Does inclusive teaching impact college adjustment and performance for students with and without disabilities?

Abstract

"The rise in numbers of postsecondary students who require adapted services underscores the need for inclusive teaching practices to help students with disabilities adjust and succeed. Despite the growth in studies on this topic, quantitative data are lacking on the prevalence of these practices in high school and college and their predictive ability for student adjustment and academic performance. This repeated measure study involved students attending 10 colleges in the Province of Quebec (Canada), 42% of whom disclosed a disability at college entry. Students completed a battery of online questionnaires in October 2019 (n = 1,826) and a second battery in April–May 2020 (n = 1,435). They included assessments of teachers’ use of inclusive teaching practices in high school and college as well as student adjustment and academic performance in college. Results indicate that inclusive practices were perceived by students as not universally applied, and that their prevalence varied according to teaching level and disability status. While some inclusive practices positively predicted college adjustment and academic performance, others had negative effects on these practices. Results are discussed in light of the principles of Universal Design for Learning and with a view to developing inclusive teaching practices in high school and college." provided by authors