Inclusive Instructional Practices in STEM Education: From Theory to Design

This study provides an organized review of inclusive instructional practices in STEM education, from theoretical frameworks of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI) to the design of practices. This review finds literature published from 2010 to 2025 and integrates the two frameworks that try to build an equitable, accessible, and flexible learning environment. Findings suggest that UDL focuses on the design of curriculum, removing learning barriers. While DI emphasizes that educators should tailor content, process, and assessments of each individual learner. Evidence indicates that inclusive instructional practices improve students' confidence, engagement, and academic performance, especially for students with diversity in STEM education. However, lots of barriers exist in implementation, like limited time, teacher preparation, lacking resource, and inadequate support from related institutions. All these reasons cause the gaps between theoretical designs and classroom realities. After integrating recent research, this review underlines the significance of inclusive instructional design with structural alignment and enough support. And the need for more empirically grounded research to improve the equity of STEM education.