Teachers’ attitudes to signing for children with severe learning disabilities in Indonesia

Sheehy, Kieron and Budiyanto, . (2014). Teachers’ attitudes to signing for children with severe learning disabilities in Indonesia. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18(11) pp. 1143–1161.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2013.879216

Abstract

The Indonesian education system is striving for an inclusive approach and techniques are needed which can support children with severe learning disabilities and their peers in this context. Manually signed language has proved useful both in supporting the development and empowerment of children with severe learning disabilities and supporting inclusive educational practices. The development of an Indonesian signed language approach for this purpose is therefore argued to be an appropriate goal. There is evidence that the use of signed language within classrooms is significantly influenced by teacher attitudes and beliefs. This paper examines the attitudes towards such an approach based on semi-structured interviews with 20 teachers in 7 schools in East Java and questionnaire responses from 69 teachers and educational professionals more widely located across Indonesia. The results suggest that teachers hold broadly positive attitudes to the possibility of signing. There is a complex relationship between social stigmatisation, the nature of signing and a possible classroom pedagogy. These issues need to be considered if the development of an Indonesian signed language approach for inclusive classrooms is to proceed successfully

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About

• Item ORO ID
• 36295
• Item Type
• Journal Item
• ISSN
• 1464-5173
• Project Funding Details

• Funded Project Name	Project ID	Funding Body
  Inclusive Education in Indonesian Schools: Exploring the potential of Makaton-type signing for children with severe learning difficulties	Not Set	The British Council

• Keywords
• sign language; teachers' attitudes; inclusive education; Indonesia; key word signing
• Academic Unit or School
• Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS) > Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport > Childhood, Youth and Sport > Childhood and Youth
  Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS) > Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport > Childhood, Youth and Sport
  Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS) > Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport
  Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS)
• Research Group
• Childhood and Youth
• Copyright Holders
• © 2014 Taylor & Francis
• Depositing User
• Kieron Sheehy