Needs Analysis of Non-Special-Education Teachers for Developing an Orthopedagogy Module through Peer-Sharing Learning Communities

Abstract

Private special schools (Sekolah Luar Biasa Swasta/SLBS) increasingly rely on teachers without a special-education (non-PLB) background, creating a persistent gap in disability-specific pedagogical competence. This article reports the needs-analysis stage of a research-and-development project aimed at producing an Orthopedagogy Module for use within peer-sharing learning communities (Komunitas Belajar) at SLBS under Regional Education Office Branch XI, Central Java Province. Following the Analysis phase of the ADDIE model within a mixed-methods, concurrent-embedded design, data were gathered through questionnaires, interviews, and document review involving non-PLB teachers and principals. Findings show that the large majority of teachers in these schools have received no formal training in disability characteristics, early assessment, or individualized program planning, while access to government equivalency and certification programmes remains constrained by distance and cost. Learning communities already exist at school level but operate without a structured programme or dedicated learning resource. These findings establish a clear rationale for a practical, peer-mediated Orthopedagogy Module embedded in ongoing community-of-practice activities, and they provide the empirical needs profile that will guide the subsequent design and development of the module.