelines, and checkpoints of universal design for learning

TLDR

Universal design for learning (UDL) is an inclusive pedagogical framework that breaks down barriers to learning for all students, comprising 3 principles, 9 guidelines, and 31 checkpoints, and is recommended by ACARA for all classroom teachers in Australia to personalize learning for students with disability and diverse needs. The study aimed to assess Australian teachers’ confidence in implementing UDL. A survey of 97 teachers was conducted to measure this confidence. Results showed that primary teachers were generally more confident than secondary teachers, confidence varied across UDL elements, and both groups were more confident in principle one than in principles two and three, with implications for practice to be discussed.

Abstract

Universal design for learning (UDL) is an inclusive pedagogical framework for breaking down barriers to the learning process for all students. The framework consists of 3 principles, 9 guidelines, and 31 checkpoints. UDL has been named by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) as a recommendation for all classroom teachers in Australia as a means of personalising learning for students with disability and diverse learning needs. To measure the confidence of Australian teachers in implementing this inclusive pedagogical framework, 97 teachers were surveyed. Results demonstrated that primary teachers were generally more confident than secondary teachers at implementing the principles, guidelines, and checkpoints underlying UDL. However, in both groups confidence levels varied in relation to the underlying elements of the inclusive pedagogical framework. Both primary and secondary teachers were more confident at implementing principle one, compared with principles two and three. The implications of this study will be discussed.