Framework of Independence Guidance to Students with Moderate
Mental Retardation Based on Behavioral Approach
Iding Tarsidi
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
Keywords: Framework of Independence Guidance, Students with Moderate Mental Retardation, Behavioral Base.
Abstract: Independence for mental retardation students is leading to the development of adaptive behavior skills,
especially the skills to take care of themselves in daily life activities and the skills to adjust to the
environment (social adaptive skills). The fact is that at present there are many children with mental
retardation who have completed their education at special school for mentally retarded children that cannot
be independent. This research aimed to discover the working framework guidance to develop the
independence of students with moderate mental retardation based on behavior approach, as teacher’s
reference to facilitate the acquisition of behaviors in performing the activities of daily life to fulfil their own
needs. Research method is descriptive – qualitative, and research subject is students with moderate mental
retardation. The framework guidelines were constructed based on the data obtained through interview,
observation, questionnaire and documentation instruments. This research used qualitative approach. The
research result showed that the feasibility indicators are characterized by: (1) the acquisition of student’s
new skills, (2) the fulfilment of self-care needs or taking care of themselves in everyday life, and (3) the
enthusiasm of students during the guidance process or learning for independence. This working framework
guidance designed for students with moderate mental retardation based on behavior approach is
recommended to be implemented by teachers or counsellors at special schools for mental retardation
students.
1 INTRODUCTION
Based on preliminary study in SLB C through
observation, interview, and document analysis, it is
found that for mental retardation students whose
education is more directed to the mastery of basic
skills to fulfil their daily needs through special
program of self-development. But in reality, there
are many students who are not yet independent, such
as in carrying out activities of daily life. This shows
there is still gap in the implementation of learning,
so that the impact of them on the acquisition of
learning outcomes or achievement of independence.
Based on the result of the analysis of the plan
and the implementation of the learning of the
students, it can be described that basically the
teachers apply the principles of learning based on
behavioral approach, such as formulating learning
objectives, individualization teaching, giving reward
and punishment, but not optimally, consistently and
proportionally.
Educational activities (teaching, training, and
guiding) of students with moderate mental
retardation will basically involve teachers in the
process of analyzing their students' behaviors, which
include: (1) establishing or maintaining positive
behaviors in students (among other things, daily
activities: self-development, communicating and
adapting to the environment, and (2) reducing,
preventing or excluding negative behaviors that are
not wanted by the environment (Sunanto, 2005).
SLB teachers have a very important role in the
process of guidance or learning independence of
students with moderate mental retardation, therefore
they are required to be able to reorient or synergize
between the approach of instruction (Instructional
Approach) with psycho-educational approach
(Alimin, Z., 2006), namely that facilitate the
acquisition of the skills of the moderate mental
retardation students has to be done appropriately,
systematically and procedurally designed. It refers to
an independence guidance framework that is
appropriate to the characteristics of the learning
370
Tarsidi, I.
Framework of Independence Guidance to Students with Moderate Mental Retardation Based on Behavioral Approach.
In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences (ICES 2017) - Volume 2, pages 370-373
ISBN: 978-989-758-314-8
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

needs of students with moderate mental retardation
(between behavior-based approaches).
Based on the description, the researcher intends
to examine: “What kind of independence guidance
counsel of behavioral approach-based can SLB
teachers use to facilitate the acquisition of students'
skills in daily life activities?”
2 METHODS
Descriptive with a qualitative approach, with the
consideration that the research findings are assumed
to provide more actual and meaningful results, so
they are considered to be more convincing and
acceptable. Data collection techniques use
observation sheets, interview guides, and
documentation studies. Qualitative data analysis is
done inductively through activities: (1) unitising, (2)
categorizing, (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia,
2011, page 31), and (3) interpretation. The steps of
the research can be seen figure 1.
Research procedure: first stage, preliminary
study, theoretical study (mental retardation,
characteristic of learning requirement, self-
development program, independence of moderate
mental retardation, guidance and behavioral
perspective in learning), describing the objective
condition of independence of moderate mental
retardation students, objective conditions of
independence learning implementation,
developmental environment learning of students, as
well as obstacles faced by teachers and efforts to
overcome them. Further formulated construct
framework of independence guidance.
The second phase; providing content validation
(construct) of framework independence guidance
(counselling experts and education experts of
children with mental retardation) through Forum
Group Discussion (FGD). Further revisions are
made - to be an operational independence guidance
framework.
The third stage, the application of self-reliance
guidance framework based on behavioral approach
in collaboration with teachers. The application
procedure uses a self-service guidance unit. The
results of its application for the improvement of the
independence guidance framework that is
operationally feasible for teachers to implement in
schools.
The fourth stage, the socialization of the
framework of independence guidance to students
with moderate mental retardation based on
behavioral approaches to be implemented by
teachers in schools.
Figure 1: Steps of the research.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Independence for moderate mental retardation
students is more focused on functional living skills,
especially independence in terms of taking care of
themselves (Wehman, et al., 1985). In doing daily
activities begins with guidance continuously and
must be through habituation. They can be trained in
the skills of eating and drinking, toilet training,
communicating with the environment, doing service
work, and simple vocational skills.
The procedure of the activity is; (1) assess the
children’s ability to identify their abilities and
inabilities in various aspects, (2) create learning
programs tailored to the needs and abilities of
children, (3) meet the parents to discuss programs to
be provided to children, 4) implement the program
(in a guided and independent manner), and (5)
evaluation and follow-up.
The framework of guidance on the independence
of the students is based on behavioral approaches
(Macmillan, 1973) includes the components: (1)
rationale, (2) vision and mission independence
guidance based on behavioral approach, (3)
characteristics, (5) behavioral approaches in the
context of guidance of students' self-sufficiency
independence, (7) setting and form of intervention,
and (8) application framework of independence
guidance based on behavioral approach, (9) the
guidance unit of independence of students with
moderate mental retardation based on behavioral
approach. (Kartadinata, S., 2010, page 170).
Framework of Independence Guidance to Students with Moderate Mental Retardation Based on Behavioral Approach
371

