Diagnosis for inclusive teacher training in engineering laboratories: a proposal based on UDL

Abstract

This study, titled Diagnosis for Inclusive Teacher Training in Engineering Laboratories: A Proposal Based on UDL, addressed the need to provide inclusive education training to technical laboratory instructors at the Polytechnic Faculty of the National University of Asunción (UNA). A quantitative, descriptive, and exploratory research design was applied to examine the perceptions, experiences, and training needs of faculty members. A structured, anonymous questionnaire-validated by experts-was administered to a purposive sample of six electronics laboratory instructors with over five years of professional experience. Data were collected in April 2025 and analyzed using descriptive statistics in Microsoft Excel. The results revealed limited prior training in inclusive education and identified physical, methodological, and attitudinal barriers within the laboratory environments. Nevertheless, participants expressed strong interest in receiving training on inclusive teaching strategies and accessible technologies. The study concluded that there is an urgent need to implement training programs tailored to technical higher education settings, grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and active learning methodologies. These findings served as the foundation for the development of a curricular proposal aimed at promoting more accessible, equitable, and effective learning environments in engineering education.