Religious Moderation in Indonesian Classrooms: Reflective and Participatory Pedagogy in a Multifaith School Context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/rjsalb.v8i3.39596Keywords:
Civic education, interfaith learning, participatory pedagogy, religious moderation, transformative learningAbstract
This study examines the effectiveness of integrating the Iceberg Analysis and the U-Process as a pedagogical framework to promote religious moderation in a multifaith Indonesian secondary school. Given the rising concern over religious intolerance and youth vulnerability to radical ideologies in pluralistic societies, the study addresses the urgent need for reflective and participatory learning approaches that can transform attitudes and behaviours. Employing a mixed-methods design, the research involved 100 students of different religious and ethnic backgrounds at SMA Negeri 1 Barus Jahe, North Sumatra. Data were collected through pre-tests, post-tests, questionnaires, classroom observations, and student reflections. Thematic and statistical analyses revealed significant improvements in students’ understanding, awareness, and enactment of religious moderation values, with average cognitive scores increasing from 55 to 81.5 and behavioural awareness from 48.75 to 78.25. These findings suggest that integrating the Iceberg Analysis and U-Process facilitates cognitive development and deep emotional and ethical internalisation of interfaith values. The study contributes to religious education by proposing a culturally contextualised and empirically validated model that bridges conceptual understanding and real-world practice. Its originality lies in synthesising two transformative learning approaches into a unified pedagogical strategy tailored for pluralistic and multicultural settings, with practical implications for curriculum design, teacher training, and interfaith peacebuilding.
References
Adiana, M. (2011). Kajian Teori Iceberg dalam Membaca. Jurnal Pengembangan Pendidikan, 8(1), 287–297.
Agra Junker, D. B. (2013). Zone of proximal development, liminality, and communitas: Implications for religious education. Religious Education, 108(2), 164–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/00344087.2013.767677
Akil, M., Darmawangsa, A., & Hasibuddin, M. (2024). The Jurisprudence of Religious Moderation: Strengthening Al-Wathanniyah Values at the Intersection of Islam and Nationality. Jurnal IUS Kajian Hukum Dan Keadilan, 12(2), 300–314. https://doi.org/10.29303/ius.v12i2.1410
Berg, B. L., & Lune, H. (2004). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (Vol. 5). Pearson Boston.
Berkowitz, M. W. (2011). What works in values education. International Journal of Educational Research, 50(3), 153–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2011.07.003
Berret, C., & Munzner, T. (2022). Iceberg Sensemaking: A Process Model for Critical Data Analysis and Visualization. XX, X, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2024.3486613
Bhatia, S. S. (2024). Symbiosis of localization and globalization in assessment for teaching learning practices in higher education. In Transdisciplinary Teaching and Technological Integration for Improved Learning: Case Studies and Practical Approaches (pp. 194–218). https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-8217-2.ch010
Bhullar, G., Singh, S. P., & Arora, R. (2024). Social Values and Behavioural Change: two Aspects Influenced by Participating in Extracurricular Activities – a Study of Some Higher Educational Institutes. Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental, 18(6), e07307. https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v18n6-108
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Broer, N. A., De Muynck, A. B., Potgieter, F. J., Van Der Walt, J. L., & Wolhuter, C. C. W. (2018). Religieuze tolerantie vraagt onderwijs in gastvrijheid. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 74(4). https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v74i4.4859
Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc.
Burhani, A. N. (2014). Hating the Ahmadiyya: The place of ‘heretics’ in contemporary Indonesian Muslim society. Contemporary Islam, 8(2), 133–152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11562-014-0295-x
Burkhalter, N. (2013). Overcoming resistance in post-soviet teacher trainees in Kazakhstan. Asian EFL Journal, 15(2), 248–279.
