Effects of Universal Design for Learning on EFL Students’ Essay Writing Skills and Cognitive Engagement

Universal design for learning has been shown to effectively engage students with different needs in learning; however, more empirical studies in higher education must be highlighted. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of Universal Design for Learning on essay writing ability and cognitive engagement among 67 Thai college students. This study is experimental research with a pretest-posttest control-group design. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are applied, and data are collected through essay writing tests, writing tasks, UDL-based writing lesson plans, a questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview. The findings showed that the experimental group improved their essay writing ability, with results that were more statistically significant, especially in coherence. Moreover, students strongly agreed that the application of universal design for learning enhanced their cognitive engagement in terms of remembering, applying, and evaluating skills. Pedagogical implications for English teachers concerning essay writing and cognitive engagement are discussed, and suggestions for further research are provided.