Trainee teachers encountering neurodiversity: An analysis of the context, commitment and future direction of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Abstract

This article analyses the first results of a project based on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and its application in the area of neurodiversity. Its initial hypotheses are, first, that training in UDL among students studying for a degree in Early Childhood Education is limited, as the results of the pre-test shows; and secondly, that a basic conceptual introduction based on a designed and validated instrument that helps them design barrier-free learning situations will allow them to learn from educational practice and apply diversity inclusion as part of their responsibilities as generalist teachers. For methodology, we used a dual method consisting of a constructivist approach and educational action research, through the use of a tool for workshop design within the framework of project-based learning. The results of the post-test confirm that trainee teachers share a concern for and commitment to lifelong learning that will offer genuine equality and inclusion for their future students.