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International Journal of Contemporary Islamic Education Vol.
7 No.
1 Tahun 2025 Strengthening Islamic Values Through Integration of Local Culture in Islamic Religious Education Materials Iis Nahwiyah1*.
Fajar Syarif2, & Andi Anirah3 1,2 Institut Ilmu Al-Quran (IIQ) .
Jakarta
3 Universitas Islam Negeri Datokarama Palu
ABSTRACT
ARTICLE
INFORMATION
Islamic Religious Education (PAI) has an important role in instilling Islamic values in students.
However, in practice.
PAI learning is often less associated with local social and cultural realities inherent in students' lives.
Integration of local culture into PAI materials is an important strategy to make learning more contextual, meaningful, and close to students' daily lives.
Local culture that is full of moral values such as mutual cooperation, tolerance, politeness, and responsibility can be used as an entry point in introducing Islamic concepts.
This paper discusses the importance of integrating local culture as a means to strengthen Islamic values in the educational environment.
Through a contextual and dialogical approach.
PAI learning becomes more inclusive and is able to shape students' characters that are rooted in Islamic values while loving their own culture.
In addition, cultural integration also contributes to the preservation of local identity in accordance with Islamic principles.
Innovation from teachers and policy support are needed so that this process can run effectively and Thus, cultural integration into PAI materials is a strategic step to create education that is inclusive and relevant to the sociocultural context of students.
Collaborative efforts from various parties are needed to overcome existing challenges and optimize the potential of this integration in Islamic Religious Education learning.
Introduction Islamic Religious Education (PAI) plays a strategic role in the formation of character and noble morals of In practice.
PAI is often delivered textually and normatively.
Keywords:
Education.
Islam.
Character Integration Culture without being linked to the local social and cultural context in which students grow and develop.
In fact, local culture contains many noble values that are in line with Islamic teachings, such as mutual cooperation, deliberation, e-ISSN: 2715-4572 p-ISSN: 2716-1439 International Journal of Contemporary Islamic Education Vol.
7 No.
1 Tahun 2025 Integrating local culture into PAI materials not only makes learning more contextual, but also strengthens students' identity as part of society and Muslims who are deeply rooted in One promising approach to enhancing Islamic character education is through the integration of local culture into Islamic Religious Education (PAI) Local cultures often embody rich values of wisdom that have been passed down through generations, many of which are in harmony with Islamic These include values such as mutual cooperation, respect for others, social harmony, honesty, and communal By connecting PAI material to the local cultural context that students are already familiar with in their daily lives, the learning experience contextualized, and engaging.
This culturally responsive pedagogy not only facilitates studentsAo understanding of Islamic principles in a concrete and relatable manner but also reinforces their Islamic identity in a way that is grounded in their own cultural As a result, students are more likely to internalize Islamic values not as abstract concepts, but as practical virtues they observe and practice within their communities.
This integration can therefore serve as a powerful medium Islamic character, fostering a sense of belonging, and nurturing morally conscious individuals who are rooted in both faith and culture.
However, in actual practice.
Islamic Religious Education in many schools including at Budi Mulia Junior High School, which operates under the Budi Mulia Tangerang Education Foundation still tends to be predominantly textual and normative in nature.
The teaching often focuses heavily on memorization of QurAoanic verses, legal rulings .
, and formal religious knowledge, without meaningful connection to studentsAo everyday lives.
The lessons rarely explore or integrate the richness of the surrounds the students.
As a result, the learning process frequently becomes monotonous, teacher-centered, and less engaging for students.
Islamic teachings are often perceived merely as abstract concepts or academic content to be memorized for exams rather than as values to be lived and embodied in their social interactions.
This disconnect hinders the internalization of Islamic values, making it difficult for students to translate what they learn into concrete behavior and moral decision-making in real-life situations.
Therefore, there is a pressing need for a more contextualized, student-centered, grounded approach to teaching Islamic Religious Education, one that can foster engagement, and stronger character formation rooted in both faith and cultural identity.
This condition encourages the need for innovation in Islamic Religious Education learning strategies, especially by integrating local cultural elements as a bridge to transform Islamic values into the souls and practices of students in real e-ISSN: 2715-4572 p-ISSN: 2716-1439 International Journal of Contemporary Islamic Education Vol.
