The adoption of e-learning platforms increasingly represents a new approach to delivering instruction, which necessitates ensuring that e-learning materials are accessible and inclusive for all student-teachers. At Domasi College of Education (DCE), social science student-teachers (SSSTs) form a significant group that can benefit from accessible and inclusive e-learning materials. However, limited research exists on how e-learning accessibility and inclusivity impact the SSSTs’ e-learning outcomes. The scholarship project investigates the impact of e-learning accessibility and inclusivity on SSSTs at DCE. The research questions included: What are the current levels of e-learning accessibility and inclusivity for SSSTs? Which specific aspects of e-learning accessibility and inclusivity have the most impact on SSSTs’ e-learning outcomes? What strategies can be employed to design accessible and inclusive e-learning materials to improve SSSTs’ e-learning outcomes?  

The study employed a pragmatist epistemology and a concurrent-transformative mixed-methods design, enabling simultaneous data collection and maximising efficiency within a limited timeframe. The study included 403 respondents, exceeding the minimum sample size of 268 SSSTs determined using Taherdoost’s (2016) formula: n = N/1 + N(e)2. Stratified random and convenience sampling were used to select at least 69, 119, 49, and 31 SSSTs in years 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via an online survey distributed through SSSTs’ WhatsApp groups. Before data analysis, Cronbach’s alpha for the survey items was α = 0.801. Thus, the survey items were reliable, as their internal consistency met the acceptable criterion of α = 0.70-0.79 and the criterion of α = 0.80-0.89, which is regarded as good. A one-way ANOVA with post hoc tests was performed to assess knowledge of e-learning platforms and experience across students’ years of study. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Chi-square tests were also performed to test the relationship between accessibility and inclusivity features and e-learning outcomes. 

Although 58.8% of SSSTs reported less experience with e-learning, 82.1% acknowledged that e-learning platforms and materials are accessible, compared with 5.7% who disagreed. The findings revealed that e- learning platforms are not only accessible but also inclusive. 70.6%, 82.9%, 80.9%, and 78.4% of SSSTs attested that e-learning platforms and materials promote cultural perspectives, diverse representations, social interaction, and engagement, respectively. These findings imply that the majority (82.1%) of SSSTs have access to e-learning platforms and materials; however, a few (<20%) acknowledged facing accessibility and inclusivity challenges. One-way ANOVA with post-hoc tests, Ptukey values, showed a statistically significant difference in e-learning platform knowledge and experience between 1st and 2nd years (M=-0.525, p<.001), 1st and 3rd years (M=-0.698, p<.001), and 1st and 4th years (M=-0.842, p<.001). The MLR accessibility predictors explained a significant amount of variance in e-learning outcomes, F (3, 399) =26.21, p<.001. Together, the predictors explained 15.8% of the variance in e-learning outcomes. Accessibility of e- learning platforms (β = 0.923, SE=0.236, t (399) = 3.915, p<.001) and materials with alternative formats (β = 0.791, SE=0.227, t (399) = 3.480, p<.001) were positively related and significant predictors of e-learning outcomes. However, accessibility of e-learning platforms and materials with assistive technologies (β = 0.448, SE=0.236, t (399) = 1.881, p=.061) was not a significant predictor of e-learning outcomes. A chi- square test of independence showed a statistically significant association (p = 0. 014<.05) between e- learning inclusivity and academic performance, X2 (4, N= 403) =12.49, p=.014. Therefore, promoting e-learning inclusivity influences academic performance among SSSTs. The study recommends that educators review and deliver e-learning content in clear and straightforward language while incorporating accessible and inclusive assistive technologies and alternative formats.