Rural and urban general education teachers’ instructional strategies in inclusive classrooms in China: a dual system perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT Due to China’s unique rural-urban dual system, education differs significantly between rural and urban schools. However, research related to the rural-urban disparity in inclusive education is limited. Moreover, general education teachers’ instructional strategies, in particular, remain unclear and could be studied further. To bridge this gap, a qualitative method was adopted to interview 16 general education teachers in rural and urban inclusive classrooms in China, and the differences in inclusive instructional strategies, teaching design, and support for and barriers to general education teachers’ inclusive instruction were explored. The findings showed that shorter assignments and different expectations were the most frequently utilised strategies in inclusive classrooms; teachers’ teaching designs were significantly geared towards general education instead of students’ individualised needs, and the barriers to inclusive instruction were far greater than the support obtained. Moreover, general education teachers in urban areas adopted more teaching strategies, had fewer barriers to inclusive instruction while receiving more support than rural teachers. Implications for future research and practices in the field of general education teachers’ instructional strategies in inclusive education were discussed.