UNS — The Research Group of Special Education (PKh) Management Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta designed a program for hydroponic cultivation skills for the teacher of Special Senior High School (Sekolah Menengah Atas Luar Biasa – SMALB). This program is designed because there is no SMALB teacher with qualified skills.
Faculty Member of PKh Program FKIP UNS, Arsy Anggrelanggi, M.Pd. stated that the 2013 curriculum for SMALB prioritizes skill aspects with 20 – 22 hours a week or 52% of the time allocation. There are 20 skill options available, and students are required to choose only 2 skills. “Most of SMALB teachers in Indonesia, especially in Central Java are graduated from the Undergraduate Program of Special Education or other Educational Program. Therefore, they find difficulties in mastering the materials for skill education,” Arsy explained, Monday (1/12/2020).
Based on this background, the Research Group of Special Education Management of PKh Program FKIP UNS surveyed several teachers on the type of necessary competencies and those that are easy to master. This survey shows that 90% of teachers choose hydroponic skills to be taught to their students. According to these teachers, hydroponic skill is relatively easy to master and implemented by all students with special needs.
The team of PKh Management Research Group also designed a system that contains the stages of hydroponic skill that can be applied by teachers to be taught to the student with special needs. In developing this program, the research group collaborated with the School Principal Association (Musyawarah Kerja Kepala Sekolah – MKKS) of Special School (Sekolah Luar Biasa – SLB) in Central Java, Indonesian Special Education Teachers Association (Ikatan Guru Pendidikan Khusus Indonesia – IGPKhI) of Central Java, Association of Indonesian Special Education Professional (Asosiasi Profesi Pendidikan Khusus Indonesia – APPKhI) of Central Java, Disability Study Center Institute of Research and Community Service (PSD LPPM) UNS, and PT. Dalzon Chemical Indonesia Malang.
Various activities were implemented to formulate materials for training, consisting of the curriculum and skill learning in SMALB, the concept of plant cultivation using hydroponic, required materials, and the steps to prepare the hydroponic. One of the actions taken by PKh Management Research Group in applying this material is conducting online training for hydroponic cultivation through the Zoom Cloud Meeting application on Monday (6/6/2020). More than 90 participants attended the training. This training is expected to improve teachers’ skills in hydroponic cultivation, which will be taught to students with special needs. Humas UNS
Reporter: Zalfaa Azalia Pursita
Editor: Dwi Hastuti
