Local Gayo culture in Bener Meriah plays a pivotal role in shaping religious values, providing a relevant foundation for the development of Islamic Education (PAI). Consequently, this study aims to formulate an integrative Islamic Education model based on Gayo cultural wisdom. To achieve this objective, a qualitative research design with an ethnographic approach was employed to explore and map the cultural values potential for integration into the PAI learning model. The findings indicate that Gayo cultural wisdom embodies profound religious values that serve as strategic guidelines for designing a contextual and adaptive PAI model. Thus, the integration of local cultural values not only enriches religious education content but also strengthens the social relevance and distinct characteristics of the pedagogical model. In conclusion, the integrative Islamic Education model based on Gayo cultural wisdom offers a contextual and strategic approach to advancing religious education rooted in cultural identity.

The transformation of education in the 21st century requires a curriculum that is oriented toward strengthening essential competencies, particularly critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication (4C). Islamic Religious Education (IRE), as a normative and transformative discipline, must undergo conceptual and pedagogical adaptation to remain relevant in responding to global challenges and technological advancements. This study aims to analyze the role of the curriculum in IRE learning, identify patterns of integrating 21st-century skills into the curriculum structure, and develop a conceptual framework for their implementation in instructional practices. This study employs a qualitative approach through a systematic literature review following the PRISMA framework. A total of 20 peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025 were selected through a structured process of identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and inclusion. The analysis was conducted using thematic synthesis to identify recurring patterns, key themes, and gaps in the integration of 21st-century skills within the IRE curriculum. The findings reveal that the IRE curriculum serves as a central normative, conceptual, and operational foundation guiding the planning, implementation, and evaluation of learning. The integration of 4C skills and literacy is manifested through the alignment of learning outcomes, the application of student-centered learning approaches, and the adoption of innovative models such as Project-Based Learning and Problem-Based Learning. In addition, authentic assessment practices emphasizing higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) play a significant role in strengthening these competencies. This study contributes by proposing a conceptual integration framework that systematically connects curriculum components, pedagogical strategies, and assessment models in embedding 21st-century skills within IRE. This framework offers a more structured and holistic approach compared to previous studies, thereby providing both theoretical enrichment and practical guidance for curriculum development and instructional design in Islamic education.

This study aims to describe the effectiveness of Aqidah Akhlak learning in fostering students’ religious attitudes at MTs Manbaul Ulum Jampangtengah. The research employed a qualitative approach with a case study design. The research participants consisted of the Aqidah Akhlak teacher, the school principal, and selected students chosen purposively. Data were collected through classroom observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation. Data analysis followed an interactive model involving data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with credibility ensured through source and technique triangulation. The findings reveal that Aqidah Akhlak learning is effective in fostering students’ religious attitudes through the integration of cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions. The cognitive dimension is reflected in students’ understanding of faith and moral concepts; the affective dimension is shown in increased awareness and commitment to religious practices; and the behavioral dimension is evident in daily religious practices and respectful social interactions. The main supporting factors include teacher role modeling, a religious school culture, and parental support, while inhibiting factors include limited instructional time and unsupportive family backgrounds. Theoretically, these findings reinforce the notion that religious education contributes to the development of students’ self-regulation and social-emotional competencies. Therefore, improving the effectiveness of Aqidah Akhlak learning requires a holistic approach involving synergy among teachers, schools, and families.

This study explores the psychological dimensions of emotional, social, and moral intelligence in the works of Sa’di Shirazi, focusing on Gulistan (1258) and Būstān (1257) as literary frameworks for ethical cognition and affective learning. Employing qualitative thematic analysis, the research identifies key indicators of emotional self-regulation, empathy, social awareness, and moral responsibility embedded in Sa’di’s verses. The findings demonstrate that Sa’di anticipates the conceptual foundations of modern psychology—particularly Goleman’s emotional intelligence model—by framing emotion, reason, and virtue as mutually reinforcing faculties. Sa’di’s poetic pedagogy transforms ethical reflection into experiential education, integrating Sufi ethics with psychological insight. His synthesis of poetic creativity, psychological realism, and ethical pedagogy reveals that genuine education must engage both intellect and emotion. The study concludes that Sa’di’s works present an indigenous model of holistic intelligence predating contemporary theories of emotional literacy. This model offers a culturally grounded paradigm for psychology, cross-cultural moral education, and emotional well-being.

