From Heart to Heart: Teacher Strategies in Teaching English to Students with Special Needs through Narrative Inquiry

Mirnawati; Dzulfikri

doi:10.61987/educazione.v3i1.2238

Authors

Mirnawati Universitas Islam Malang, Indonesia
Dzulfikri Universitas Islam Malang, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61987/educazione.v3i1.2238

Keywords:

Down Syndrome, English Language Teaching, Inclusive Education, Multisensory Learning

Abstract

Teaching English to students with Down Syndrome presents a distinctive pedagogical challenge that extends well beyond the application of conventional instructional methods. While inclusive education has gained increasing momentum globally, the specific experiences of teachers working with students with Down Syndrome in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts remain underexplored, particularly within the Indonesian Sekolah Luar Biasa (SLB) setting. This study aims to explore the lived experience of an English teacher navigating the challenges and strategies involved in teaching English to a student with Down Syndrome, with particular attention to how her pedagogical approach evolved over time. Employing a qualitative approach through a narrative inquiry design, this study analyzed the teacher's journey across three analytical dimensions: interaction, continuity, and situation. Data were generated through in-depth interviews conducted online, and trustworthiness was ensured through member checking and expert review. The findings reveal that the teacher's initial experience was marked by significant difficulties in sustaining student attention and the inadequacy of conventional teaching approaches. In response, she adopted a multisensory and individualized approach centered on visualization, movement, repetition, and positive reinforcement. Over time, song-based activities, most notably the use of "If You're Happy and You Know It," proved particularly effective in enhancing student motivation, engagement, and vocabulary retention. This study underscores that successful inclusive EFL teaching is not determined solely by technical competence, but by the teacher's empathy, creativity, and sustained commitment to reflective practice. The findings carry practical implications for teacher education, school policy, and the development of inclusive learning resources in EFL contexts.

References

Al-Eisawi, D. (2022). A Design Framework for Novice Using Grounded Theory Methodology and Coding in Qualitative Research: Organisational Absorptive Capacity and Knowledge Management. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221113551

Alon, R. (2026). How Do Typically Developing Brothers and Sisters Accept Their Siblings With Down Syndrome or Autism? An Examination of Personal Characteristics. Autism, 30(1), 84–96. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251366870

Baker, P., Cooper, V., Tsang, W., Garnett, I., & Blackman, N. (2021). A Survey of Complex Trauma in Families Who Have Children and Adults Who Have a Learning Disability and/or Autism. Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 15(5), 222–239. https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-07-2021-0032

Bayanova, L., Chichinina, E., Veraksa, A., Almazova, O., & Dolgikh, A. (2022). Difference in Executive Functions Development Level Between Two Groups: Preschool Children Who Took Extra Music Classes in Art Schools and Children Who Took Only General Music and Dance Classes Offered by Preschools. Education Sciences, 12(2), 119. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12020119

Bernal, A. I. S., & Palma, D. R. (2025). Effective Teaching, Student Engagement, Classroom Learning Environment: A Structural Model of Motivation in Learning the Filipino Language. International Journal of Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Education, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.58806/ijirme.2025.v4i2n03

Bevan, N., Tanner, C., Gardner, J., Shields, N., Bunzli, S., & Castle, D. (2025). Pain(ful) Research: Hyperembodiment and the Value of Lived Experience of Pain in Qualitative Research. Qualitative Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687941251350908

Blackman, N., Vlachakis, K., Annes, A., Griffin, S., & Baker, P. (2022). Brief Report on Six Clinical Cases of Trauma in Families That Have Children and Adults Who Have a Learning Disability and/or Are Autistic. Tizard Learning Disability Review, 27(2), 69–77. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLDR-08-2021-0022

Carpio de los Pinos, C., & Galán, A. (2025). Expert Validation of Inclusive Materials for Pictorial Art Appreciation: A Qualitative Study to Improve Knowledge Transfer. Qualitative Research Journal, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-10-2024-0264

Chin, M., & Yap, J. R. (2024). Creating an Inclusive Second Language Writing Classroom Through Multiliteracies Pedagogy: A Duoethnography Study. British Journal of Special Education, 51(2), 156–164. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.12504

Cole, A., Kemp, V., Pooley, J. A., & Whitehead, L. (2024). Living With Depression in the Family: A Narrative Inquiry Methodology for Seeking Meaning Through Stories. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 23. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241274666

Collins, C. S., & Stockton, C. (2022). The Theater of Qualitative Research: The Role of the Researcher/Actor. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221103109