Christian Green, M., & Toft, M. D. (2018). Freedom of Religion or Belief Across the Commonwealth: Hard Cases, Diverse Approaches. Review of Faith and International Affairs, 16(4), 19–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2018.1535043
Daheri, M., Warsah, I., Morganna, R., Putri, O. A., & Adelia, P. (2023). Strengthening Religious Moderation: Learning from the Harmony of Multireligious People in Indonesia. Journal of Population and Social Studies, 31, 571–586. https://doi.org/10.25133/JPSSv312023.032
Dauda, K. O. (2021). Islamophobia and religious intolerance: Threats to global peace and harmonious co-existence. Qudus International Journal of Islamic Studies, 8(2), 257–292. https://doi.org/10.21043/qijis.v8i2.6811
Dewey, J. (1933). How We Think: A Restatement of the Relation of Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process. Boston, MA: D.C. Heath & Co Publishers.
Doman, E., & Webb, M. (2017). The Flipped Experience for Chinese University Students Studying English as a Foreign Language. TESOL Journal, 8(1), 102–141. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.264
Effendi, Y. R., & Sahertian, P. (2022). Principals’ transformational leadership in strengthening character education at senior high school level (SMA) in Indonesia. South African Journal of Education, 42(2). https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v42n2a2034
Elias, M. J., Kranzler, A., Parker, S. J., Kash, V. M., & Weissberg, R. P. (2014). The complementary perspectives of social and emotional learning, moral education, and character education. In Handbook of Moral and Character Education (pp. 272–289). https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203114896
Facal, G. (2020). Islamic Defenders Front Militia (Front Pembela Islam) and its Impact on Growing Religious Intolerance in Indonesia. TRaNS: Trans-Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia, 8(1), 7–20. https://doi.org/10.1017/trn.2018.15
Fenton, A. J. (2016). Faith, intolerance, violence and bigotry: Legal and constitutional issues of freedom of religion in Indonesia. Journal of Indonesian Islam, 10(2), 181–212. https://doi.org/10.15642/JIIS.2016.10.2.181-212
Flick, U. (2009). An Introduction to Qualitative Research. SAGE Publications.
Francis, L. J., ap Siôn, T., McKenna, U., & Penny, G. (2017). Does Religious Education as an examination subject work to promote community cohesion? An empirical enquiry among 14- to 15-year-old adolescents in England and Wales. British Journal of Religious Education, 39(3), 303–316. https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2015.1128392
Furco, A. (2023). Service-Learning as Values Education. In Springer International Handbooks of Education: Vol. Part F1708 (pp. 427–448). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24420-9_23
Gasmi, A. A., & Al Nadabi, Z. S. (2023). An Exploratory Study of Learners’ Perceptions About the Effectiveness of Active Learning Approaches. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 14(5), 1223–1232. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1405.10
Gašpar, A., & Garmaz, J. (2016). The corpus-based study on the impact of religious education on the humanization of man and development of religious competence. Bogoslovni Vestnik, 76(2), 417–431.
