Teacher Mentoring Program to Strengthen Competence in Managing Inclusive Classrooms in Primary Schools

The implementation of inclusive education policy obligates every educational institution to accept students with special needs, while the competency readiness of regular teachers in addressing diverse learning needs in the classroom is still not fully optimal. This condition underscores the urgency of developing additional skills for regular teachers to support the implementation of effective, adaptive, and equitable inclusive education services. This article aims to report on a Teacher Mentoring Program to strengthen inclusive classroom management competency in Elementary Schools, so that students with special needs can receive services appropriate to their conditions. The program was conducted over 1 month at Seketi Kediri State Elementary School, involving 10 school members consisting of the Principal, Teachers, Educational Staff, and Cleaning Personnel. The method used was an empowerment-based psychoeducational approach through six stages, including. Assessment was carried out using several methods, namely pre-test and post-test with paired sample t-test analysis. The results showed a significant improvement in teachers' understanding with t(9) = 8.75, p < 0.001. The mean score increased from 42.3 to 68.7 (mean difference = 26.4 points). This program effectively enhanced regular teachers' competency in providing adaptive educational services for students with special needs.