Inclusive Curriculum Implementation in Chinese High Schools: Teacher Preparedness, School Environment, and the Mediating Role of Teacher Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Inclusive education has been strongly promoted in Chinese high schools, yet classroom practice remains uneven. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined how teacher preparedness and school environment relate to inclusive curriculum implementation, with teacher self-efficacy tested as a mediator. Five predictors—teacher training, administrative support, material availability, class size (perceived manageability), and teacher attitudes—were modelled together with teacher self-efficacy and inclusive curriculum implementation. Data were collected from 400 high school teachers across several Chinese provinces using a validated five-point Likert questionnaire measuring seven constructs, and analysed through descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and Baron and Kenny mediation with Sobel tests and bootstrap estimation. All five predictors significantly and positively predicted implementation, with teacher attitudes the strongest (β = .282) and class size the weakest (β = .167). Teacher self-efficacy was the strongest single predictor (β = .459) and significantly partially mediated all five relationships. The findings extend Social Cognitive Theory and Organizational Support Theory to the Chinese high school context and indicate that strengthening teacher confidence, alongside training, leadership support, resources, and manageable class sizes, is central to translating inclusive policy into classroom practice.