Secondary School Science Teachers’ Knowledge, Responses, and Abilities to Create Inclusive Science Practices in General Education Classrooms in Banjarnegara Regency, Indonesia

Science teachers in general education settings must be ready for the diversity among the students in their science classrooms; nevertheless, science teachers are not yet prepared to handle students with special educational needs. This study used a qualitative method which purposed to explore teachers’ knowledge, responses, and abilities to create inclusive science practices in general education classrooms. Semi-structured interviews contained open-ended questions were conducted to gain the data from nine science teachers including integrated science, physics, biology, and chemistry teachers in Banjarnegara Regency. The participants had to answer all of the questions about the teaching-learning process related to science lessons based on their knowledge and experiences. Data obtained from interviews were analyzed using phenomenology approach with emergent themes from different data sources. The results suggested the secondary school science teachers who participated in interviews conceptualized inclusion only in term of disability, rather than from a position of promoting education for diversity. Besides, the science teachers’ responses toward teaching students who faced barriers to learning and participating in science classrooms were predominantly positive, and they made an effort to support the creation and evolution of an inclusive culture and inclusive science practices for diverse students through group work and peer tutoring approaches. The teachers also can demonstrate their skills and abilities to face the challenges that exist in science learning.