Sensi Model: An Inclusive, Multisensory Dance Education Innovation to Enhance the Engagement of Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Elementary School Classrooms

Zahrah Luthfi Kholifah; Heni Komalasari; Taswadi Taswadi

doi:10.31764/paedagoria.v17i4.42038

Sensi Model: An Inclusive, Multisensory Dance Education Innovation to Enhance the Engagement of Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Elementary School Classrooms

Zahrah Luthfi Kholifah, Heni Komalasari, Taswadi Taswadi

Abstract

Teaching dance in elementary school inclusion classes presents unique challenges when there are students with special needs whose learning characteristics differ from those of regular students. This study aims to develop and implement a dance instruction model called SENSI (Stimulus, Exploration, Reasoning, Art, Inclusion) as an innovative, inclusive, multisensory arts education approach. The model was developed using a design thinking approach with four stages: empathize, define, ideate, and prototype. It was then piloted in an elementary school inclusion class consisting of nine students, one of whom had special needs, using animal dance as the subject matter, with one session per week (2 class hours). Data were collected through participatory observation by the teacher, who also served as the researcher. The results showed that the student with special needs was able to follow the taught dance movements, especially when positioned in front of or alongside the teacher, although his focus was easily distracted and his mood tended to fluctuate. The SENSI model also encouraged typical students to be more open to interacting and collaborating with their peers with special needs. These findings indicate that an experience-based multisensory approach can serve as an alternative strategy for inclusive dance education in elementary schools.

Keywords

SENSI Model; Dance Education; Multisensory; Inclusive Education; Design Thinking.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.31764/paedagoria.v17i4.42038