ABSTRACT The development of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is currently one of the strongest factors driving transformation in education. Particularly significant challenges are associated with its application in religious education (RE), which emphasises not only the transfer of knowledge, but also the development of a value system. The exploratory comparative quantitative study presented in this article analyses the attitudes of Catholic religious education teachers at primary and secondary schools towards GenAI in two European, but different countries – Germany and Poland. In total, 236 questionnaires completed by teachers of RE in both countries were processed: 102 from Germany and 134 from Poland. The analysis of the results was based on a triadic model of attitudes, including cognitive, affective and behavioural components. The results show that although positive attitudes towards GenAI dominate in both countries, they manifest themselves differently in Poland and Germany. The study confirms the great potential of new technologies in RE, while also pointing to significant barriers and the need for differentiated implementation strategies tailored to the cultural and systemic specificities of each country.

General Background: International migration of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) to Saudi Arabia has evolved into a complex socio-religious phenomenon requiring the maintenance of ethical behavior within a global diaspora context. Specific Background: Within the Wooden Coffee network, Islamic Religious Education (IRE) and a theocratic religious environment are central factors shaping workers’ moral conduct. Knowledge Gap: Previous studies largely focus on migrant contexts in secular societies, leaving limited empirical evidence on how structured religious education functions within a formally Islamic state environment. Aims: This study aims to empirically analyze the relationship between IRE, religious environment, and the ethical behavior of PMI. Results: Using a causal-associative quantitative approach with 100 respondents and multiple linear regression analysis, findings show that both IRE and the religious environment significantly contribute to ethical behavior (Beta = 0.451; p < 0.05), with IRE emerging as the dominant factor through structured internal reinforcement compared to external social influences. Novelty: The study integrates diaspora Islamic education with a theocratic context, highlighting the interaction between internal cognitive reinforcement and external social conditioning within a behaviorism framework. Implications: The findings underline the importance of structured religious curricula and supportive workplace environments in fostering professional ethics among migrant workers, contributing to SDG 4 on inclusive and quality education for marginalized diaspora communities. Highlights• Internalized religious learning provides stronger ethical control than workplace social pressure• Theocratic environment supports but does not surpass structured educational reinforcement• Combined cognitive and social conditioning explains professional conduct patterns KeywordsIslamic Education; Religious Environment; Migrant Workers; Ethical Behavior; Diaspora

ABSTRACT This article examines Islamic Religious Education (IRE) in Indonesian higher education as a site where inner life is ethically organised under late-modern conditions. It asks how everyday classroom practices organise attention, time, and presence in ways that shape students’ ethical orientation towards uncertainty and moral responsibility. Drawing on a semester-long ethnographic study of 55 undergraduate students in a compulsory IRE course at Universitas Negeri Semarang, the article analyses silence, waiting, and attending as attentional forms embedded in everyday classroom interaction. These forms are enacted through ordinary pedagogical rhythms—such as pauses, delayed closure, and modes of presence—that regulate expression, temporality, and responsiveness. Rather than viewing IRE primarily as ideological transmission, therapeutic intervention, or formal moral instruction, the article conceptualises it as an institutional mode of ethical governance organised through attention, termed attentional governance. By foregrounding these attentional dynamics, the study offers an anthropological account of how institutional Islam enables students to inhabit uncertainty without resolving it, contributing to debates on ethical and spiritual formation in Religious Education.

