ADVOCATING THE LITERACY RIGHT FOR DEAF STUDENTS, DEPARTMENT OF ARABIC LITERATURE, STATE UNIVERSITY OF MALANG PROPOSING THE ABATA TO OPEN JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION

Department of Arabic Literature, Faculty of Letters 

Titis Thoriquttyas, M. Syahri Romadhon

17 September 2021

Research

SDG 8

In order to improve the cognitive and communicative abilities of mentally retarded children, they need interactive learning media and are able to stimulate interest and willingness in the material presented. One of the manifestations is the use of learning multimedia that integrates audio and visual elements as well as color selection that activates children’s thinking and memory. In addition, the use of learning media in a concrete form is needed for mentally retarded children to avoid boredom and easily shift their attention. Animated media and photos are one of the alternative means in designing learning media because the material presented will be more quickly captured and understood by the mind. 

This report is a series of projects that has been carried out since 2020. In the preliminary research, this research is oriented to discuss the learning media for mild mentally retarded children at the elementary school level. The research findings are an analysis of the learning media innovation named by the research team as ABATA, which was developed as an effort to accelerate the ability to read and understand hijaiyah letters for mild mentally retarded children. This study discusses the needs analysis and design of ABATA media for mild mentally retarded children from the perspective of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) and force fields. The research topic received a research grant from the Director General of Belmawa, Ministry of Education and Culture in 2020 and passed the selection in the 33rd Student Scientific Week (PIMNAS) at Gadjah Mada University.

ABATA designed by analogizing objects with Arabic letters in terms of shape and pronunciation. For example, “hand” is analogous to its shape with the letter “Ta”. Likewise with the pronunciation where the initial syllable of “hand” is “ta” which is the same as the pronunciation of the letter Ta’, as well as with other letters. Here are the designs that the researchers have designed:

Figure 1. ABATA Illustration

Figure 2. Innovative learning cards

In Figure 1, there is the letter Hamzah whose pronunciation is (A) analogous to “Antenna” because the shape of the antenna is the same as the shape of the letter alif and the pronunciation of the letter alif is also the same as the initial syllable of the word “antenna”. Likewise with other pictures that have been matched in such a way as to form Arabic letters so that mentally retarded children can quickly find out how the Arabic letters form. The underlined word is the pronunciation of the Arabic letters in order to increase the memory of mentally retarded children how to pronounce the Arabic letters. ‘

As for the letters whose analogy does not match the pronunciation – such as the letter Fa’ which is analogous to Palu – that is because researchers have not found Indonesian vocabulary that matches the pronunciation of the letter Fa’ which can be analogized (equated) with the form of the letter Fa’. Therefore, assistance is needed from both teachers and parents of mentally retarded children to guide how to pronounce the letters.

The hijaiyyah learning media developed by the research team is basically an effort to advocate for the right to learn for mild mentally retarded children which is carried out by considering needs analysis and validity and reliability tests. The research team used the object analogy method to illustrate the hijaiyyah letters embodied in interactive picture paper media.