School Community Acceptance as a Determinant of Inclusive Education Sustainability: A Qualitative Study in a Rural Indonesian Elementary School

Abstract

Despite Indonesia's expanding inclusive education regulations, little is known about how school community acceptance affects inclusive education's successful implementation and long-term viability, especially in rural elementary schools. This study aims to understand how the school community at SDN 018 Sangkulirang views the implementation of inclusive education by analyzing the relationship between stakeholders' acceptability and inclusive teaching practices. The research design used was descriptive qualitative. Twelve teachers, three educational staff members, and fifteen normal students participated in interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis to gather data. The results show that inclusive education has been put into practice by integrating children with special needs into regular classrooms in spite of constraints on specialized support services, educational facilities, and teacher competency. Cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects of school community acceptance were generally favorable, as evidenced by teachers' readiness to modify their lesson plans, students' desire to help classmates with special needs, and the development of a welcoming learning environment. By offering actual data on the significance of school community acceptability in maintaining inclusive education in rural elementary schools, this study advances the area of inclusive education. According to the findings, maintaining the long-term viability and caliber of inclusive education practices requires boosting teacher capacity, enhancing institutional support, increasing access to specialist services, and encouraging cooperation among stakeholders.