This study aims to examine the process of internalizing tasamuh values in Islamic Religious Education learning at SMA Negeri 1 Dawarblandong Mojokerto. This research employed a qualitative case study approach. Data were collected through interviews, classroom observations, and documentation involving Islamic Religious Education teachers, school administrators, and students. Data were analyzed using an interactive model consisting of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, while data validity was ensured through triangulation of sources, methods, and time. The findings show that the internalization of tasamuh values occurs through three interconnected stages: planning, implementation, and behavioral implications. Teachers integrate tolerance values into lesson plans, apply dialogical learning, role modeling, and collaborative activities, which encourage students to practice tolerance in social interactions. As a result, students demonstrate respect for religious diversity, harmonious relationships with peers, and socially responsible behavior. These findings indicate that Islamic Religious Education plays a strategic role in strengthening tolerance and promoting social harmony in multicultural societies.

This study examines global research trends in hand codes (sign language) and moral values education for students with hearing impairment through a bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed journal articles published between 2019 and 2024. Although moral values education is central to inclusive education, students with hearing impairment continue to face barriers in accessing value-based learning due to communication constraints. To address the fragmented nature of existing scholarship, this study maps international collaboration patterns, dominant research themes, and author-level research communities shaping this interdisciplinary field. A total of 1,068 English-language journal articles in the Social Sciences and Psychology subject areas were analysed using VOSviewer. The analysis focuses on country-level co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence patterns, and author-level co-authorship structures as indicators of scholarly collaboration, thematic emphasis, and knowledge development. The findings reveal a research landscape dominated by high-income countries, particularly the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, which exhibit strong international collaboration and high scholarly visibility. Thematic analysis indicates that the literature is primarily concentrated on sign language–mediated communication, inclusive education, ethics, moral values, decision-making, and quality of life for individuals with hearing impairment. Author-level analysis further highlights distinct collaborative research communities integrating linguistic, educational, and ethical perspectives. Despite increasing research activity, the literature remains geographically uneven, with limited representation from low- and middle-income regions. This study provides a focused overview of global research trends and identifies critical gaps to inform future research, policy development, and ethically grounded educational practices for students with hearing impairment.

Moral decadence among adolescents has become a serious issue in the educational environment, marked by a decline in behavior, ethics, and character. This phenomenon is increasingly visible in various forms of student misconduct that disrupt both learning processes and social harmony in schools. This study aims to identify the forms of moral decadence among students and examine the collaboration between Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers and Guidance and Counseling (BK) teachers in addressing these issues. The research employs a qualitative descriptive approach, with data collected through interviews, observations, and documentation, and analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model. The findings reveal that moral decadence among students includes behaviors such as fighting, bullying, smoking, stealing, truancy, and violations of school rules. To address these problems, collaboration between PAI and BK teachers is implemented through preventive and curative efforts. Preventive measures include religious habituation activities, counseling services, disciplinary monitoring, and awareness programs, while curative actions involve direct guidance, behavioral monitoring, and counseling interventions. The study highlights that effective collaboration between teachers plays a crucial role in reducing moral deviations among students. The implications of this research suggest that integrated efforts among educators, supported by school policies and parental involvement, are essential in fostering students’ moral development and creating a positive, disciplined, and value-oriented educational environment for all learners in schools.

Anchored in the educational philosophy of benevolence (Ren, 仁), Taiwan’s Early Childhood Education and Care Curriculum Framework articulates nine learning goals and emphasizes the cultivation of six core competencies in young children. The framework systematically incorporates life education, multicultural education, aesthetic education, and moral education as key dimensions to support the holistic and balanced development of young learners. This paper adopts Confucius’s concept of benevolence (Ren) as a central interpretive lens to provide a philosophical analysis of the learning themes embedded within Taiwan’s Early Childhood Education and Care Curriculum Framework.

The Swedish hip-hop landscape has changed with the emergence of the subgenre “gangster rap,” marked by drill-influences and references to criminality. While Swedish hip-hop historically has been used in education to promote empowerment and social engagement, the growth of gangster rap has introduced new educational tensions. Considering this, the aim of this study is to investigate how educators across the Swedish educational field navigate the presence of gangster rap within their respective practices. The empirical material consists of interviews with nine educators from three education settings. The interviews are analyzed using Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of field, capital, and habitus. Findings show that educators orient their actions around three coexisting logics: a juridical logic foregrounding risk and legal considerations; a social logic centered on moral and relational implications; and a cultural logic emphasizing artistic expression and freedom.

