Teachers Classroom Management to Support Inclusion
A Preschool Ethnography
Wulan Adiarti and Ali Formen
Department of Early Childhood Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, Universitas Negeri Semarang,
Semarang, Indonesia
Keywords: Inclusive Education, Early Childhood Education, Ethnography Analysis.
Abstract: This study was motivated by the Indonesian government policy to ensure that education services at all levels,
including preschool, are accessible and therefore inclusive. A key foundation to inclusive education is the
notion that all children, including those with special needs, have the same right to education. In reality, not
all Indonesian preschools are ready to operate their center inclusively. Additionally, parents of the so-called
normal children have certain anxiety if their children are taught along with those with special needs. This
research aims to portray teacher's strategies of inclusive classroom management. A Jakarta-based preschool
was chosen as the setting of this study, considering that not only it is an inclusive institution but also because
of its position as a national reference. The study follows the ethnographic analysis as suggested by Spradley
(Spradley, 1980). Data were collected by observing, interviewing and document analysis. Our findings show
inclusive classroom management necessitated two-branched actions, one actions were targeted at classroom
activities and another one was targeted at children interaction. These findings can be useful to preschool
educational institutions in Indonesia who look for a model of inclusive class management strategy.
1 INTRODUCTION
Attention to education for children with special needs
is to adhere to constitutional guarantee from The 1945
Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia that stated
equality in the freedom of speech, educational rights,
prosperity, and health for every citizen. Along with
the Universal Declaration Human Rights (1948),
clarified by Children Act (1989), World Declaration
on Education for All (1990), The United Nations
Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities
for Persons with Disabilities (1993), UNESCO
Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action
(1994), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
IDEA (1997), Dakar Framework for Action (2000),
and Legislation No. 23 of the Republic of Indonesia
on Children Protection (2002) have full guarantee
children with special needs for getting quality
education and active social life participation(Unesco,
2009)
Inclusive education (IE) has been a topic of long-
lasted attention, not least in Indonesia. Yet, a review
by Waitoller and Alfredo J (Waitoller and Artiles,
2013), shows that while the topic has been evenly
distributed across long period of time, it has caught
fluctuate academic interest in Indonesia. Studies into
inclusion in Indonesian setting was done for example
by Kaplan and his colleagues (Kaplan, Lewis, and
Mumba, 2007).
Methodologically, this study even used an
"advance" strategy, namely by including school
children as the data generator, through photographical
techniques. Yet, still, this study does not pay attention
to the issue of teachers' day-to-day and classroom-
based inclusion practices. More importantly, as this
study was done by international observers, access to
this study has been limited, due to Indonesian
schools, and even higher education institution,
notorious lack of engagement with international
scholarship.
Moreover, for the context of this study,
investigation into IE in Indonesian setting has been
commonly done in primary school context. This is
apparent for example in a report by UNESCO
(UNESCO, 2009). In this sense, this study aims to
trigger further discussion of IE in early childhood
education (ECE) and preschool education setting. To
open such a discussion is important not only because
IE reflects the respect of children's rights, regardless
their gender, religion, ethnicity, physical appearance
Adiarti, W. and Formen, A.
Teachers Classroom Management to Support Inclusion - A Preschool Ethnography.
In Proceedings of the 1st Inter national Conference on Educational Sciences (ICES 2017) - Volume 1, pages 67-74
ISBN: 978-989-758-314-8
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67

and socio-economic background, but also because
Indonesia is also planning to provide one-year
compulsory preschool attendance and promote
quality ECE for all. It has been a belief and IE is an
integral part of quality (Mc Lachlan, Claire, Fleer,
Marilyn, Edwards, 2010; Miller, 1996).
Indonesia has two kinds of education
management for children with special needs namely
Special Education (Pendidikan Luar Biasa) and
Inclusive Education (Pendidikan Inklusi). Special
Education manages education for children with
special needs segregated without mixing the special-
need children with their “normal” counterparts, while
Inclusive Education blends the children together in
the same education service. This fact is backed up by
the government’s policy that supports dual kind of
education for special children, namely Regulation
No. 13 of 2015 on National Education
Standard(Government of The Republic of Indonesia,
2015), and Ministry of Education Regulation No. 20
of 2009 on Inclusive Education.
