Smart Farming Project-Based Learning as a Socio-Material Learning Space in Rural Special Education Schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/ks.v8i1.53612Keywords:
Inclusive Education, Project-Based Learning, Smart Farming, Socio-Material Learning Space, Rural Special EducationAbstract
This study aims to analyze the implementation of smart farming based on Project-Based Learning (PjBL) as a socio-material learning space that mediates student participation, agency, and engagement in special education within rural contexts. The study was conducted at SLB Muhammadiyah Kutoarjo, a special education school (Sekolah Luar Biasa) located in rural Central Java, Indonesia and involved 35 students aged 7–12 years who have intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder, as well as four special education teachers. The study employed a convergent mixed methods design that integrated quantitative and qualitative data at the interpretation stage. The researchers collected quantitative data through structured observations to measure learning engagement, responsibility, communication, collaboration, functional independence, and behavioral-emotional regulation. The researchers collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with teachers and several selected students to understand their experiences of participation and the social meaning of the learning activities. The intervention involved a small-scale land management project based on smart farming that utilized simple Internet of Things (IoT) sensors such as soil moisture indicators and an automated irrigation system. The findings show a high level of learning engagement (88.5%), increased student responsibility (80%), communication (85.7%), and collaboration (74.2%). The students also demonstrated an average increase of approximately one-third in practical skill mastery compared to the baseline condition, accompanied by a decrease in disruptive behavior, increased attention, greater task independence, and more positive emotional expressions. Interviews reveal that the students began to position themselves as active participants in the learning activities, while teachers interpreted the practice as a contextual learning environment that strengthened students’ capabilities through direct experience. The study demonstrates that smart farming based on PjBL can function as an inclusive pedagogical practice that strengthens cognitive, social, and emotional learning outcomes in rural special education schools. The main contribution of this study lies in the development of a socio-material learning approach grounded in local contexts that integrates simple technology, physical activity, and social collaboration in inclusive education.
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