This research is motivated by the problem of dichotomy between religious knowledge and science in Islamic education, which leads to epistemological fragmentation and weak integration between religious values and scientific development. The purpose of this study is to analyze in depth the conceptualization of integrative education through the Integrated Twin Towers model, particularly focusing on the mechanism of Islamization of reason within the latest curriculum of UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya. This study employs a qualitative approach using library research and document analysis methods, with the primary source being the 2025 Twin Towers Scientific Integration textbook, supported by relevant literature from the last five years. Data were analyzed using content analysis and a hermeneutic approach. The findings indicate a paradigm shift in knowledge integration from the Islamization of knowledge to the Islamization of reason, emphasizing the reconstruction of academic thinking rather than merely integrating disciplinary structures. The operationalization of the Islamization of reason is carried out through the double movement hermeneutic approach, which dialectically connects revelation texts with empirical reality. Furthermore, integration is strengthened through experiential learning, encouraging students to reflect on social realities critically. These findings suggest that the Twin Towers model offers a more operational and realistic approach to bridging religious and scientific reasoning. The implications of this study highlight the importance of reorienting Islamic education toward an epistemological integration that is dialogical, reflective, and contextual, to produce graduates who balance scientific competence with Islamic values.

Learning Islamic Religious Education on practical worship materials, especially funeral arrangements, requires understanding that is not only theoretical, but also applicable through direct experience. This study aims to analyze the implementation of the experiential learning model in improving students' understanding of funeral arrangements material at MAS Baitul Kirom. This study uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive design. The research subjects include Islamic Religious Education teachers and Madrasah Aliyah students. Data collection was carried out through observation, interviews, and documentation, while data analysis was carried out inductively through the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions, and its validity was tested by triangulation of sources and methods. The results of the study indicate that the experiential learning model is applied systematically through four stages, namely concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The implementation of this model provides a meaningful learning experience and contributes positively to students' understanding in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects. Overall, student understanding was in the good category, with an average class score of 82, and 79% of students achieving the Minimum Completion Criteria. Thus, the experiential learning model has proven relevant and effective in improving student understanding of practical worship materials on funeral arrangements and can be used as an alternative contextual and applicable Islamic Religious Education learning model.

This study was motivated by the low learning outcomes and critical thinking skills of students in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) at SMP Negeri 2 Krui, where instruction remains predominantly teacher-centered through the Direct Instruction model. This condition has resulted in limited student participation and difficulties in achieving higher-order cognitive skills (C6). The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Predict, Observe, Explain (POE) instructional model in improving students’ learning outcomes in PAI. The study employed a quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental method with a post-test only control group design. The sample consisted of 64 eighth-grade students selected through cluster random sampling, comprising an experimental group that received instruction using the POE model and a control group taught through Direct Instruction. The research instrument was a validated multiple-choice test. Data were analyzed using normality and homogeneity tests, followed by the Mann–Whitney U hypothesis test. The findings indicated that the data were not normally distributed but were homogeneous; therefore, the nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test was applied. The Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) value of 0.000 (< 0.05) revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups. In conclusion, the POE model proved to be more effective than Direct Instruction in enhancing students’ learning outcomes in PAI, as it promotes active engagement, deeper conceptual understanding, and the development of critical thinking skills.

This policy study is motivated by the low accessibility of religious services for Christians in marginalized areas of South Sumatra Province, characterized by a chronic gap in the ratio of religious instructors to religious teachers. The main problem focuses on the distribution of functional personnel, which is centralized in urban areas, while transmigration and coastal areas experience a lack of sustainable education and spiritual guidance services. This study uses a descriptive qualitative methodology with a policy evaluation approach modeled after William N. Dunn, which includes criteria for effectiveness, efficiency, adequacy, equity, responsiveness, and technical feasibility. Using the Urgency, Seriousness, and Growth (USG) scoring technique, it was found that the inequality in human resource distribution is the most pressing issue requiring immediate intervention. The analysis results indicate that conventional recruitment mechanisms fail to address the extreme geographic barriers in South Sumatra. Therefore, this study recommends policy engineering through the implementation of a "Cluster System" or Integrated Religious Service Unit. This scheme legalizes the accumulation of teacher and instructor workloads across locations within a single service zone to fulfill administrative requirements for civil servants and professional allowances. Through this regulatory transformation, it is hoped that the problem of the small number of students at one coordinate point can be overcome, so that the state can guarantee the fulfillment of citizens' constitutional rights to embrace religion and receive proper religious education without being hampered by spatial and administrative limitations.