Basically, teachers in the learning of
independence for moderate mental retardation
students in school have applied the principles of
guidance based on behavioral approach. However, in
the implementation has not done optimally,
consistently, and systematically as a professional
service, both in terms of preparation of learning,
learning planning, the teacher's procedures do it. In
this regard, it takes a medium that is framework of
independence guidance based on behavioral
approach that has been tested the feasibility of its
application in the field, in an effort to help develop
the potential of students with mental retardation
achieve optimal independence, that is facilitate the
acquisition of student skill to do daily activity to
fulfil their own needs.
From the perspective of guidance whose
implementation is integrated in the learning of the
independence of the moderate mental retardation
students, the implication for the teacher apart of
being able to carry out its function and professional
duties as educator and facilitator of student learning,
also should have high personal superiority in
patience, awareness, attitude and optimistic view
accept the child's condition as it is, cheerful and be
creative, so the teacher does not feel bored or feel
bored to face the students. In facilitating the
acquisition of the students' skills through exercising
a behavior (daily life activity), there are three
important factors teachers need to have: patience,
tenacity, and affection.
4 CONCLUSIONS
The research has resulted the formulation of
framework of independence guidance of students
with moderate mental retardation based on
behavioral approach appropriate for the
implementation of teachers in SLB C schools.
The framework independence guidance is a
specially designed and operational procedure which
describes a systematic procedure in organizing a
learning experience in the form of a series of
activities arranged in systematic stages, and carried
out by orientating to the characteristics of students'
learning needs, student learning development
environment, - the value or principle of learning, and
the required teacher competence that aims to
facilitate the formation and acquisition of new
behaviors (skills) of students in performing activities
of daily life to meet their own needs.
The framework of independence guidance
includes components as a whole, including: (1)
rationale, (2) vision and mission of independence,
(3) why and what is the approach of behavior in the
guidance of self-reliance, (4) aims of independence
guidance (5) the setting and form of intervention, (6)
the framework of the application of independence
based guidance on behavioral approaches, (7) the
competencies that teachers or supervisors need to
have, (8) self-service guidance counselling units,
and (8). Closing.
The implementation refers to the independence
guidance unit of moderate mental retardation
students based on behavioral approach, individual
service, the form of quantitative and qualitative
assessment, with application procedures as follows:
(a) determine the conditions of individual entering
behavior through the assessment process before
guidance begins; (b) a comprehensive analysis of the
tasks for the students to perform, (c) determine the
objectives by orienting the students' abilities and
formulate it clearly, specifically and operationally;
(d) prepare the sequence of task analysis required for
the achievement of the students; (e) carry out the
learning process of independence based on
behavioral approach procedures (individualization,
habituation, repetition and practice, reward and
punishment, task analysis, and modelling, and (f)
evaluate student performance as learning outcomes,
criteria refer to task analysis.
The data indicate that the framework of guidance
to develop independence of students with mental
retardation is based on behavioral approach is
feasible to be applied, with indicators: (1) the
competence of students with moderate mental
retardation, which possesses a number of new skills
of self-development or self-care in daily life. (2) the
fulfilment of needs according to individual needs of
individual students in daily life, and (3) students
seem enthusiastic about learning a behavior (skills,
tasks) associated with daily activities.
In order to maintain the positive behaviors that
the students have, they need to pay attention to, for
example: (1) prior to learning a field of
independence should routinely conduct prior
assessments to obtain initial student capability, (2)
apply the principles completion of the mastery of an
aspect of the field of independence, (3) creating an
atmosphere of learning environment that stimulates
students to learn and eliminate stimuli that can
interfere with or break learning concentration, (4)
consistent and sustainable in applying behavioral
approaches. (5) routine re-assessment and follow-up
to maintain consistency of learning outcomes, (4)
rewarding: reinforcement and punishment in
behavior building process, (3) communicating and
cooperating with parents / family related to
independence learning program given in schools to
be followed up in daily life in a family or home
environment.
ICES 2017 - 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences
372

REFERENCES
Alimin, Z., 2006. Model Pembelajaran Anak Tunagrahita
Melalui Pendekatan Kanseling. Disertasi SPs UPI
Bandung: Tidak Diterbitkan.
Kartadinata, S., 2010. Isu-Isu Pendidikan: Antara
Harapan dan Kenyataan, UPI PRESS, Bandung.
Macmillan, D. L., 1973. Behavior Modification in
Education, The Macmillan Company. New York.
Sunanto, J., 2005. Pengantar Penelitian dengan Subyek
Tunggal, CRICED University of Tsukuba. Tsukuba.
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, 2011. Pedoman
Penulisan Karya Ilmiah, UPI. Bandung.
Wehman, P., Renzaglia, A., Bates, P., 1985. Functional
Living Skills for Moderately and Severely
Handicapped Individuals. Industrial Oaks Blvd,
Austin
Framework of Independence Guidance to Students with Moderate Mental Retardation Based on Behavioral Approach
373