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1 Tahun 2025 Through this approach, students not only understand Islam as a teaching, but also feel it as part of the life and culture they have known since Based on this phenomenon, this study was conducted to explore and examine how strengthening Islamic values can be done through the integration of local culture in Islamic Religious Education materials at Budi Mulia Junior High School.
This study is expected to be able to contribute to the development of a more contextual, relevant, and down-to-earth Islamic Religious Education learning model in students' daily lives.
Based on the description above, the author gives the title for the research conducted by the author is "Strengthening Islamic Values Through the Integration of Local Culture Islamic Religious Education Materials".
Literature Review Islamic Religious Education (PAI) has a strategic role in shaping the internalization of Islamic values.
These values include aspects of faith, worship, and morals that are not only understood cognitively, but must also be reflected in daily attitudes and behavior.
According to Mulyasa .
, value education in Islam should be holistic, touching on cognitive, affective, and psychomotor dimensions, and relevant to the sociocultural conditions of students in order to be more effective in responding to the challenges of the times.
One approach to strengthening Islamic values in learning is through the integration of local culture.
Local culture contains wisdom that has been passed down from generation to generation and contains noble values such as mutual cooperation, deliberation, politeness, and tolerance, all of which are in line with Islamic teachings.
(Aryadita, 2.
emphasizes that the integration of local culture in education can strengthen students' understanding because they feel closer emotionally and culturally to the material being taught.
This approach not only strengthens cultural identity, but also facilitates a deeper internalization of In the context of learning, the application of a contextual approach is very important, especially in Islamic Religious Education.
Contextual learning links the content of the subject matter to the real experiences of students, so that Islamic values are not only memorized, but also part of everyday life practices.
Hasanah dan Rahman .
shows that a contextual approach in Islamic Religious Education can increase the effectiveness and depth of students' understanding of religious teachings, because they can relate them directly to the social reality around them.
Furthermore, the integration of Islamic education and local wisdom also contributes to strengthening students' religious and national identities.
Local wisdom not only enriches learning methods, but also becomes a means to instill moderate, inclusive, and contextual Islam.
Zamzami .
stated that this integration is able to be a solution to the e-ISSN: 2715-4572 p-ISSN: 2716-1439 International Journal of Contemporary Islamic Education Vol.
7 No.
1 Tahun 2025 development of extreme religious understanding, because students see that Islamic teachings do not conflict with the culture they know and live since Thus, the integration of local culture in Islamic Religious Education learning not only increases the relevance of the material to the lives of students, but also becomes an effective strategy to strengthen Islamic values in a more contextual and down-to-earth manner.
Methodology This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study type, which aims to deeply understand the process of integrating local culture into Islamic Religious Education (PAI) materials as an effort to strengthen Islamic values at SMP Budi Mulia, under the Budi Mulia Education Foundation.
Tangerang.
The qualitative approach was chosen because it is able to describe the phenomenon holistically and deeply, in accordance with the socio-cultural context being The research was conducted at Budi Mulia Junior High School.
Tangerang.
The subjects of the research included Islamic Religious Education teachers, students, principals, and local figures or parents who were considered to understand the local cultural values that live in the school environment.
Informants purposive sampling techniques, namely selection based on certain considerations that are relevant to the focus of the Data Sources Primary Data:
Primary data was obtained directly from Islamic Religious Education teachers, principals, students, and local community or traditional figures through interviews, observations, and Secondary Data:
Secondary data came from curriculum documents, learning modules, journal articles, textbooks, and educational regulations related to the integration of cultural values in Islamic religious Data Collection Techniques Indepth Interview: Conducted with Islamic Religious Education teachers and principals to find out the views, strategies, and implementation of local cultural integration in learning.
Participatory Observation: Researchers directly observed classroom learning activities that contained elements of local culture, as well as student culture-based Documentation Study:
Collecting documents, lesson plans, teaching materials, school cultural activity records, and other archives relevant to the research theme, or data described in the data collected through the following techniques:
Participatory observation, namely direct observation of the Islamic Religious Education process in the classroom, including how local cultural values are integrated in the delivery of .
In-depth interviews with Islamic Religious Education principals, students, and local e-ISSN: 2715-4572 p-ISSN: 2716-1439 International Journal of Contemporary Islamic Education Vol.
7 No.
1 Tahun 2025 understanding, experiences, and integration in learning.
Documentation studies, such as syllabus, lesson plans, teaching materials, or school activity records related to local content and Islamic sThe collected data was analyzed using thematic analysis techniques, as developed by Miles dkk, .
