Mainstreaming inclusive education in madrasah ibtidaiyah: A study of policy, curriculum, and teachers’ roles

Mainstreaming inclusive education in madrasah ibtidaiyah: A study of policy, curriculum, and teachers’ roles

Authors
  • Saihan Saihan
    Universitas Islam Negeri Kiai Haji Achmad Siddiq Jember
  • Abdul Karim
    Universitas Islam Negeri Kiai Haji Achmad Siddiq Jember
  • Anjum Younas Raja
    International Islamic University Islamabad
DOI
https://doi.org/10.35719/educare.v7i1.396
Keywords
Inclusive Education, Islamic Primary Schools, Curriculum Implementation, Teacher Roles
Abstract

Inclusive education in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah faces three main challenges: informal policies without written regulations, improvised curricula without standardized guidelines, and dependence on teachers as compensatory actors. This study aims to analyze inclusive education practices in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah, focusing on madrasah policies, the implementation of inclusive curricula, and teachers’ roles in supporting children with special needs. This research employed a qualitative case study at Private Islamic Primary School 30 Bustanul Ulum Ambulu. Data were collected through interviews, observations, documentation, and focus group discussions, and were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis with source-method triangulation to ensure the credibility of the findings. The study found that: 1) madrasah inclusive policies are based on empathy and social justice but remain institutionally unembedded, limiting services to children with mild special needs; 2) the inclusive curriculum is implemented informally through modification, differentiation, dual learning, and individualized assistance, depending on teachers’ pedagogical creativity in the classroom; and 3) teachers act as the main agents of inclusion through adaptation, assistance, motivation, emotional support, and family coordination, exceeding the support provided by the madrasah’s formal institutional system. This study concludes that inclusion in madrasah exists as an empathy-based socio-pedagogical practice but has not yet been institutionalized, making it dependent on teachers’ commitment and limited to children with mild special needs. This study recommends that madrasahs institutionalize inclusive education through written regulations, adaptive curricula, teacher training, accessible facilities, special assistant teachers, and family collaboration to ensure sustainable, measurable, and systemic services for children with special needs.

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2026-06-29
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Saihan, S., Karim, A., & Raja, A. Y. (2026). Mainstreaming inclusive education in madrasah ibtidaiyah: A study of policy, curriculum, and teachers’ roles. EDUCARE Journal of Primary Education, 7(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.35719/educare.v7i1.396
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Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026): EDUCARE Journal of Primary Education
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EDUCARE: Journal of Primary Education
Published by Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training, Kiai Haji Achmad Siddiq State Islamic University of Jember, East Java, Indonesia

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