Strength Of Character In Teachers Of Children With Special Needs
Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 4, No. 8, Agustus 2023 1087
processes of student development (Sari & Yustiana, 2021). Getting an education is a
right for everyone, including students with special needs, or called Children with
Special Needs (ABK). In the learning process, students in the ABK category require
different services than non-ABK children (Ningrum, 2022).
Data from SUSENAS BPS in 2012 shows that the number of school-age ABK in
Indonesia amounted to 532,130 people, or about 14.56% of the total population with
disabilities in Indonesia in 2011 amounted to 3,654,356 people. In Indonesia, ABK is
constitutionally regulated in the National Education System Law No. 20 of 2003 article
5 paragraph 2 concerning ABK also has equal rights with other Indonesian citizens,
including in proper special education services (Kadir, 2015). ABK is a term for those
who have deficiencies or experience various abnormalities in physical, psychological,
social, and moral aspects as well as deviations that are not experienced by people in
general (Rezieka, Putro, & Fitri, 2021). ABK needs education, social services,
guidance, and counseling services, and various other services of a special nature to
develop human potential perfectly (Desiningrum, 2017).
In the learning process, students in the ABK category require different services
than non-ABK children. Based on interviews with two ABK teachers, they realized that
there were limitations in teaching and communication skills so there were concerns if
their students could not achieve learning goals and perform optimally (Ni’matuzahroh,
2016). In addition, another difficult factor possessed by ABK teachers is the lack of
parental or family intervention in educating ABK so that ABK education only relies on
teachers at school. Lack of teacher knowledge about handling ABK usually occurs
because teachers do not come from the special education department (PLB). In line
with (Azzahra & Dhona, 2023) which states that class teachers at SDN X are not ready
to handle children with special needs. Lack of teacher readiness because there are
several factors such as lack of teacher acceptance of ABK, negative attitude of
teachers, and lack of knowledge and understanding of teachers about the handling and
implementation of special guidance programs for ABK. This is a challenge for teachers
who teach ABK. It is the strength that exists in the teachers that seems to make them
generally continue to perform their duties even though they do not have a PLB
background (Saihu, 2019).
Character strengths refer to psychological qualities or mechanisms manifested in
thoughts, feelings, and motivations that are ultimately reflected in behaviors that are
evident in (Suralaga, 2021). In their theory, (Kusumaputri, 2018) focus on character
strengths and virtues. Virtue is a core trait valued by philosophers and religious
scholars that is universal and essential for survival. Virtue is classified into six
categories, namely wisdom and knowledge, determination, humanity, and love, justice,
simplicity, and transcendence. While the strength of character is a psychological
element that forms virtue.
Character strength is a positive trait consisting of good character and raised by
individuals to face a certain condition, for example when experiencing difficulties.
Good character is an individual quality that makes him morally good and can be seen in