Effects of Coaching on Universal Design for Learning Implementation

Abstract

This mixed methods study investigated the effects of instructional coaching as a single element of professional development on teachers’ knowledge and application of the UDL framework. Participants were recruited from a district in the United States that adopted UDL as its instructional framework to guide decisions for instruction. Participants came from all levels of teaching (K-12), content areas, and years of experience. Treatment participants received instructional coaching on UDL implementation. Comparison participants continued as usual. Participants completed a pre/post questionnaire and had pre/post-observations conducted. A sub-group of treatment group participants were interviewed. The researcher hypothesized that the teachers receiving instructional coaching would show a larger growth in knowledge and observed application of the UDL framework than comparison teachers. While the results did not offer statistical significance, the results showed that teachers made gains in the knowledge and application of UDL. Qualitative data revealed that teachers valued and changed the practice from the use of coaching.