Holistic Islamic Education Model at SMP IT Bina Insan Reshapes Character Building for Students

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FORMOSA NEWS - Sumatera Utara - The Islamic Religious Education (PAI) system often gets trapped in mere rote memorization and written exams, creating a gap between theoretical knowledge and students' daily behavior. Addressing this challenge, research conducted by Muhammad Dandi Nugroho and Ellisa Fitri Tanjung from the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) demonstrates that PAI can be implemented effectively through a holistic educational ecosystem. This qualitative study took place at SMP IT Bina Insan Batang Kuis, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, from December 2025 to March 2026. The findings show that integrating formal curricula, religious routines, personal mentoring, and parental partnerships successfully shapes well-rounded student character.

Modern education faces challenges that extend beyond academic achievements to require emotional maturity, spiritual depth, and social responsibility. Conventional PAI instruction focusing solely on the cognitive domain is insufficient for cultivating insan kamil—individuals balanced across intellectual, moral, physical, and spiritual capacities. To bridge this gap, SMP IT Bina Insan Batang Kuis implemented a holistic PAI model combining the national Merdeka Curriculum with the quality framework of the Integrated Islamic Schools Network (JSIT).

The study utilized a qualitative approach with an instrumental single-case study design. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with nine participants—including the principal, vice principal of curriculum, two PAI teachers, four students, and one parent—alongside classroom observations and document analysis of teaching modules and daily practice logs (mutaba'ah yaumiyah).

The primary findings confirm that holistic PAI instruction at the school successfully connects five developmental dimensions:

• Cognitive-Intellectual Dimension: Conceptual understanding of religious teachings, scriptural reasoning, and discussions on contextual real-world issues.
• Spiritual Dimension: Daily Dhuha prayers, Qur'anic review (murajaah), congregational Dhuhr prayers, overnight faith retreats (MABIT), and structured spiritual gatherings for female students.
• Moral-Affective Dimension: Cultivating honesty, discipline, responsibility, and self-reflection through daily journals.
• Psychomotor Dimension: Hands-on practice of ritual purification (wudhu), simulations of ethical business transactions (muamalah), and supervised poultry slaughtering procedures.
• Social-Relational Dimension: Developing public speaking through short student speeches (kultum), group discussions, and weekly mentoring sessions.

Implementing this holistic model carries significant implications for education, particularly in establishing a consistent school ecosystem. The teacher's role expands beyond a traditional instructor into a facilitator, mentor (murabbi), and role model. Parent partnership via daily practice logs ensures the continuity of religious habits outside the classroom.

Nevertheless, the study highlights several practical constraints. Limited formal instruction time (3 periods per week), varying levels of student background in Qur'anic proficiency, administrative workloads, and uneven parental support at home remain challenges to be addressed.

"Students are shaped most strongly by what teachers consistently demonstrate. PAI teachers are not just instructors; they are murabbi who provide direct role modeling in daily life," emphasized the Principal of SMP IT Bina Insan in the study. Nugroho and Tanjung concluded that the strength of holistic PAI lies not in the sheer volume of religious activities, but in the seamless alignment between knowledge, worship, ethics, and family support.

Author Profiles

• Muhammad Dandi Nugroho, S.Pd. – Lead author and researcher from the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU). Specializes in Islamic Religious Education, holistic learning methodologies, and Islamic school curriculum development.
• Ellisa Fitri Tanjung, M.Pd. – Lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU). Specializes in PAI instructional strategies, student moral-spiritual development, and Islamic education management.

Research Source

Nugroho, M. D., & Tanjung, E. F. (2026). Holistic Learning in Islamic Religious Education at SMP IT Bina Insan Batang Kuis. International Journal of Advance Social Sciences and Education (IJASSE), 4(4), 335–352. DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijasse.v4i4.16

https://journalijasse.my.id/index.php/ijasse