Exploring teachers’ inclusive education strategies in rural Indonesian primary schools

Background Indonesia’s implementation of inclusive education continues to help support students’ development of academic abilities and social skills. However, it also poses challenges for several parties involved in the administration of inclusive education in rural areas: in particular, teachers from general education backgrounds.Purpose This study aimed to investigate teachers’ teaching strategies in inclusive education in a sample of public primary schools in rural Indonesia, in order to better understand the strategies used and the teachers’ perspectives on inclusive education.Methods Participants were 40 classroom teachers from 10 public primary schools in rural Indonesia. The participants taught students from grades 2 to 6 (student ages 8 to 12) and had at least one student with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in their class. Observations were conducted to determine the extent to which teachers used differentiation, collaborative learning and inclusive classroom management strategies. After the observations, short interviews were conducted with the teachers in order to explore their perceptions of inclusive education. Data were analysed qualitatively.Findings Analysis of observation data showed that only a small number of teachers used teaching strategies that were considered effective inclusive strategies, such as differentiation and collaborative learning. The interview findings indicated that most of the teachers did not feel confident in using inclusive strategies, due to factors including limited knowledge of strategies, and class size.Conclusions This small-scale study suggests that the implementation of inclusive education remains at an early stage and is challenging in some parts of Indonesia. It highlights that sustaining and advancing teacher education is crucial: through professional development, teachers can be enabled to increase their competence and knowledge of inclusive education strategies, ultimately benefiting all students in the classroom.