In reality, Indonesian preschools in general are not
yet ready to operate classes inclusively. Managing
classes with the inclusion system is not easy. Until
recently, problems that frequently faced by the
schools were teacher’s readiness to manage teaching
and learning activities. This is related to findings in
other researchers on teacher’s readiness in managing
inclusive teaching is determined by teaching
experience and special education training
opportunity. The fact is there are numerous teachers
without training opportunity on managing an
inclusive classroom. (Kurniawati, Minnaert, and
Mangunsong, 2012). There is also cultural finding
that parents of normal children have certain anxiety
that their children will be influenced if taught in the
same class with special needs children (Woodhead,
2007).
In summary, organizing inclusive classes requires
the help of many parties not only school institutions,
but the involvement of both parents and government
as well (Loreman, 2007).
The central question we propose is how do
teachers bring inclusive education model into their
classrooms? To further discuss the question, this
paper is divided into five sections, covering a brief
review of IE, the Indonesian policy context of IE,
methodological aspects of the study from which this
paper is drawn, and our study findings. We conclude
this paper by recommending for promoting the
inclusive classroom management model found in this
research.
2 INCLUSION EDUCATION (IE)
IN INDONESIA AT A GLANCE
As it has been widely known, IE was initiated in the
Law No. 20 of 2003 on National Education System
article 5:1-2, by the Indonesian Government
(Government of The Republic of Indonesia, 2003) it
mentioned the equality of right to education for all
including children with special needs.
In Indonesia, the component of IE was ratified
since the first education law, published in 1950. Since
then on the later education laws stipulate IE. Inclusive
education, however, was initially
understood/stipulated as Special Education.
Therefore, Indonesian education system recognizes
the differentiation between the general education and
special education (SE), whose provision is under the
coordination and supervision of Ministry of
Education and Culture.
Since 2009, special education has been
reintroduced as Inclusive Education. Currently,
Inclusive education is regulated based on The
Ministry of National Education Regulation No. 70 of
2009 on Inclusive Education. The regulation states
SE is “An educational system that provides
opportunities for all learners who have a disorder and
have the potential of intelligence and /or a special
gifted to follow education or learning in an
educational environment together with learners in
typical”. (The Ministry Of National Education on
Inclusive Education No. 70 of 2009, n.d.). The
constitutional provision assures that there is no
distinction between treatment and opportunity to
obtain education for all learners, who have special
needs and special talents to attend education together
with typical learners.
The regulation on IE No. 70 of 2009 also
mentioned the following objectives of inclusive
education in Indonesia:
 Giving all opportunities to students with
physical, emotional, mental and social
abnormality or intelligent and/or special talent
potential to receive the needed quality education
in accordance to their need and capacity.
 To actualize an indiscriminative, diversity
respecting education management for every
student.
Those preceding goals are in tune with Sapon-
Shevin who affirmed that the most fundamental goal
of inclusive education is to persuade every member
of school environment into an agreement to support
and be involved in inclusive approach educational
process (Sapon-Shevin, 2007).
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In relation to ECE learning centers, policies
supporting IE implementation was enacted as
Regulation of Ministry of Education and Culture No.
146 of 2014 on ECE Curriculum article 10 that stated
“Curriculum for children with exceptions or special
needs is the 2013 Early Childhood Education
Curriculum that later will develop according to the
child’s needs and potentials” (Pendidikan and
Kebudayaan, 2015). So when implemented in ECE
teaching, the existing curriculum also applies to
children with special needs in accordance to their
needs and capacity. Actually, the curriculum for
special children does not differ from normal children
except on the Developmentally Appropriate Practice
(DAP). The concept of developmental
appropriateness basically has two dimensions: first is
age appropriateness and second is individual
appropriateness. Teachers must observe children in
their classrooms under a variety of conditions in order
to learn about the children and their special ways of
learning. Children have different personality styles
and different learning styles (Miller, 1996; Wortham,
2006).
