Project-Based Learning and Educational Games for Fostering Religious Moderation in Islamic Secondary Education

Fauzul Adzim; Ilzamudin Ilzamudin; Kholid Kholid; Apud Apud; Machdum Bachtiar; Fitri Hilmiyati; Wasehudin Wasehudin

doi:10.35445/alishlah.v18i2.9511

Project-Based Learning and Educational Games for Fostering Religious Moderation in Islamic Secondary Education

Fauzul Adzim, Ilzamudin Ilzamudin, Kholid Kholid, Apud Apud, Machdum Bachtiar, Fitri Hilmiyati, Wasehudin Wasehudin

Abstract

In the digital era, Islamic secondary education faces challenges in fostering students’ religious moderation amid the widespread dissemination of diverse religious and ideological narratives through digital media. As a key objective of Aqidah Akhlak education, religious moderation requires learning approaches that promote tolerance, critical thinking, collaboration, and responsible behavior. This study aimed to examine the association of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) and educational games with students’ religious moderation attitudes at MAN 1 Kota Serang. Using a quantitative explanatory correlational design, data were collected from 40 students selected through proportionate stratified random sampling from a population of 297 students. PjBL was implemented through collaborative projects on religious moderation themes, while educational games were used as interactive learning activities to strengthen student engagement and understanding. Data were gathered through questionnaires, observations, and documentation and analyzed using multiple regression with IBM SPSS Statistics version 25. The results showed that PjBL (t = 2.016, p = 0.048) and educational games (t = 1.780, p = 0.042) were each significantly associated with students’ religious moderation attitudes. However, the simultaneous regression model was not statistically significant (F = 1.380, p = 0.264). The model explained 10.3% of the variance in religious moderation attitudes (R² = 0.103), indicating that other educational, social, and personal factors contribute more substantially to attitude formation. This study contributes to Islamic education research by providing empirical evidence on the individual associations of PjBL and educational games with religious moderation attitudes and by enriching discussions on innovative pedagogical strategies for values-based learning in the digital age.

Keywords

religious moderation; project-based learning; educational games; Islamic education; student attitudes

Full Text:

PDF

References

Almulla, M. A. (2020). The Effectiveness of the Project-Based Learning (PBL) Approach as a Way to Engage Students in Learning. SAGE Open, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020938702

Andriani, A., Masita, M., & Missouri, R. (2025). Application of Project Based Learning Method in Improving Students’ Learning Motivation in Islamic Religious Education Lessons. Journal of Instructional and Development Researches, 5(2), 159–165. https://doi.org/10.53621/jider.v5i2.507

Azis, A., & Prawironegoro, D. (2022). Implementasi Nilai-Nilai Moderasi Beragama dalam Kurikulum Pendidikan Agama Islam (Studi Kasus Pondok Pesantren Tahfidz Al-Quran Al-Mansyur). ICIE : International Conference On Islamic Education, 2, 25–36.

Bender, W. N. (2012). Project-Based Learning: Differentiating Instruction for the 21st Century. In CORWIN a Sage Company (Vol. 92). California: Corwin. Retrieved from http://proxy.libraries.smu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=87934923&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Coussens, M., Maes, J., Desoete, A., Vanderstraeten, G., Van Waelvelde, H., & Van de Velde, D. (2022). Participation According to Clinicians Working with Young Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Long Way to Go. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52(11), 4883–4896. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05374-1

DeFillippi, R., & Milter, R. G. (2009). Problem-based and project-based learning approaches: Applying knowledge to authentic situations. The SAGE Handbook of Management Learning, Education and Development, 344–363. https://doi.org/10.4135/9780857021038.n18

Dole, S., Bloom, L., & Doss, K. K. (2017). Engaged learning: Impact of PBL and PjBL with elementary and middle grade students. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 11(2), 9. https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1685

Elbasani, A. (2017). Governing islam in plural societies: Religious freedom, state neutrality and traditional heritage. Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 19(1), 4–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/19448953.2016.1201985

Evcimik, S., & Oruc, C. (2023). Effects of Project-Based Learning in Moral Values Education. International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 15(3), 495–508.

Hadini, H., Imamuddin, M., Charles, C., Isnaniah, I., Nurbayani, N., & Kurniasari, R. (2024). Implementation of the Program for Strengthening Religious Moderation in Aceh Madrasas. AL-ISHLAH: Jurnal Pendidikan, 16(4), 5409–5421. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v16i4.5932

Heywood, J. (2006). Engineering Education: Research and Development in Curriculum and Instruction. In J. D. Mills & D. F. Treagust (Eds.), Engineering Education: Research and Development in Curriculum and Instruction. Kluwer Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1002/0471744697

Karan, E., & Brown, L. (2022). Enhancing Student’s Problem-Solving Skills through Project-Based Learning. Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education, 10(1), 74–87.

