This open access international scientific study provides an analysis of how the educational
strategy of Universal Design for Learning can stimulate the process of inclusive education in
different educational-cultural contexts and different areas of the educational system. The
findings of the research deepen the conception of inclusive education and present an analysis
of factors that are significant for developing the educational system as well as providing
evidence-based recommendations for educational practice. The research for this work was done in
four European countries with various historical-cultural contexts: Lithuania and Poland
underwent a transformation of the educational systems at the turning point in their political
system shifting from a strictly centralized Soviet policy to a liberal and democratic
education system Austria has experienced changes in social stratification and a need for
cultural harmonisation arising from active national migration processes whereas Finland has
been gradually developing a socio-democratic model of national welfare. The analysis of the
educational processes in the four countries has been performed using a qualitative action
research method. The researchers in cooperation with the teachers from the selected schools in
their country have implemented the strategy of Universal Design for Learning and assessed its
transformation indicators in terms of the quality of inclusive education components.
