Date of Conferral

7-29-2026

Date of Award

July 2026

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Latrissa Neiworth

Abstract

The problem that was addressed through this study is that community college instructors struggle to implement universal design for learning (UDL) in Southeastern districts in the United States. Grounded in UDL, which was developed by the Center for Applied Technology, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore community college instructors’ perceptions on the challenges they face when implementing UDL in their classroom. For this basic qualitative study, semistructured interviews were conducted with eight community college instructors. Using deductive coding, the data were analyzed using a thematic approach with five themes emerging: (a) UDL improves access but does not fully address student engagement challenges ;(b)student nondisclosure drives the need for an accessibility-centered proactive approach in UDL implementation; (c)instructors’ autonomy over course design shapes the depth of UDL implementation; (d) student assessment is the most challenging component of UDL implementation; and (e) barriers to UDL implementation are systemic rather than individual. The findings from this study suggest that instructors are not resistant to UDL; rather, they are navigating landscape shaped by limited time, insufficient training, technological challenges, and shifting student needs. The potential for positive social change is that supporting instructors’ implementation of UDL might lead to a more accessible learning environment that is rich in student engagement, enhanced avenues for student expression and creative assessments, which, in turn, might increase student learning within the community college classroom.

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