Implementation of modified game-based adaptive physical education on physical fitness of students with special needs in special schools (slb) in bojonegoro regency

Abstract

Students with special needs (Anak Berkebutuhan Khusus/ABK) enrolled in Special Schools

(Sekolah Luar Biasa/SLB) in Bojonegoro Regency face considerable challenges in accessing quality

physical education. This study aimed to analyze the implementation of modified game-based

adaptive physical education (APE) on the physical fitness of students with special needs at SLBs in

Bojonegoro Regency. A quasi-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest approach was

employed, a design ethically justified by the impossibility of withholding the intervention from a

control group in the special school context. The study population comprised 40 students with

special needs from three SLBs: SLB Negeri Bojonegoro, SLB PGRI Bojonegoro, and SLB

Muhammadiyah Bojonegoro, selected through total sampling. Participants were classified into four

disability categories: intellectual disability (tunagrahita, n=12), hearing impairment (tunarungu,

n=10), visual impairment (tunanetra, n=10), and physical disability (tunadaksa, n=8). Physical

fitness was assessed using a modified version of the Indonesian Physical Fitness Test (Tes

Kebugaran Jasmani Indonesia/TKJI) adapted and validated for students with special needs. An

eight-week APE intervention was delivered three times per week. Data were analyzed using paired

t-test at a significance level of 0.05. Results demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in

overall physical fitness scores following the intervention (t(39) = 15.43; p < 0.001), with a mean

difference of 2.72 points (23.6% increase). Category-specific analyses revealed that students with

intellectual disability showed the greatest improvement (mean difference = 3.45), followed by

hearing impairment (2.87), physical disability (2.34), and visual impairment (1.96). These findings

confirm that modified game-based APE is an effective and feasible strategy for enhancing the

physical fitness of SLB students in Bojonegoro Regency and support its broader adoption within

inclusive and special education frameworks.