A Competence-Based Analysis of In-Service Training Needs of Itinerant Teachers for Inclusive Education in China

The rapid expansion of inclusive education in China has increased demand for itinerant teachers who support children with disabilities learning in regular classrooms. To inform the design of in-service professional development, this study examined itinerant teachers’ perceived training needs and the factors associated with those needs. Drawing on a competence-based framework, we surveyed 275 itinerant teachers across multiple regions of China using a questionnaire covering five domains—personal/behavioural competence, values/ethical competence, knowledge/cognitive competence, functional competence, and meta-/trans-competence—and 23 training-content items. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted. Perceived training needs were consistently high across all five domains, with the greatest demand in knowledge/cognitive and functional competence. Needs varied by positional title and district, and teachers with prior training experience reported higher needs in several knowledge/cognitive and functional areas. Supporting students with a wider range of impairment types and undertaking more job responsibilities were associated with higher needs in several domains, whereas longer itinerant teaching experience was associated with lower needs in some personal/behavioural and values/ethical areas. These findings suggest that in-service professional development should address both common and differentiated needs.