Inclusive Learning and Educational Equity 5

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© The Author(s) 2021
A. Galkien
ė, O. Monkevičienė (eds.), Improving Inclusive Education through 
Universal Design for Learning
, Inclusive Learning and Educational Equity 5, 
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80658-3_6
Chapter 6
The Use of the UDL Approach as a Factor 
in the Success of Inclusive Education 
Despite the Pandemic Period
Jolanta Baran , Tamara Cierpiałowska , and Ewa Dyduch 
Abstract The action research reported in this chapter lasted for one semester. This 
was a novel time because schools, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, suspended their 
in-person activities and implemented online learning. This has necessitated the for-
mulation of research purposes and problems appropriate to the dynamically chang-
ing educational reality (and beyond). This chapter provides a theoretical background 
to the risks to education during a pandemic. The assumptions, implementation and 
results of the research project implemented by the action research method in the 
selected Polish class are also discussed. The empirical data, mainly qualitative, tri-
angulated by various sources of information, reconciled perspectives that were used 
to identify specific topics and threads appearing in the gathered inputs, to present it 
in an orchestrated manner and to interpret it. The analyses carried out lead to the 
conclusion that the application of the UDL approach promotes the success of inclu-
sive education, despite the difficult experiences of the pandemic period. It has been 
proven that UDL approach implementation has a positive impact on the course of 
the teaching-learning process, optimises it to enhance the activity, commitment, 
self-reliance and responsibility of students and develops their cooperation, which 
breeds inclusion in education. The extraordinary situation faced by teachers and 
pupils due to the need to switch to online learning, contrary to temporary concerns, 
has reinforced the changes brought about by the implementation of the UDL 
approach in the learning process.
Keywords Inclusive education · UDL · COVID-19 · Online education · Teaching- 
learning process
J. Baran (
*
) · T. Cierpia
łowska · E. Dyduch 
Pedagogical University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland
e-mail:
 [e-mail]
;
 [e-mail]
;
 
[e-mail]

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