Integrating Spirituality, Culture, and Technology through a Living Curriculum in Islamic Religious Education at Islamic Boarding Schools

Nafsiyah; Nizar Albakhar; Saiful Yamin; Mochamad Iskarim

doi:10.56741/IISTR.pbpsp.001907

Authors

Nafsiyah
nafsiyahae9@gmail.com
Universitas Islam Negeri KH Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan
Nizar Albakhar Universitas Islam Negeri KH Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan
Saiful Yamin Universitas Islam Negeri KH Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan
Mochamad Iskarim Universitas Islam Negeri KH Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4172-5038

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56741/IISTR.pbpsp.001907

Keywords:

Educational Technology, Islamic Boarding School, Islamic Religious Education, Living Curriculum, Spirituality

Abstract

The Living Islamic Religious Education Curriculum (Pendidikan Agama Islam/PAI) represents an educational paradigm that emphasizes the internalization and sustainability of Islamic values within students’ everyday lives. Central to this approach is the integration of spirituality, culture, and technology, which expands the scope of Islamic education beyond knowledge transmission toward character formation and personal transformation. This synergistic integration enables students to develop religious identities that are rooted in local cultural contexts while remaining responsive and competitive in a globalized environment, particularly within Islamic boarding school settings. Al Otsmani Islamic Boarding School serves as a representative case of this integrated curriculum implementation. The institution aligns its curriculum with the National Education Calendar, adapts learning materials to students’ contextual needs, and equips learners with both religious knowledge and essential soft skills. This study employs a qualitative research approach, utilizing descriptive data collected through observations and in-depth interviews. Such methods allow for a comprehensive exploration of curriculum practices and their lived implementation within the boarding school environment. The findings reveal that Al Otsmani Islamic Boarding School has undergone a significant educational transformation by integrating spiritual values across formal and traditional learning systems. This integration reflects the core principles of the PAI Living Curriculum, emphasizing the relevance of local culture and the practical application of Islamic values in students’ daily lives. Overall, the study highlights the potential of the Living PAI Curriculum as a holistic educational model that fosters spiritual depth, cultural awareness, and adaptive competencies in contemporary Islamic education contexts.

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Author Biographies

Nafsiyah, Universitas Islam Negeri KH Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan

is a lecturer and researcher at KH Abdurrahman Wahid State Islamic University of Pekalongan, Indonesia. Her academic interests focus on Islamic education, curriculum studies, and the integration of spirituality, culture, and technology in learning environments, particularly within Islamic boarding schools. Her research emphasizes living curriculum approaches in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) to foster holistic student development. (email: nafsiyahae9@gmail.com).

Nizar Albakhar, Universitas Islam Negeri KH Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan

is a student at KH Abdurrahman Wahid State Islamic University of Pekalongan, Indonesia. His research interests include Islamic Religious Education, curriculum innovation, educational culture, and technology-enhanced learning. He is particularly concerned with developing contextual and culturally responsive curricula that integrate spiritual values to support meaningful learning in Islamic educational institutions. (email: nizar.albakhar24023@mhs.uingusdur.ac.id).

Saiful Yamin, Universitas Islam Negeri KH Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan

is a student at KH Abdurrahman Wahid State Islamic University of Pekalongan, Indonesia. His scholarly interests focus on Islamic education, curriculum development, and pedagogical innovation in pesantren-based learning. He actively explores the integration of cultural values, spirituality, and digital technology to strengthen the implementation of living curriculum models in PAI learning. (email: syaiful.yamin24028@mhs.uingusdur.ac.id).

Mochamad Iskarim, Universitas Islam Negeri KH Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan

is an academic at KH Abdurrahman Wahid State Islamic University of Pekalongan, Indonesia. His research focuses on Islamic education, learning innovation, and the application of technology in religious instruction. He is particularly interested in the integration of cultural and spiritual dimensions within living curriculum frameworks to enhance educational practices in Islamic boarding schools. (email: mochamad.iskarim@uingusdur.ac.id).

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