Local wisdom-based character education for special needs students in inclusive elementary schools

Abstract

The research aims to describe how local wisdom can be orchestrated in the well-implemented character education for inclusive elementary schools (ESs). A total of 50 teachers and 200 students from 50 inclusive ESs in four districts and one municipality in Indonesia participated in the study. The data, collected by conducting interviews, observation, and documentation, were analyzed by means of qualitative descriptive techniques. There were three major themes identified. Students preferred traditional games as their favorite means of learning. Togetherness in team-based games encouraged the students to see their special needs differences as normal. Furthermore, the accessibility of the traditional games’ tools empowered the students. These findings suggest that traditional children’s games are to be elaborated and used to support the local wisdom-based character education in the inclusive ESs, and teachers are to initiate and develop the use of various locally originated children’s games to enhance character education.       

Keywords: character education, local wisdom, special needs