From training to classroom practice: a multiple-case study of universal design for learning implementation in Indonesian universities

Abstract

While Indonesia has successfully increased higher education enrollment for students with disabilities, a critical graduation crisis persists, with rates plummeting from 8.97% to 4.7% between 2018 and 2023. This study argues that the mere provision of physical access is insufficient; the persistent gap between access and academic success is fundamentally rooted in the inconsistent enactment of inclusive pedagogy. Utilizing a qualitative multiple-case study design examining 14 lecturers, this study argues that professional development alone fails to guarantee classroom equity. Findings reveal that one year post-training, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) implementation remains stagnant at an “Emergent” level. Crucially, while lecturers demonstrate baseline proficiency in the principle of Representation, they systematically fail to afford the necessary learner autonomy within Action and Expression as the critical dimension driving student success. These findings prove that sporadic professional training cannot dismantle the entrenched “teacher-led” hegemony in Indonesian higher education, exposing a structural misalignment where individual motivation is actively undermined by rigid institutional barriers. Consequently, achieving SDG 4 requires a systemic transition from individual agency to institutional political will, including discipline-tailored STEM support. Ultimately, this research establishes the empirical repository necessary to reposition UDL from an optional instructional adjunct to a foundational imperative for institutional survival amid increasing learner variability.