Along with the introduction on Teacher standard,
IE has been included as part of teacher competencies,
at all level. At the preschool level, IE teacher
competencies arranged in the regulation on ECE
Standard No. 137 of 2014 which includes: pedagogic
competence; personality competence; social
competence; and professional competence. One of the
competencies for example mentioned that “Social
competence of ECE teacher is being inclusive,
objective, and non-discriminatory because of gender,
religion, race, ethnicity, physical condition, family
background, and socioeconomic status” (The
Minister of Education and Culture of The Republic of
Indonesia No. 137 of 2014 on the national standard of
early childhood education, 2014).
On the contrary, the special education and
inclusive education are still two different things in
Indonesia. Inclusive education usually implemented
in regular schools, where the teacher’s ability to
handle special needs student and the educational
background of teachers in regular schools are not
prepared to be a special teacher (Rahardja, 2017). In
fact, the Indonesian government is still revising
educational policies based on international statements
despite to adjusting to the actual conditions
(Srivastava, Boer, and Pijl, 2017).
3 METHOD
The research model used was qualitative
methodology, of case study type. The focus of this
study is the inclusion of teachers classroom
management strategies who applied to children with
special needs are paired with normal children in the
learning process. A Jakarta-based preschool which is
Al Fattah Kindergarten, was chosen as the setting of
this study, considering that not only it is an inclusive
institution but also because of its position as a
national reference. Seven (7) teachers and thirty-six
(36) children aged 4 to 6 involved in this study.
The study followed the qualitative
methodological tradition. The focus of this study is
teachers’ management strategies of classroom
attended by normal and special-need children. A
Jakarta-based preschool, al-Fattah (pseudonym), was
chosen as the setting of this study. It was chosen
considering that not only it is an inclusive institution
but also because of its position as a national reference.
Seven teachers and thirty-six children aged 4 to 6
were involved in this study.
We consider ethnography analysis to explore
further teachers’ inclusive classroom management
practice, suggested for example in (Jong, Kamsteeg,
and Ybema, 2013; Pietkiewicz, and Smith, 2014).
The Process of research was using the developmental
research sequence by Spradley (James P. Spradley,
1980), the stages are presented in the following figure
1:
Figure 1: Data collection procedures.
Data collecting process were doing by Techniques
such as (1) Documentation; (2) Observation; and (3)
Interview. During the research, researchers create
Teachers Classroom Management to Support Inclusion - A Preschool Ethnography
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documentation in the form of a journal activity diary
and calendar events. Journal in this study was called
as field notes Activity journal, sometimes called field
note, is data collection was taken during observation,
interview transcript, video transcript, photos and
document analysis.
The analysis was done systematically, referring to
following Spradley analysis stages: domain analysis,
taxonomic analysis, component analysis and theme
analysis. Data verification in this qualitative research
was taken in three forms of activities as follow:
triangulation, member checking, and auditing.
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Results
Teacher’s strategy in managing inclusive classroom
can be seen in center’s play activities, as
characteristic of classroom management in Al Fattah.
Al-Fattah uses the Beyond Centre and Circle Time
(BCCT) learning model in its educational approach
(Fitriani, Yelni and Isyam, 2012; Worldbank, 2012).
A key idea in BCCT learning management, is
scaffolding. Scaffolding can be assumed as the
foundation or content framework of the education
program that will be built upon the children. Four
playing scaffoldings that exist in Al-Fattah are play
environment scaffolding, pre-play experience
scaffolding, during play experience scaffolding, and
post-play experience scaffolding. With these four
scaffoldings being made children can work and play
together smoothly, regardless of their personal and
physical characteristics.
Based on the field note analysis, interviews and
documentation on teacher’s strategies in managing an
inclusive classroom, the substantial domain can be
formulated as follows.
