AP19576707 “Formation of inclusive competence of future teachers by using technologies of the Universal Learning Design (UDL)”

Period of project implementation: 2023 – 2025

Project relevance: The modernization of pedagogical education is a mechanism focused on Kazakhstani society’s independent level of entry into the world space, and we can also consider inclusive education as a global brand ensuring a teacher’s high status, creation of a favorable and safe educational environment, taking into account diversity of special educational needs and personal capabilities of each student, access to quality education for all.

The possibility of obtaining a quality education for all, regardless of their characteristics and capabilities, health limitations is approved by paragraph 1, article 3 of the Law “On Education” of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In subparagraph 21-7 of this Law’s Article 1 education is defined as a process ensuring equal access to education for all students, taking into account special educational needs and individual opportunities. In the context of inclusive education, special attention should be paid to teacher training programs providing quality education, taking into account characteristics of children with special educational needs. At the present stage of development of pedagogical theory and practice, taking into account diversity and special needs of students, the issue of developing the inclusive competence of future teachers for broad socialization in society is of particular importance.

This project is aimed at solving one of the socio-pedagogical problems, such as the use of universal design technology (UDL) to develop the inclusive competence of future teachers in meeting basic requirements for the training of future teachers, a future teacher who has mastered UDL technology can be a decisive factor in solving the main task of a general education institution creation of an appropriate and comfortable educational environment, taking into account the characteristics of each child.

UDL as an innovative methodology ensuring the inclusive competence of the future teacher, which in turn affects the effectiveness of the high-quality training of specialists in the higher education system.

Project purpose: to develop scientific and methodological foundations for the formation of inclusive competencies of future teachers through the technologies of universal design of education (UDL) and to study its effectiveness in order to provide access to quality education for everyone, taking into account the diversity of students.

Project objectives:

1. Theoretical and methodological justification of the formation of inclusive competence of future teachers through the technologies of universal design of learning (UDL);
2. To define the theoretical foundations of the study, define the concepts of “inclusive competence”, “universal learning design technology (UDL)”, “formation of inclusive competence of future teachers”.
3. Studying the world’s best practices for the effective use of Universal Design of Learning (UDL) technology in the training of future teachers.
4. Development of the structural and content model for the formation of inclusive competence of future teachers through the use of the universal design of learning technology (UDL).
5. To develop an elective Universal Design of Learning (UDL) course to test its effectiveness.
6. Diagnostics of the level of inclusive competence of future teachers (stating experiment).
7. Formation of inclusive competence of future teachers and monitoring of qualitative changes.
8. Development of the universal learning design technology (UDL) training manual based on the results of the study.
9. Discussion and publication of research results in domestic and foreign scientific circles.

Research group composition:

1) Umirbekova Akerke – PhD, associate professor, project leader – ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7964-7322  Scopus ID 57222128429

2) Butabayeva, Laura A. – PhD, associate professor, chief researcher, ORCID  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3758-8624  Scopus ID 57935087300

3)  Uaidullakyzy, Elmira – PhD, associate professor, chief researcher, ORCID  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5613-4871 Scopus ID 57349535200

4) Shalabayeva, Laura I. PhD, associate professor, chief researcher, ORCID  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2231-7888  Scopus ID 57190161451

Results // Expected results (depends on the project implementation period)

1. Preparation of the theoretical and methodological justification for developing the inclusive competence of future teachers through the technologies of universal design of learning (UDL);
2. At least 2 articles in journals, recommended by Committee for Quality Assurance in the field of education of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (CQAEMSHERK) or in foreign peer-reviewed journals.
3. Preparation of the model for developing the inclusive competence of future teachers through the use of universal design of learning technology (UDL);
4. Preparation of the elective course on Universal Design of Learning Technology (UDL);
5. The results of scientific research in accordance with the requirements of the competitive documentation: In a peer-reviewed scientific editions, included in the Web of Science database, indexed by the Social Science Citation Index or Arts and Humanities Citation Index and (or) in the Scopus CiteScore database, publication of 1 scientific article of at least 35 ( thirty-five) percentile;
6. Preparation of the training manual for Universal Design Learning Technology (UDL).

Results obtained in 2023:

– The theoretical and methodological foundations for the formation of inclusive competence of future teachers using the technology of universal design of education (UDL) were determined. In the course of it, the concepts of “inclusive competence”, “universal design technology of education (UDL)”, “formation of inclusive competence of future teachers” were defined and clarified. A study of the best world practices for the effective use of the technology of universal design of education (UDL) in the training of future teachers was conducted. A certificate of an online course on the CAST platform for mastering world experience was received with methods for the effective use of the Universal Design of Learning (UDL) technology, which is necessary.

– 1 article was published in the journal recommended by the Committee for Control of Education and Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 1 article was published in a domestic journal.

Results obtained in 2024:

– The article publishes the result of the development of a structural and substantive model for the formation of inclusive competence of future teachers using the technology of universal design of education (UDL).

– 1 article was published in a journal recommended by the Committee for Control of Education and Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 3 articles were published at international scientific conferences.