A Research Trend Analysis on Teaching Methods for Pre-Service Special Education Teacher Education in China
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65021/mwsj.v2.i3.45Keywords:
pre-service special education teachers, teaching methods, teacher education, research trends, special educationAbstract
This study examines research trends in teaching methods used in pre-service special education teacher education in China. A total of 186 relevant journal articles published between 2000 and 2025 were selected from CNKI and Wanfang Data. The studies were examined from four aspects: publication period, teaching method, research method, and research topic. Frequency and percentage analyses were used, with multiple coding applied to teaching methods when one study covered more than one method; research topics were assigned one primary topic per study. The 12 teaching-method categories generated 260 coding cases. Reflective teaching was the most frequently coded method (42 cases, 16.2%), followed by field-based learning (36, 13.8%) and problem-based learning (31, 11.9%). Qualitative research accounted for 48.9% of the studies, followed by quantitative research (30.1%), mixed methods (14.5%), and literature/conceptual research (6.5%). Curriculum and instructional competence was the most frequently coded primary research topic (36.6%), followed by professional identity and development (21.0%) and practical teaching competence (15.1%). Annualized publication rates indicate that research activity increased across all successive periods, with the highest average rate occurring in 2020–2025. The findings indicate a strong emphasis on instructional competence and practical preparation, while assessment and classroom management, digital teaching competence, and rigorous outcome evaluation remain comparatively underrepresented. Because the review describes research attention rather than intervention effectiveness, the findings should not be interpreted as evidence that one teaching method is more effective than another. Future research should use reproducible search procedures, reliable coding, mixed-method and longitudinal designs, university–school collaboration, and competency-specific outcome measures.
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