Impact of Universal Design for Learning on college students with disabilities: Review and meta-analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12795/revistafuentes.2026.28573Keywords:
Inclusive education, disability, higher education, learning outcomes, accesibility to education, teaching methods, student participation, self-assessmentAbstract
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has established itself as an emerging pedagogical approach that promotes comprehensive student learning through a flexible and accessible curriculum. Its implementation responds to the need to ensure equitable opportunities for participation and academic success, especially in increasingly diverse contexts such as higher education. Within this framework, we aim to analyze the impact of UDL on the academic outcomes of university students with disabilities and its influence on the variables of participation, accessibility, performance, and academic self-efficacy. Following the PRISMA protocol for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, of the total of 673 articles found, only 10 met the criteria required for inclusion in the analysis. The findings show that interventions based on the UDL have a positive and statistically significant effect on the academic performance of students with disabilities, as well as contributing to an increase in their active participation in the university environment and strengthening their perception of self-efficacy. Although moderate heterogeneity is observed, the findings support the effectiveness of the UDL, consolidating it as a valuable strategy for advancing toward more inclusive higher education. It is concluded that the successful adoption of the UDL requires not only institutional commitment and ongoing teacher training, but also strategic planning and standardization of inclusive practices to overcome existing structural barriers.
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