, which included three stages:
Data reduction, namely by filtering, important data that is relevant to the focus of the research.
Data arranging data in the form of narratives, tables, or matrices to facilitate understanding of research .
Drawing verification, namely formulating key findings and rechecking data Data Analysis Techniques Data analysis was conducted qualitatively interactively using the Miles & Huberman model, through the following three stages: Data Reduction: Sorting and summarizing important data from documentation that are relevant to the focus of the research.
Data Display:
Presenting data in narrative, matrix, table or diagram form so that the relationship between data is easier to understand.
Conclusion Drawing and Verification:
Drawing temporary conclusions which are then re-tested for validity using source and method triangulation Data Validity (Triangulatio.
To ensure data validity, researchers use source and technique triangulation, namely comparing information from various informants and comparing interview results, observations, and Result and Discussion 1 Conditions of Internalization of Islamic Values in Islamic Religious Education Learning The results of observations and interviews show that the internalization of Islamic values in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) learning at Budi Mulia Junior High School has been carried out through various methods, such as delivering teaching materials, teacher role However, the approach used still tends to be cognitive and has not fully linked Islamic teachings to the local cultural context in the students' environment.
Based on observations and interviews with teachers and students, it is known that the process of internalizing Islamic values at Budi Mulia Junior High School has been running systematically.
PAI teachers have integrated Islamic values such as honesty, discipline, responsibility, and tolerance in the learning process, both through materials and role models.
However, this internalization is still dominated by textual and cognitive approaches, without being contextually linked to students' daily lives.
This makes some students unable to translate Islamic e-ISSN: 2715-4572 p-ISSN: 2716-1439 International Journal of Contemporary Islamic Education Vol.
7 No.
1 Tahun 2025 values into real actions outside the This finding is in line with the opinion of Hasanah dan Rahman .
, that religious education will be more effective if it uses a contextual approach that links teaching materials to students' social realities.
Thus, strengthening Islamic values needs to be developed through an approach that is down to earth and relevant to their lives, one of which is through local culture.
Delivery of Teaching Materials:
Teachers convey Islamic teachings PAI .
Teacher Exemplary Behavior:
Teachers behave in accordance with Islamic values, becoming an example for students.
Religious Activities: Schools hold activities such as congregational commemoration of Islamic holidays.
2 Identify Relevant Local Cultures to Integrate In the context of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) learning, the use of local culture not only enriches teaching materials, but also strengthens the relevance of Islamic values in students' real lives.
Education rooted in local culture has great potential in building students' character more authentically, because local culture holds noble values that are in line with the principles of Islamic teachings, such as mutual cooperation, manners towards parents and teachers, and the spirit of togetherness in social life.
At Budi Mulia Junior High School, which is located in a community that still upholds local customs and values, this opportunity is very large to be utilized in Teachers, as the main facilitators of learning, have a strategic role in exploring, understanding, and linking local cultural elements into religious This approach is also in line with the principles of contextual pedagogy, where learning will be more meaningful when linked to students' experiences and living environment.
Through a series of interviews and observations, researchers identified a number of local cultural elements that not only still exist, but also contain strong Islamic values.
This cultural integration aims to help students understand Islamic teachings within the framework of their daily lives, making it not only memorized knowledge, but also lived values.
Through community leaders and Islamic Religious Education teachers, it was found that there are several local cultures that still exist and are relevant to be integrated into Islamic Religious Education learning, .
The tradition of tahlilan and yasinan as a form of collective spirituality.
The tradition of tahlilan and yasinan which are usually carried out in people's homes when there is a disaster or haul reflects Islamic values such as joint strengthening collective spirituality.
This tradition can be integrated into Islamic Religious Education learning on the material about the importance of prayer, dhikr, and praying for fellow Muslims.
Mutual cooperation in community e-ISSN: 2715-4572 p-ISSN: 2716-1439 International Journal of Contemporary Islamic Education Vol.
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1 Tahun 2025 Mutual cooperation, which is seen in activities to clean the environment, help residents, or prepare for school events, contains the values of mutual assistance, social responsibility, and Islamic brotherhood.
These values are appropriate to be included in Islamic Religious Education materials on social cooperation in Islam.
Unggah-ungguh .
speaking to parents and teachers.
Unggah-ungguh or manners in interacting with parents, teachers, and elders reflect manners, respect, and noble This culture supports PAI material that discusses manners in Islam and the importance of respecting parents and teachers.
