Teachers’ Strategies, Challenges, and Solutions in Teaching English to Students with Special Needs: A Case Study at an SMP Luar Biasa in Yogyakarta
Abstract
Teaching English to students with special needs requires appropriate instructional strategies that address diverse cognitive, emotional, and behavioral characteristics. However, empirical studies focusing on English teaching practices in Indonesian special junior high schools remain limited. This study aims to explore the strategies employed by English teachers, the challenges they encounter, and the solutions they apply in teaching English to students with special needs at a special junior high school in Yogyakarta (SMPLB). A descriptive qualitative design was employed, involving five English teachers teaching seventh to ninth grades. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings from interview revealed seven instructional strategies applied by the teachers with different levels of intensity, consecutively: contextual teaching, active learning, verbal communication, hypnosis-based strategies, expository teaching, cooperative learning, and the use of learning media such as interactive videos. Teachers also faced multiple challenges, including students’ cognitive and emotional conditions, limited instructional time, diverse learner characteristics, lack of learning media, and the non-mandatory status of English. To address these challenges, teachers implemented collaborative discussions, flexible teaching approaches, and sought professional development support. This study contributes practical insights into effective English teaching strategies for students with special needs and highlights the importance of sustained teacher training and institutional support in special education contexts.
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