The Operation and Development of Inclusive Education Resource Centres/Rooms in China: A Scoping Review

In recent years, many countries have established inclusive education resource centres or rooms to facilitate the implementation of inclusion for children with disabilities, and China is no exception. Although much Chinese literature has explained how resource centres or rooms operate in different areas, studies have yet to systematically examine and analyse the development of inclusive resource support systems in China. Little research in this field has been published in English journals. This study used a scoping review methodology to locate 31 previous studies on establishing and operating resource support systems in China, published in peer-reviewed Chinese journals in the past 10 years (2013–2023). The results indicated that inclusive education resource centres or rooms played essential roles in supporting the learning and development of children with disabilities, and the data analysis conceptualised four significant themes to explain how the resource support systems provided high-quality services for all children at schools. However, teachers, schools, and governments faced some challenges in improving the quality of resource support systems. The implications for future research directions are also provided. The review also highlighted an under-researched area regarding the development of resource support systems in China.