Differentiated Instruction in Chinese Primary and Secondary Schools: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This study aims to probe into the concepts and use of differentiated instruction (DI) in Chinese primary and secondary schools by means of a systematic literature review from 1995 to 2019. Outcomes are presented in the form of thematic overview. Findings report that Chinese national conditions contributed to DI’ s definitions and theoretical basis from historical and realistic perspectives. Then, the selected articles show that Chinese teachers from primary and secondary schools are aware of the importance of student diversity, such as interests, learning style and abilities. Moreover, teachers can organize many teaching methods, like flexible grouping and collaborative learning, to build DI classrooms for satisfying various needs of learners. Results also point out DI’ s positive effect on students’ achievement, but Chinese large class size and teacher incapability are the main obstacles to the implementation of DI.