This study aims to analyze the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in Islamic Religious Education and its impact on student learning independence at the high school level. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study design at SMA Negeri 2 Sarolangun. Data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation analysis, then analyzed using an interactive model that included data reduction, data presentation, and verification through triangulation. The results showed that the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum was reflected in competency-based planning, diagnostic assessment, differentiated learning, and contextual project integration. This transformation encourages an increase in student learning independence, which is seen in the aspects of learning initiative, self-regulation, and metacognitive reflection. Project-based learning and reflective assessment play an important role in strengthening academic responsibility and learning awareness. However, variations in intrinsic motivation and limited facilities are challenges in optimizing implementation. This study confirms that the Merdeka Curriculum has significant potential in developing self-regulated learning in Islamic Religious Education. These findings have practical implications for the development of more autonomous, reflective, and contextual learning strategies in secondary schools.

This study is motivated by the need for learning that aligns with the characteristics of Generation Alpha at the elementary school level, who prefer visual, interactive, and technology-based learning. In practice, Islamic Religious Education, especially the Prophet Muhammad's Da'wah Struggle in Mecca, is still dominated by lecture methods and textbooks, resulting in relatively low student interest and understanding. This study aims to develop an Android-based digital learning media called “PECI” (Pemimpin Cilik Beraksi) to improve student engagement and comprehension. The method used is Research and Development (R&D) with the ADDIE model consisting of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation stages. The trial subjects consisted of 11 third-grade students of SDN Tanjungmekar. Research instruments included material and media expert validation sheets, as well as pretest and posttest questions. The validation results indicated that the media was categorized as highly feasible with an average score of 91.25% from material experts and 93.75% from media experts. The implementation of the media through interactive learning videos and quizzes showed increased student activity and enthusiasm during the learning process. Statistical analysis using paired sample t-test showed a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores (p < 0.05). In addition, the average N-gain score of 0.530 was categorized as moderate, indicating an improvement in students’ understanding. Thus, the Android-based PECI media is considered effective and feasible as an innovative Islamic Religious Education learning tool to improve understanding and character development of elementary school students.

Despite the growing number of publications and studies on TV series, little attention has been paid to their role in transmitting and sharing values, developing democracy, raising awareness of various threats (such as terrorism or health and climate crises), and promoting social inclusion, gender equality, and diversity. This article argues that television series constitute a central space of contemporary ethical life, where viewers engage with moral dilemmas, social conflicts, and forms of collective imagination. Drawing on philosophical approaches to ordinary ethics and pragmatist aesthetics, it highlights how popular culture contributes to moral education and democratic reflection. It examines the growing role of artificial intelligence in shaping cultural consumption through recommendation systems, raising new ethical challenges related to visibility and diversity. By situating TV series at the intersection of culture, politics, and AI, the paper calls for renewed analytical frameworks capable of addressing their transformative social power.

Abstract Legal cases in the policy area of religion—concerning religious exemptions, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, or religious education—are fiercely contested. Although democratic theory has long debated the role of religion in court, the normative challenges of religious strategic litigation have yet to be discussed. I conceptualize religious strategic litigation as a political practice in which groups take legal action based on norms concerning religion in order to pursue broader political agendas. Challenging the notion that religious strategic litigation is special, that is, that it raises particular concerns of democratic legitimacy, I argue that it shares its problematic features with strategic litigation in other policy areas. Democratic theory should focus on how strategic litigation in any policy area can potentially disempower citizens.