Analysis of Teachers’ Understanding Level, Needs, and Difficulties in Identifying Children with Special Needs in Inclusve School in Surakarta

Abdul Salim, Dian Atnantomi W. (2017). Analysis of Teachers’ Understanding Level, Needs, and Difficulties in Identifying Children with Special Needs in Inclusve School in Surakarta. Journal of Education and Learning. Vol. 11 (4) pp. 352-357. DOI: 10.11591/edulearn.v11i4.paper6387 Analysis of Teachers’ Understanding Level, Needs, and Difficulties in Identifying Children with Special Needs in Inclusive School in Surakarta Abdul Salim * Teacher Training and Education Faculty, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia Dian Atnantomi W ** Special Education Program, Graduate School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia Abstract This research was aimed to determine teachers’ understanding level of identification concept, needs, and difficulties in implementing the identification of children with special needs in inclusive school. It was a descriptive research with 40 special teachers as the subject taken by using purposive random sampling in 11 inclusive school in Surakarta. Data was cllected through interview and questionnaire. Data was analyzed by using percentage quantitative descriptive. Result of the research showed that: (1) teachers’ understanding level of the identification of children with special needs was strongly uncomprehend (37%), uncomprehend (23%), and less comprehend (18%); (2) teachers’ needs of the identification of children with special needs mostly need training program and digital identificatio instrument development, (3) problems found in the field about identification of children with special needs are identification instrument standardize, difficulty in applying identification steps, low competence of non-special-education teacher about identification and in detecting similar characteristics of children with special needs. Keywords: Teachers’ Understanding, Identification, Inclusve School * Abdul Salim, Teacher Training and Education Faculty, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia E-mail: ** Dian Atnantomi W, Special Education Program, Graduate School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia E-mail: Received July 31, 2017; Revised Sept 22, 2017; Accepted October 9, 2017 Introduction Education for all is an educateion implementation that accommodates all individual to receive education service. Inclusive school becomes one education model accommodating all children without exception in one class considering their ability and needs (UNESCO, 2000, Ahmad, 2015a). Inclusive school is a school giving education service that accommodates all students in the same class environment according to their age and development (Charema, 2010; Schmidt & Venet, 2012). Inclusive school gives education service providing children with special needs to study together in regular class (Sapon-Shevin, 2007; Ajuwon, 2008). Education service given should be suitable with the children’s needs, characteristics, and ability (Ahmad 2015c). Children with special needs have different characteristics for every disability they have (Salim, 2002), therefore, it needs intervention and curriculum modification for every disability (Salim, 2012). Children with special needs are the main focus in inclusive school to provide education service suitable with their needs and abilities. Children with special needs are children with disability compared with normal children in the terms of mental, sensory, physical, and neuromascular anilities, social and emotional behavior, communication ability, or more than one disability (Mangunsong, 2009: 4). By looking at their characteristics, it needs identification to determine their kinds of disability, so that they can receive suitable intervention based on their needs and abilities (Ahmad, 2015b). Identification is a process used to acquire information about problem face by children to set learning intervention, namely class placement and curriculum (Lebeer et al, 2010). Those who need identification are preschool children, those who want to go to school, and those in inclusive school. Children with special needs that need identification are (1) those in regular school, (2) new students in regular school, (3) those who are/not yet in school (Yusuf et al, 2013: 6-7). Appropriate identification is used to decide disability of a child, give options of suitable learning intervention based on their characteristics, decide class placement, and students’ personal data (Guarino et al, 2010). Identification is very important for children’s development in inclusive school, however it is not fully understood by special teachers yet in inclusive school. Inclusive school, standing under government’s command, has lack of fund and teachers (Tarnoto, 2013). From previous study done by Suryaningrum et al (2016), it is known that (1) 90% teachers do not own instrument to detect children with special needs, (2) 70% teachers were not helped by expert to do early detection for children with special needs, (3) 70% teachers have no understanding about doing intervention on children with special needs, (4) 60% teacher do not have undersatnding about assessment and early detection and also 60% teachers do not have any understanding about characteristics of children with special needs. Research conducted by Tarnoto (2013) showed that there are some problems faced by teachers related to service given by the school, like low level of teachers’ competence in dealing with children with special needs. It gives a picture that most teachers teaching children with special needs in inclusive school have lo competence in doin identification and intervention. In line with study conducted by Bukvić (2014) there are 70% teachers from 100 teachers have no competence in teaching children with special needs. Teachers’ readiness in giving education method is very needed (Zulfija, 2013). Based on the data, in 2011, there are 356,192 children with special needs, however, only 105,185 children receive services (Desiningrum, 2016: 3). It means that there are many children with special needs receive no education services. Meanwhile, to give them suitable services and interventions, it needs identification program and assesment. Do teachers in inclusive school have enough understanding about identification concept and assessment of children with special needs? This research is aimed to get a picture of teachers’ understanding level and needs in identifying children with special needs in inclusive school and also their problems in identifying. Method This research is a descriptive research to explore data related to (1) teachers’ understanding level in identifying children with special needs, (2) teachers’ need in identifying children with special needs, (3) problems faced by teacher in identifying. In the terms of understanding level, it contains (a) meaning of identification, (b) background of the importance of identification activity, (c) goals, (d) tools, (e) time and place, (f) conditions of identification staff, (g) procedure, and (h) interpretation of identification result. In the terms of te (...truncated)