Perceptions and differences in the importance and performance of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) among Chinese special education teachers

This study aimed to explore improvement strategies for strengthening Positive Behavior Support (PBS) implementation in China by analyzing the perceived importance and performance levels of PBS among 1,020 Chinese special education teachers. The research instrument was the Self-Assessment Survey (SAS) developed by the U.S. PBIS Center. The results of the study are as follows. First, although Chinese special education teachers generally perceived PBS as highly important, their reported level of performance fell short, with the gap particularly pronounced in Tier 2 (targeted group support) and Tier 3 (individualized support). Second, based on the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA), key areas requiring intensive improvement were identified. These include, in the schoolwide support domain: professional development, staff involvement, behavior data systems, data-based decision-making, and fidelity data; in the classroom support domain: actively engage students, differentiated instruction, and academic success; and in the Tier 2 (targeted group support) domain: fidelity of implementation. This study is significant in that it systematically visualized the gap between the importance and performance of PBS implementation using IPA, and identified priority areas for improvement, thereby offering practical directions for the effective establishment of PBS in China’s special education settings.