Nurturing Hearts and Minds Integrating Love-Based Curriculum in Islamic Moral Education at MTs As’adiyah Putri Pusat Sengkang, Indonesia
Keywords:
love-based curriculum, Islamic education, Akidah Akhlak, moral character development, affective learning, values educationAbstract
This study explores the integration of love-based curriculum approaches in teaching Akidah Akhlak (Islamic creed and morality) at MTs Puteri As'adiyah Pusat Sengkang, Indonesia. The love-based curriculum emphasizes compassion, empathy, spiritual connection, and moral character development as foundational elements of Islamic education. Through qualitative case study methodology involving classroom observations, teacher interviews, and document analysis, this research examines how educators implement love-centered pedagogies to foster students' spiritual growth, ethical consciousness, and emotional intelligence. Findings reveal that the integration of love-based approaches transforms traditional Islamic education by emphasizing relational dimensions of faith, promoting student engagement through affective connections, and developing holistic moral character. Teachers employ various strategies including storytelling, reflective practices, community service, and dialogical teaching methods that center love as both content and pedagogy. However, challenges emerge regarding assessment practices, balancing cognitive and affective learning objectives, and sustaining authentic implementation amid standardized curriculum pressures.
Downloads
References
Berkey, J. P. (2014). The formation of Islam: Religion and society in the Near East, 600-1800. Cambridge University Press.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Douglass, S. L., & Shaikh, M. A. (2004). Defining Islamic education: Differentiation and applications. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 7(1), 5-18.
Feener, R. M. (2007). Muslim legal thought in modern Indonesia. Cambridge University Press.
Finlay, L. (2002). Negotiating the swamp: The opportunity and challenge of reflexivity in research practice. Qualitative Research, 2(2), 209-230. https://doi.org/10.1177/146879410200200205
Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed (30th anniversary ed.). Continuum. (Original work published 1970)
Hoffman, M. L. (2000). Empathy and moral development: Implications for caring and justice. Cambridge University Press.
Lickona, T. (2004). Character matters: How to help our children develop good judgment, integrity, and other essential virtues. Touchstone.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
Lovat, T., & Clement, N. (2008). Quality teaching and values education: Coalescing for effective learning. Journal of Moral Education, 37(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240701803643
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. Jossey-Bass.
Muhsyanur, M. (2024). Love-Based Curriculum as a New Paradigm in Language Education : Between Cognition , Affection , and Spirituality. 2(5), 12–19.
Muhsyanur, M. (2025). Praktik Alih Kode Bahasa Indonesia-Bugis dalam Pengajian di Pesantren As’ adiyah: Strategi Linguistik untuk Memperdalam Pemahaman Keagamaan Santri Multikultural. Sawerigading, 31(1), 1–15. https://sawerigading.kemendikdasmen.go.id/index.php/sawerigading/article/view/1560/0
Muhsyanur Muhsyanur. (2023). The Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning on Critical Thinking Skills in Indonesian Language Education. TRICKS: Journal of Education and Learning Practices, 1(3), 12–23. https://journal.echaprogres.or.id/index.php/tricks/article/view/36
Muhsyanur, Rahmatullah, A. S., Misnawati, Dumiyati, & Ghufron, S. (2021). The Effectiveness of “Facebook” As Indonesian Language Learning Media for Elementary School Student: Distance Learning Solutions in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Multicultural Education, 7(04), 38–47. https://www.mccaddogap.com/ojs/index.php/me/article/view/8%0Ahttps://www.mccaddogap.com/ojs/index.php/me/article/download/8/10
Muhyiddin Tahir, Muhsyanur, A. M. Y. (2024). Ma’had aly as’adiyah sengkang: combining tradition and innovation in islamic boarding school education in the era of society 5.0.
Santalia, Indo, & Muhsyanur. (2025). The curriculum of love and eco-theology as the basis of the Istiqlal declaration implementation movement. HUMANIST : As’adiyah International Journal of Humanities and Education, 2(1), 33–42.
Nasr, S. H. (2010). Islam in the modern world: Challenged by the West, threatened by fundamentalism, keeping faith with tradition. HarperOne.
Noddings, N. (2013). Caring: A relational approach to ethics and moral education (2nd ed.). University of California Press.
Palmer, P. J. (2017). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher's life (20th anniversary ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Ramadan, T. (2007). In the footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the life of Muhammad. Oxford University Press.
Rossiter, M. (2002). Narrative and stories in adult teaching and learning. ERIC Digest, 241, 1-7. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED473147
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Suryaningsih Suryaningsih, Umrati Umrati (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
