Limited face-to-face learning on students in inclusive classrooms during the Covid-19 pandemic: Perceptions of elementary school teachers in Indonesia

ABSTRACT

Implementing limited face-to-face learning (LF2FL) during the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students in inclusive classrooms. Some of the adjustments teachers and students faced were obstacles and challenges that took time to make. The teacher must comply online learning experience conducted with all its shortcomings during the implementation of LF2FL and its impacts on students, including students with disability. We conducted a study to explore teachers' perceptions of the impact of implementing LF2FL on students in inclusive classrooms in elementary schools. This research used a case study to obtain and examine data in a context that the phenomena will accept in depth. We involved 16 elementary school teachers, conducted semi-structured interviews, and analysed the data using thematic analysis. The results showed two main themes, namely learning outcomes and instructional processes, which emerged for students without disabilities and students with disability. For the learning outcomes, teachers highlighted sub-themes of the cognitive and affective aspects most. The instructional process sub-theme of the interaction was one of the essential aspects of minimising learning loss during online learning from home. Our finding detail in more depth the two types of students, both in terms of similarities and differences of LF2FL on students in inclusive classrooms that contributes to the reconfirmation of knowledge for all students, reduces students' mental stress, and increases student motivation through direct interaction between teachers and students. It is necessary to increase transformational competence in the education system for teachers, especially in the inclusive education system. The government needs to modify the curriculum to be more flexible and adaptive for all students in inclusive elementary schools who can keep up with the changes in education in Indonesia.