Marawis and qasidah performances in school events.
Marawis performances that are usually performed in school religious events or Islamic holy days are a manifestation of love for the Prophet.
Islamic propagation, and Islamic art expression.
This can be integrated into PAI material about love for the Prophet.
Islamic art, and the meaning of Islamic These traditions contain Islamic values such as ukhuwah, adab, and syiar, which are very potential to be raised in Islamic Religious Education learning This is in line with the opinion put forward by Zamzami .
, the integration of local wisdom such as marawis, silaturahmi, and polite culture is a form of Islam that is down to earth and strengthens students' Islamic Local culture is not a threat to Islam, but can be an effective medium for Local Cultural Integration Strategy in Islamic Religious Education Learning Islamic Religious Education teachers at Budi Mulia Junior High School have developed a strategy for integrating local culture into learning.
This strategy shows a contextual and interactive learning approach.
In line with Sutrisno and Herawati .
, the use of local culture in learning creates students' emotional attachment to the values taught, making them easier to absorb and .
Contextual Learning.
Linking teaching materials with local culture known to students.
Class Project.
Students create works that combine Islamic teachings and local culture.
Extracurricular Activities.
Such as marawis and hadroh that contain Islamic values.
4 Supporting and Inhibiting Factors in Local Cultural Integration Based observations and interviews with the author, there are several supporting factors including:
Principal Support.
The principal gives teachers the freedom to innovate in learning.
Student Enthusiasm.
Students show a high interest in learning that links local culture.
Availability of Resources.
The e-ISSN: 2715-4572 p-ISSN: 2716-1439 International Journal of Contemporary Islamic Education Vol.
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1 Tahun 2025 existence of facilities and resources that support local culture-based As for the inhibiting factors, they .
Lack of Teacher Training.
Teachers have not received special training on the integration of local culture in Islamic Religious Education.
Time constraints.
The tight lesson schedule makes it difficult to implement additional activities.
Lack of Teaching Materials.
There are no books or modules that integrate local culture in Islamic Religious Education.
This condition shows that the success of local cultural integration in Islamic Religious Education is greatly influenced by structural and cultural Mulyasa .
emphasized the importance of curriculum management and teacher innovation so that character values can grow within a local cultural framework that is in line with Islamic The Impact of Local Cultural Integration Strengthening Islamic Values Integration of local culture in Islamic Religious Education learning has a positive impact on strengthening Islamic values in students, including:
Improved Understanding.
Students find it easier to understand Islamic teachings that are linked to the culture they know.
Strengthening Identity.
Students feel proud of local culture that is in line with Islamic teachings.
Positive Behavior.
There is an increase in student attitudes and behavior in accordance with Islamic The most prominent positive impact of local cultural integration in Islamic Religious Education learning is increased student participation, ease of understanding values, and changes in behavior that are more polite and Students become more active in discussions, are able to associate Islamic values with traditions they know, and show a more cooperative attitude in social activities.
This proves that when religious education is delivered through a cultural approach, students not only understand Islamic teachings as dogma, but also as a relevant and familiar guide to life.
As explained by Hasanah dan Rahman .
, this approach creates a deep awareness of values because it is directly related to student identity.
Conclusion Based on the description above, the author draws the following conclusions:
Based interviews with teachers and students, it is known that the process of internalizing Islamic values in Budi Mulia Junior High School Islamic Religious Education integrated Islamic values such as honesty, discipline, responsibility, and tolerance in the learning process, both through materials and examples.
e-ISSN: 2715-4572 p-ISSN: 2716-1439 International Journal of Contemporary Islamic Education Vol.
7 No.
1 Tahun 2025 .
However, this internalization is still dominated by textual and cognitive contextually linked to students' daily Through a series of interviews identified a number of local cultural elements that not only still exist, but also contain strong Islamic values.
This cultural integration aims to help Islamic teachings within the framework of their daily lives such as: Tahlilan tradition.
Gotong royong.
Unggahungguh .
and Marawis and qasidah performances in school .
Islamic Religious Education teachers at Budi Mulia Junior High School have developed a strategy for integrating local culture into learning, this strategy shows a contextual and interactive learning approach such as:
Contextual learning, class projects and extracurricular activities.
There are several supporting factors including: Principal support, student enthusiasm and availability of Furthermore, there are inhibiting factors including: Lack of teacher training, limited time and lack of teaching materials.
REFERENCES