Govorova, E., Benítez, I., & Muñiz, J. (2020). How Schools Affect Student Well-Being: A Cross-Cultural Approach in 35 OECD Countries. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00431
Groom, B., & Maunonen-Eskelinen, I. (2006). The use of portfolios to develop reflective practice in teacher training: A comparative and collaborative approach between two teacher training providers in the UK and Finland. Teaching in Higher Education, 11(3), 291–300. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562510600680632
Guest, A. M., Siamoo, P., & Maige, G. (2021). Integrating global and local best practices for youth development afterschool: Constructing the Kilimanjaro extracurriculars self-assessment. Cogent Education, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2021.1982600
Hafen, C. A., Allen, J. P., Mikami, A. Y., Gregory, A., Hamre, B., & Pianta, R. C. (2012). The Pivotal Role of Adolescent Autonomy in Secondary School Classrooms. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(3), 245–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9739-2
Hamayotsu, K. (2014). Conservative turn? Religion, state and conflict in Indonesia. Pacific Affairs, 87(4), 815–825. https://doi.org/10.5509/2014874815
Hammond, J. (2014). Developing experiential re creatively. In Teaching Religious Education Creatively (pp. 113–122). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315814537-8
Hill, E., & Woolley, R. (2022). Religious Education and Its Interaction with the Spiritual Dimension of Childhood: Teachers’ Perceptions, Understanding and Aspirations. Religions, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13040280
Inayatillah, I., Kamaruddin, K., & M. Anzaikhan, M. A. (2022). The History of Moderate Islam in Indonesia and Its Influence on the Content of National Education. Journal of Al-Tamaddun, 17(2), 213–226. https://doi.org/10.22452/JAT.vol17no2.17
Iqbal, M., O’Brien, K. S., & Bliuc, A.-M. (2024). The Relationship between Existential Anxiety, Political Efficacy, Extrinsic Religiosity and Support for Violent Extremism in Indonesia. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 47(11), 1510–1518. https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2022.2034221
Iqbal, M. Z., Jumani, N. B., & Saeed-Ul-Hassan, C. (2015). Professional reflection a cradle of student teacher’s professional development. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(3), 376–384. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3s1p376
Johnson, D. D., Hooper, L. M., Spikes, D. D., Carpenter, B. W., Bowers, A., & Jean-Marie, G. (2022). Examining urban school principals’ perceptions and insights on the bidirectionality of engagement: a case study of school district leaders. School Leadership and Management, 42(4), 334–365. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2022.2098266
Kartono, D. T., Suyanto, B., Sugihartati, R., Yani, M. T., Sirry, M., Suryadinata, T. A., … Andriani, L. (2025). Tolerance of high school students in an urban-transition city: a study in Batu City. Cogent Education, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2445364
Khan, S., & Iqbal, S. (2021). Innovative ways of student engagement for active learning in science courses of nursing in the four year baccalaureate programme. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 71(6), 1644–1647. https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.308
Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Pearson Education.
Kurniawan, E., Astuti, T. M. P., Utomo, C. B., & Trimasukmana, D. J. (2019). Using media literacy to prevent the dangers of hoaxes and intolerance among the students of Universitas Negeri Semarang. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 8(7), 1–13.
Lang, C. (2021). Extracurricular activities can play a central role in K-12 education. Phi Delta Kappan, 102(8), 14–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/00317217211013931
Li, D. (2022). Required Improvements from the Students’ Perspective. The Electronic Journal of E-Learning, 20(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.34190/ejel.20.1.2106
Ma`arif, M. A., Rofiq, M. H., & Sirojuddin, A. (2022). Implementing Learning Strategies for Moderate Islamic Religious Education in Islamic Higher Education. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 8(1), 75–86. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v8i1.19037
Mahmud, M. E., & Umiarso, U. (2025). School Leadership Models and Efforts Reconstruction of Religious Moderation in State Madrasah Aliyah in Indonesia. Educational Process International Journal, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2025.14.18
Mangawing, L. A., Sulianto, T., Sari, A. P., Arni, L., & Jafri, U. (2023). The 6th International Seminar on Business, Economics, Social Science, and The Influence Of Digital Financial Literacy On MSME Performance In Balikpapan City. Proceedings of the 6th International Seminar on Business, Economics, Social Science, and Conference Proceedings, 3, 162–170. https://doi.org/10.33830/isbest.v3i1.1348
McCall, T. D., Waters, L. E., & White, M. A. (2015). A comparison between theological christian approaches to wisdom and peterson and seligman’s classification of character strengths and virtues. In Evidence-Based Approaches in Positive Education: Implementing a Strategic Framework for Well-Being in Schools (pp. 27–41). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9667-5_2
McGuire, B. (2019). Analogous activities: Tools for thinking comparatively in religious studies courses. Teaching Theology and Religion, 22(2), 114–126. https://doi.org/10.1111/teth.12478
McKown, C. (2017). Social-emotional assessment, performance, and standards. Future of Children, 27(1), 157–178. https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.2017.0008
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Din Oloan Sihotang et al.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.