Kokotsaki, D., Menzies, V., & Wiggins, A. (2016). Project-based learning: A review of the literature. Improving Schools, 19(3), 267–277.

Kosim, M., Kustati, M., Sirait, W. R., Fajri, S., Febriani, S. R., Mufti, & Perrodin, D. D. (2024). Developing a Religious Moderation-Based Curriculum Module for Laboratory Madrasah Tsanawiyah in Islamic Higher Education. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 10(2), 350–362. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v10i2.39163

Kulbi, S. Z. (2020). Penerapan Psikologi Kognitif Dalam Mengolah Berita Hoax Di Media Sosial Selama Pandemi Covid-19 Di Kampung Santren Surabaya. IJIP : Indonesian Journal of Islamic Psychology, 2(2), 171–198. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijip.v2i2.171-198

Lopez-Gazpio, I. (2022). Gaining Student Engagement Through Project-Based Learning: A Competitive 2D Game Construction Case Study. IEEE Access, 10, 1881–1892. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3139764

Mahmud, M. N. (2022). Religious Moderation. Jurnal Diskursus Islam, 10(1), 82–88. https://doi.org/10.24252/jdi.v10i1.28809

Malik, K. M., & Zhu, M. (2023). Do project-based learning, hands-on activities, and flipped teaching enhance student’s learning of introductory theoretical computing classes? Education and Information Technologies, 28(3), 3581–3604. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11350-8

Masturin. (2022). Development of Islamic Religious Education Materials Based on Religious Moderation in Forming Student Character. Munaddhomah, 3(4), 346–355. https://doi.org/10.31538/munaddhomah.v3i4.310

Mufi, A. M., Elhady, A., & Mursalim, M. (2023). Section Articles Internalization of Religious Moderation Values: Active Tolerance and Social Harmony in Education in Indonesia. El-Tarbawi, 16(1), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.20885/tarbawi.vol16.iss1.art1

Nugroho, M. A. (2024). Religious Tolerance Model in Salatiga: Analysis of the Implementation of Religious Moderation Concept in a Multicultural City. International Journal on Advanced Science, Education, and Religion, 7(4), 27–43. https://doi.org/10.33648/ijoaser.v7i4.732

Pajarianto, H., Pribadi, I., & Sari, P. (2022). Tolerance between religions through the role of local wisdom and religious moderation. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 78(4). https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v78i4.7043

Pratiwi, D. T., Zahratunnisa, F., & ... (2025). The impact of project-based learning (PjBL) on students’ motivation and learning outcomes: A literature review. Asean …, 4(1), 53–58. Retrieved from https://ejournal.bumipublikasinusantara.id/index.php/ajsed/article/view/607%0Ahttps://ejournal.bumipublikasinusantara.id/index.php/ajsed/article/viewFile/607/462

Rahmadi, R., & Hamdan, H. (2023). Religious Moderation in the Context of Islamic Education: a Multidisciplinary Perspective and Its Application in Islamic Educational Institutions in Indonesia. Khazanah: Jurnal Studi Islam Dan Humaniora, 21(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.18592/khazanah.v21i1.8487

Riyawi, M. R., & Febriansyah, D. (2023). The Urgency of Religious Moderation in the Perspective of Islamic Education. Journal of Social Research, 2(8), 2578–2591. https://doi.org/10.55324/josr.v2i8.1309

Sahri, & Aziz, S. (2025). Strengthening Religious Moderation in Islamic Education Learning in the Digital Era. Jurnal Al Burhan, 5(2), 212–232. Retrieved from https://jurnal.staidaf.ac.id/jab/article/view/477

Sari, M., & Asmendri, A. (2020). Penelitian Kepustakaan (Library Research) dalam Penelitian Pendidikan IPA. Natural Science, 6(1), 41–53. https://doi.org/10.15548/nsc.v6i1.1555

Shrimal, D. (2024). Exploring Educational Paradigms: Insights from Flipped Classroom, Project Based Learning and Game Based Learning Models. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 72, 337–349. Retrieved from chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://jet-m.com/wp-content/uploads/23-JETM8077-1.pdf%60

Yulianti, Yusuf Hanafi, & Nurul Murtadho. (2025). Integration of Religious Moderation Values Through Project-Based Islamic Religious Education Learning: A Study on Prospective Teacher Students. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Religious Education, 3(1), 21–32. https://doi.org/10.63243/s8nvrb56

Yusti, A., & Ika, S. (2022). Internalizing Religious Moderation Values through ProjecYusti, A, and S Ika. “Internalizing Religious Moderation Values through Project-Based Learning in English Language Teaching: A Literature Review.” International Conference on Cultures &Languages …, . International Conference on Cultures &Languages …, 1(1), 575–594. Retrieved from https://ejournal.uinsaid.ac.id/index.php/iccl/article/view/5788

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v18i2.9511