Dhungana, S. (2022). Dialogic Storying: A Narrative Research Methodology in English Language Education. Qualitative Research Journal, 22(2), 173–187. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-05-2021-0057

Enworo, O. C. (2023). Application of Guba and Lincoln’s Parallel Criteria to Assess Trustworthiness of Qualitative Research on Indigenous Social Protection Systems. Qualitative Research Journal, 23(4), 372–384. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-08-2022-0116

Freitas-Jesus, J. V., Sánchez, O. D. R., & Surita, F. G. (2025). The Remote Approach in a Qualitative Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Perspective Considering the Researcher’s Life Experiences and the Trustworthiness. Qualitative Health Research, 35(12), 1271–1282. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323241244957

Fru-Ngongban, A. C. (2023). Eclectic Teaching Method: A Paradigm Shift in Contemporary Pedagogy for an Inclusive Classroom. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 48(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajess/2023/v48i11033

Kulsa, M. K. C. (2022). Meditations on an Expanded, Narrative Inquiry Methodology Combining Clinical Dynamic Understanding and Biography. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221143863

Lavee, E., & Itzchakov, G. (2023). Good Listening: A Key Element in Establishing Quality in Qualitative Research. Qualitative Research, 23(3), 614–631. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687941211039402

Mim, M. M., & Rahman, I. (2025). Comparing Mean Length of Utterances (MLU) of Typically Developing Bangla-Speaking Children With the Children With Down Syndrome. Perspectives in Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.59146/pss.v19.a7

Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 66 Tahun 2010 tentang Perubahan atas PP Nomor 17 Tahun 2010. (2010). https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/5090/pp-no-66-tahun-2010

Pratheesh, P., & Reema, M. (2024). Evaluation of Malayalam Language Instruction and Learners’ Attitudes, Achievements, and Current Conflicts in Language Instruction: A Study of Second Language Teaching in Kerala Higher Education. Shanlax International Journal of English, 13(S1-Dec), 163–173. https://doi.org/10.34293/english.v13is1-dec.8569

Retno Wiyati, & Feni Marlina. (2021). Teachers’ Perception Towards the Use of Visual Learning Aids in EFL Classroom. JELA (Journal of English Language Teaching, Literature and Applied Linguistics), 3(1), 14–25. https://doi.org/10.37742/jela.v3i1.37

Rowiyah, S., & Hermanto, H. (2025). Development of a Multidisciplinary Collaboration Model for Inclusive Education Implementation in Kindergarten Settings. Journal of Innovation and Research in Primary Education, 4(4), 2713–2722. https://doi.org/10.56916/jirpe.v4i4.2141

Shane-Simpson, C., Obeid, R., & Prescher, M. (2024). Multimedia Characteristics, Student Relationships, and Teaching Behaviors Predict Perceptions of an Inclusive Classroom Across Course Delivery Format. Teaching of Psychology, 51(3), 298–308. https://doi.org/10.1177/00986283221117621

Stockless, A., & Brière, S. (2024). How to Encourage Inclusion in a Qualitative Research Project Using a Design-Based Research Methodology. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 23. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241227852

Syariah, K. B., & Ilmu, G. (2024). Psychological Well-Being of Special Education Teachers With Down Syndrome Student. 10(September 2016), 1–6.

Tan, D. S. (2025). Narrative Inquiry Using the Long Interview Technique. Rangahau Aranga: AUT Graduate Review, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.24135/rangahau-aranga.v3i2.235

Van Cleave, J., Wolgemuth, J. R., & Marn, T. (2025). Manufacturing Trustworthiness in Qualitative Research as a Writerly and Readerly Accomplishment: Introduction to the Special Issue. Qualitative Inquiry. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004251383514

van Geest, J., Samaritter, R., & van Hooren, S. (2021). Move and Be Moved: The Effect of Moving Specific Movement Elements on the Experience of Happiness. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.579518

Wang, H., Patterson, M. M., & Long, H. (2024). Student Engagement in Foreign Language Learning: Relations With Classroom Goal Structure, Self-Efficacy, and Gender. Frontiers in Education, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1416095

Wasyliw, D., McGregor, T. A., Schaefer, L., & Clandinin, D. J. (2025). Skennenko:wa - A Narrative Inquiry Into Experiences of Collaboration. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 24. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069251392414

Williams, S., & MacIsaac, E. (2025). From Singing to Speaking: A Song-Based Irish Language Pedagogy in the Diaspora. Traditions of Music and Dance, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1017/tmd.2025.1

Ye, X. (2024). A Review of Classroom Environment on Student Engagement in English as a Foreign Language Learning. Frontiers in Education, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1415829