Reframing moral formation in Islamic education: The strategic role of Islamic religious education teachers in cultivating students’ ethical agency
https://doi.org/10.63826/jtpre.v1i1.242
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Abstract
The increasing complexity of contemporary education necessitates repositioning Islamic Religious Education (IRE) teachers as central agents in cultivating students’ ethical agency and moral consciousness, as existing research remains largely normative and overlooks the pedagogical mechanisms through which teachers actively shape moral formation. This study aims to reconceptualize the role of IRE teachers in cultivating students’ ethical agency by examining their pedagogical practices, moral positioning, and relational engagement within the classroom context. Employing a qualitative case study design, data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 IRE teachers in Indonesian secondary schools and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The findings reveal that moral formation is constructed through three interrelated dimensions: (1) pedagogical modeling, where teachers embody ethical values in instructional practices; (2) relational morality, where teacher–student interactions foster trust, empathy, and moral reflection; and (3) contextual negotiation, where teachers adapt moral instruction to socio-cultural and institutional dynamics. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that ethical agency is not transmitted through direct instruction alone but is co-constructed through reflective dialogue, experiential learning, and value-based engagement. This study contributes to the literature by advancing a process-oriented model of moral formation that integrates pedagogical, relational, and contextual dimensions within Islamic education. Overall, the study positions IRE teachers as transformative agents whose roles extend beyond instructional delivery toward the cultivation of ethically grounded and socially responsible learners.
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