A Critical Research Synthesis on Universal Design for Learning in Second Language Learning and Teaching

Abstract

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) aims to develop learning environments that are accessible to learners and accommodate diverse needs. Since the foundational work by Rose and Meyer in 2002, the literature on UDL has frequently emphasized its crucial role in creating instructional strategies that benefit not only students with recognized disabilities but also students of all kinds. UDL learning can offer learners —with or without disabilities—a variety of ways to learn and, consequently, a curriculum that is more accessible to all of them. However, the literature lacks systematic research syntheses focusing on UDL and second/foreign/additional language (L2) teaching and learning. To address this gap, this article employs a critical research synthesis approach—a qualitative alternative to meta-analysis—to integrate findings from ten studies on UDL in L2 classrooms and assess the existing literature's substantive and methodological characteristics.