Although Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) are mandated by Indonesia's Merdeka Curriculum, their integration into Islamic Religious Education (IRE) remains poorly documented, particularly in pesantren-based schools where religious mastery has traditionally been prioritized over analytical reasoning. This study describes and analyzes how IRE teachers at a pesantren-based junior high school in Kediri City plan, implement, and evaluate HOTS-oriented instruction. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected from IRE teachers, the school principal, and students through semi-structured interviews, classroom observation, and document review of lesson plans and assessment instruments, and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The findings show that teachers translate C4–C6 cognitive objectives into problem-based learning that requires students to analyze contextual moral issues, evaluate them against Islamic teachings, and propose faith-based solutions most distinctively, by consistently anchoring higher-order cognitive tasks in religious-normative reasoning rather than generic critical thinking. Assessment was realized through contextual essay items, case-based questions, and performance tasks (presentations, projects, portfolios) explicitly designed to elicit analysis, evaluation, and idea generation rather than recall. However, teachers continued to struggle with formulating valid HOTS test items and allocating sufficient instructional time. This study contributes an integrated, context-specific account of HOTS implementation that connects academic reasoning with the cultivation of Islamic values in pesantren-based education.
The rapid expansion of social media has transformed the production, distribution, and consumption of religious knowledge, while algorithmic systems increasingly shape religious perceptions and authority. This study examines the relationship between algorithmic logic, digital religiosity, and adab in Islamic education, particularly regarding the transformation of religious authority and communication ethics. A qualitative approach was employed through library research and thematic analysis of scholarly literature published between 2020 and 2026. The findings indicate that algorithms function not merely as technical mechanisms for information distribution but also as actors shaping religious knowledge, authority, and digital religious practices. The dominance of engagement, emotional responsiveness, and content visibility contributes to the emergence of pseudo-religious authority and weakens sanad, tadarruj, tabayyun, contemplation, and other traditions of learning adab. Nevertheless, algorithmic virality also provides opportunities for creative, adaptive, and inclusive Islamic education and preaching. This study proposes digital religious adab as a conceptual framework integrating Islamic ethical values with algorithmic literacy. The framework emphasizes critical understanding of algorithms, information verification, scholarly discernment, and moral integrity as essential dimensions of religious competence in the digital era. The study contributes to Islamic education scholarship by integrating algorithmic logic, adab, and religious authority into a unified conceptual framework.
Madrasah education in Indonesia plays a strategic role in fostering religious moderation among young generations amid increasingly complex social challenges. However, an imbalance between religious and general curricula at the Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI), Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs), and Madrasah Aliyah (MA) levels may undermine its effectiveness. This study analyzes government policies supporting religious moderation, institutional development through curriculum and teaching methods, strategies for strengthening madrasahs, and their prospects and challenges as agents of religious moderation. Using a qualitative approach and literature study, data were collected through documentation and analyzed using content analysis. The findings indicate that government support includes teacher and student training and extracurricular activities based on local culture. Institutional development involves adapting curricula to social change and integrating educational technology into teaching methods. Strategies for strengthening madrasahs encompass planning, Islamic leadership, and educational management. Madrasahs have the potential to foster tolerance and moderation through religious education, Pancasila values, and local cultural integration. However, challenges remain, particularly teachers’ limited understanding of religious moderation and the incomplete integration of local cultural values into the curriculum. Strengthening teacher capacity and developing culturally responsive curricula are therefore essential to enhancing madrasahs’ roles in promoting religious moderation in Indonesia.
This study aims to examine the implementation of the cue method in supporting Qur'an memorization among deaf students and to identify the factors that facilitate and hinder its application. The research was conducted at the BAZNAS BAZIS Disability Tahfiz Boarding School in Jakarta, an Islamic educational institution dedicated to students with special needs. This study employed a qualitative field research design. Primary data were collected through classroom observations, in-depth interviews with teachers and students, and documentation analysis. The collected data were analyzed using a descriptive-analytical approach involving three stages: data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that the implementation of the cue method in Qur'an memorization for deaf students is carried out through four main stages: instructional preparation and planning, provision of learning facilities and supporting media, implementation of the cue-based memorization method, and continuous monitoring and evaluation of students’ progress. The effectiveness of this method is supported by several factors, including strong institutional commitment to inclusive education, structured learning schedules, adaptive teaching strategies, and adequate psychological and physiological support for students. However, several challenges were identified, particularly variations in students’ cognitive abilities and learning attitudes, as well as limited parental and community involvement in supporting the memorization process. These findings highlight the importance of adaptive pedagogical approaches in Qur'anic education for students with hearing impairments and demonstrate the potential of cue-based methods in supporting inclusive religious learning environments.
The digital era has intensified discursive contestations surrounding the kiai–santri relationship in pesantren (Islamic boarding schools). This study aims to map the dialectic between Western paradigms of feudalism and the Islamic tradition of ta'dhim (traditional reverence and obedience) within the digital public sphere. Employing a descriptive qualitative method and Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis, this study examines a limited empirical scope consisting of four viral social media contents and in-depth interviews with two key participants. The findings suggest that participants and pesantren-based narratives tend to frame ta'dhim not as a form of structural oppression, but rather as a mechanism of respect, identity formation, and a means of sustaining traditional values amid contemporary social change. Ultimately, this discursive interplay highlights how pesantren communities navigate traditional authority while adapting to modern decentralized digital spaces, suggesting a need for broader empirical exploration to fully capture these evolving dynamics.
