Inclusive Learning and Educational Equity 5

 Barriers vs. Strengths that Might Support Transformation 
of the Teaching–Learning Process in the Class Through 
Implementation of the UDL Approach Towards 
Inclusive Education
During the first steps of the project, a meeting (recorded with the consent of the 
participants) was organised to familiarise teachers with the UDL approach and 
gather their opinions on it, as well as to discuss with them their daily work at school, 
including their preferred teaching style. The teachers seemed rather unconvinced 
4 Traditional Teaching–Learning Process in the Class of Polish School Through Lens…

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and distrustful of proposed changes as they were accustomed to their teaching strat-
egies. They listed the formal difficulties and, in their view, objective barriers that 
would prevent change. The analysis of the recorded interview with the teachers 
confirmed the expected barriers. The barriers included primarily: barriers inherent 
in the education system, which are mainly related to official documents and regula-
tions concerning education and teachers’ sense of involvement in control and man-
agement rigors.
Teachers felt highly responsible for what knowledge their students have and how 
they are able to use this knowledge, and strongly prefer their own teaching style, 
which they have developed through years of professional experience.
Teacher Agnes: There are certain conditions and we feel imprisoned by those conditions. 
(Reflection with researcher, 14)
Teacher Bella: I am a teacher who is not sick, I always work and have difficulties in 
implementing the curriculum to its full extent (the so-called ‘core curriculum’ established 
by the Ministry of National Education)
. (Reflection with researcher, 15)
Barriers inherent in the teachers here are personal, related to their beliefs and 
professional experience. After a suggestion to give students a better chance of work-
ing in groups, some teachers found that group work makes the classroom noisy and 
loud, which gives the impression of chaos they do not like.
Teacher Agnes: I’m annoyed by the noise. (Reflection with researcher, 14)
Teacher Cecil: The group was delighted and I was upset. I gave them assignments—
there was chaos and noise
. (Reflection with researcher, 16)
Teacher Agnes: It is not possible for every student to succeed in class. I won’t hold a 
class like this in my life
. (Reflection with researcher, 14)
The discomfort caused by a change in the way students work with them made it 
difficult for teachers to accept that even temporary noise and apparent lack of order 
in the classroom does not have to last long and is an expression of creative action, 
leading to a failure to see the possible positive results associated with student activ-
ity and performance and the satisfaction of both students and teachers.