4.1.1 Analysis Result during Environmental
Scaffolding Activity
On the basis of descriptive question of “what strategy
do the teachers use to manage inclusive classroom
during environmental scaffolding?” domain analysis
resulted in the substantial domain about the following
inclusive classroom management strategies (see in
figure 2).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
If any, should be placed before the references section
Figure 2: Result of domain analysis in environmental
scaffolding activity.
4.1.2 Analysis Result on Pre-Playing
Scaffolding Activity
Based on domain analysis in inclusive classroom
management strategy on pre-playing scaffolding, and
on descriptive question of “what strategies are used in
managing inclusive classroom during replaying
scaffolding in Al Fattah Kindergarten?” following
substantial domains are found in the figure 3:
Figure 3: Result of domain analysis pre-playing scaffolding
activity.
4.1.3 Analysis Result on During Play
Scaffolding Activity
Based on domain analysis on inclusive classroom
management strategy in during play scaffolding
activity, and descriptive question of “what strategies
are used in managing inclusive classroom on during
play scaffolding activity in Al Fattah Kindergarten?”
following substantial domains are found in the figure
4:
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Figure 4: Result of domain analysis during play scaffolding
activity.
4.1.4 Analysis Result on During Post-Play
Scaffolding Activity
Based on domain analysis on inclusive classroom
management strategy in during play scaffolding
activity, and a descriptive question of “what strategies
are used in managing inclusive classroom on post-
playing scaffolding activity in Al Fattah
Kindergarten?” following substantial domains are
found in the figure 5:
Figure 5: Result of domain analysis during post-play
scaffolding activity.
Based on domain analysis result above the
substantial theories which can be formulated in this
research are:
Figure 6: Theme analysis for substantial theories.
According to the figure 6, it can be described that
Teacher's strategies of inclusive classroom
management model consist of managing classroom
activities and children interaction. Children Activities
Management in Al Fattah Kindergarten consists of
the following:
 Environmental Preparation that includes these
activities: playing environment setting before
children enter the center, monitor children
center rotation list, verify shadow teacher’s
availability for children with special needs.
 Play density and intensity that includes these
activities: preparation of play material
according to children needs, preparation of
multiple play opportunities that consist of three
types which are sensorimotor, constructive, and
symbolic, preparation of various play materials
that support the aforementioned three types of
play.
 Children social interaction that includes these
activities: administer transition time or circle
time before going into the center, plan the play
opportunities that support social development,
arrange for a learning environment conducive
for social interaction, social behavior modeling
based on friends and teachers.
 An individual curriculum that includes
following activities: understand developmental
stage of each child, understand individual
children needs according to their respective
developmental stage, preparation of play
material according to children needs.
 A fun learning environment that includes these
activities: greeting and smiling to children when
they arrive at the center, sing while greeting and
attending the children.
 Teachers modelling that includes these
activities: teachers give sincere attention to
every child, teachers motivate children with
special needs for their activity achievements,
teachers label positive things on children with
special needs to typical children, teacher’s
interventions are in stages starting from physical
support, direct statement, indirect statement,
questioning, and visual looking.
 Children development assessment that includes
these activities: teachers visit and take note any
activity the children do in the center, teachers do
the storytelling of the current theme and flow it
into children’s activities, teachers interlink
children activity today with today’s material,
teachers give evaluative questions, teachers take
detailed notes and vocabulary of children’s talk.
 A special time for children with special needs
that includes these activities: special children
are given anxious time to play outdoor with
shadow teacher, children with sound sensitive
Teachers Classroom Management to Support Inclusion - A Preschool Ethnography
71

autism spectrum are allowed to momentarily
pause their activity, children during tantrum
condition are allowed more time to play in
messy play center.
Figure 7: Environmental Preparation for children activities.
Regarding to the figure 7, Children Interaction
Management, several strategies applied in Al Fattah
Kindergarten included the following eight principles.
 Receptive to opinions. This includes discussion
involving children and teachers regarding play
rule, play activities, and helping other children.
 Affection and tolerance. This includes teacher
modeling on affection towards children with
special needs, developing positive interaction,
tolerance, and empathy to other people.
