Science Teachers’ Experiences to Ensure Science for All Movement: from Theory to Practice

Abstract

The principle of Science for All emphasizes that every learner, including students with disabilities (SWD), should have equitable opportunities to access and participate in science education. This study explores how science teachers in inclusive schools in the Indonesian context design, present, and assess science lessons based on universal design for learning and the index for inclusion. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected from 25 science teachers across 16 schools through interviews and classroom observations, and were analyzed thematically with attention to trustworthiness. Findings reveal that lesson planning was often identical for SWD and their peers, with limited modifications; however, disability-specific adaptations (e.g., visual scaffolds for hearing loss, audio/tactile resources for low vision, and structured routines for students with autism and cognitive disabilities) improved accessibility. In lesson presentation, individualized approaches, activity-basedtasks, and varied media increased participation, though resource limitations sometimes reduced practices to simple demonstrations. Assessment remained the least developed domain, with heavy reliance on written exams; yet project-based tasks, multimodal feedback, extended time, and the involvement of shadow teachers (learning support assistants) provided fairer alternatives. The study highlights both progress and gaps in realizing inclusive science education, in which, while teachers improvise accommodations, practices remain inconsistent without systemic training and support. These findings underscore the urgency of strengthening teacher preparedness and aligning institutional policy with classroom realities to transform Science for all from principle into practice in developing contexts.