Proposal of Learning Universal Design for the Psychosocial Comfort of Education interns

Abstract

Introduction: Pre-professional internships represent university students’ first real insertion into formal work environments. The implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in universities—including the health sciences—has shown promising results in improving the training experience, self-efficacy, and learner satisfaction.

Objective: To design a proposal based on the principles of UDL that contributes to the psychosocial comfort of education interns.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was conducted with a group receiving the design (n = 9) and a control group without the design (n = 9), with pretest–posttest measurements. Validated questionnaires were administered. The analysis used Student’s t-test for independent samples and within-group comparisons, Cohen’s d, and Spearman correlation (p < 0.05).

Results: The group receiving the design intervention showed statistically significant improvements in the three dimensions (representation, action/expression, engagement) and in overall socio-emotional well-being, with large effect sizes (d > 0.80) and a reduction in the identified psychosocial risks.

Conclusions: This preliminary proposal offers a replicable and useful design for public institutions seeking to integrate Universal Design for Learning as a strategy for promoting well-being and preventing risks in pre-professional training environments.