UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING (UDL): A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE 2015-2025 PERIOD

Abstract

 Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has become, over the past two decades, one of the main theoretical and methodological frameworks for promoting inclusive pedagogical practices. Grounded in cognitive neuroscience evidence, UDL proposes flexibilizing the curriculum from the outset of its design, removing barriers to access, participation, and learning for all students, not only for those targeted by special education. This article presents a systematic review of national and international literature on UDL, aiming to map its theoretical foundations, structuring principles, articulation with Brazilian educational legislation, and the main empirical findings on its implementation in school settings. The search was conducted in the SciELO, Redalyc, ERIC, and PubMed/PMC databases and the CAPES Journal Portal, using the descriptors “Desenho Universal para Aprendizagem,” “Universal Design for Learning,” and “inclusive education,” combined with the Boolean operator AND, restricted to publications between 2015 and 2025. Results indicate that scholarship on UDL is predominantly theoretical-conceptual, with a still limited number of empirical studies assessing its effects on learning; nonetheless, available evidence points to positive contributions to school inclusion, especially when the three UDL principles — representation, action and expression, and engagement — are applied jointly. Challenges related to teacher training, school infrastructure, and conceptual appropriation of the model were also identified. It is concluded that UDL represents a significant advance for inclusive education, though its effective implementation depends on continuing education policies and investment in schools’ structural conditions.