 Rule-abiding. This includes teacher and children
discussion on play rule, the goal of rule-abiding,
and benefits of abiding rules.
 A collaborative relationship. This is shown as
teachers facilitate children to collaborate with
their friends, benefits of cooperation, play
together inside a group.
 Discipline and consistency. This is aimed at
ensuring children’s consciousness of play in
time and of play sequence with the proper start
and finish.
 Proper communication. This is as teachers label
children activities, teachers communicate to
children in a complete sentence, communication
are done in a gradual manner starting from the
gesture, verbal word by word, and finally one
complete structured sentence, children are
encouraged to solve problems with their friends
by talking.
 Responsibility. This is shown as teachers invite
children to together tidy up and put toys in their
places according to their types and labels,
teachers also remind children about their play
activity time consistency.
 Logical thinking skills where teachers always
explain logically on every questions and
statement children made.
4.2 Discussion
As the findings of the study show scaffolding is the
core idea in Al-Fattah classroom management
strategy. Scaffolding can be assumed as forming
foundation or content framework of the education
program that will be built upon the children. Children
Resources International (CRI) (2002:98) stated that
“scaffolding is a strategy in which the teacher
provides a bridge between what the child can and
cannot do by providing the necessary prompt and
cues”. Four main scaffoldings used in Al Fattah
centers are playing environmental scaffolding, pre-
playing scaffolding, during play scaffolding, and
post-playing scaffolding. These four support
children’s playing experiences and activities along
with children management, thus children can learn
and work together regardless they are typical children
or children with special needs (Jung and Recchia,
2013).
Another important aspect in the preparation of the
environment is to check the availability of shadow
teachers who will accompany the children to play in
the center. Shadow teachers play a very important
role in guiding children with special needs when
playing, shadow teachers help with labeling and
reinforcing activities the children do. Another role is
to help center teachers to ensure good social relation
between typical children and children with special
needs. Core teachers and assistant teachers should
solidly team up to manage an inclusive class. On this
matter, Bradley, King-Sears, and Tessier-Switlick
(1997:11) suggest the following:
“General educators cannot educate students with
disabilities alone, but research has shown that special
educators cannot do it alone either. Special and
general educators must work together to gain
knowledge about how the best teaching and learning
occurs”.
Equally treating and trusting children with special
needs when teachers manage the inclusive class in Al
Fattah Kindergarten is one strategy in creating
positive social interaction between typical children
and children with special needs. A good social
interaction is built from model teachers giving trust to
children with special needs to do same activities other
typical children do. Teachers arrange playing
activities that enable typical children to collaborate
with special needs children and to help them during
difficulties when playing in peer group. The value of
collaborative interaction is highlighted for example in
a publication CRI (2002:192) as follows:
“Increased social interaction helps children
develop friendships and positive social relationships
and establishes a supportive social network”.
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Al Fattah Kindergarten arranges classes or
children activity area in a wide room where both
typical and special needs children aged 3-5 years old
stay in one place. However, Al Fattah School creates
programs in accordance to individual children needs
and development referred as Individual Curriculum.
Preparing children’s Individual Curriculum is an
important strategy for children to accept activities
according to their needs and capacity. Wolfgang
describes “at a practical level, there are three
processes which can help the teacher provide for a
special needs child in the classroom; (1) a staffing
process, (2) a written Individualized Educational Plan
(IEP), and (3) Curriculum design” (Wolfgang
et.al:1992).
5 CONCLUSIONS
This study found that managing inclusion in
preschool requires a lot of preparation such as teacher
competencies, individual curriculum, structuring the
main environment, adequate infrastructure, and
support from all parties both the preschool staff and
parents. Regretfully, what we have found in Al-Fattah
may not necessarily be done by all Indonesian
preschools. In addition teacher professional learning
program has so far paid only little attention to
teacher’s inclusive competencies. We speculate that
unless inclusion is given a spacious room in teacher
education, the vision for quality preschool for all is
just an unattainable dream.
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