Instructions for students with special educational needs in Chinese mainstream classrooms: modifications and barriers

“Learning in Regular Classrooms” (LRC) has been the main strategy to universalize compulsory education for children with special educational needs in China after 1980s. Methods such as whole-class teaching combined with individual tutoring, differentiated teaching, and cooperative learning have been widely practiced in general classrooms for students with special educational needs. However, high instructional quality for students with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms is far from being realized, and this is due to the lack of expertise, support and resources, and effective assessment measures. The authors conclude that efforts are needed to change the education system from the current rigidity toward a more flexible system to better accommodate diverse needs in general classrooms.