Pedagogical Compassion and Religious Moderation: Islamic Religious Education Teachers’ Perspectives on Kurikulum Berbasis Cinta in Indonesian Madrasahs

Nida Umatun Nahdiah; Kartika Wanojaleni

doi:10.35445/alishlah.v18i2.9556

Pedagogical Compassion and Religious Moderation: Islamic Religious Education Teachers’ Perspectives on Kurikulum Berbasis Cinta in Indonesian Madrasahs

Nida Umatun Nahdiah, Kartika Wanojaleni

Abstract

The rise of intolerance in educational settings demands a fundamental shift toward a pedagogical compassion approach. Kurikulum Berbasis Cinta serves as a strategic response to internalize religious moderation through humanistic values. This study aims to analyze the perspectives of Islamic Religious Education (IRE) teachers regarding the readiness and structural challenges of implementing the Kurikulum Berbasis Cinta at MAN 2 Cilacap. This study employs a convergent mixed-methods design, involving a descriptive survey of a small group of 11 IRE teachers using a 16 item questionnaire, followed by in-depth interviews with selected key informants. Quantitative data from the questionnaire were then integrated with interview findings to provide a comprehensive contextual understanding, rather than to make inferential generalizations about the population. The results reveal the phenomenon of the Agency Paradox: although teachers demonstrate high affective commitment rooted in Ar-Rahman theology, they face methodological stuttering due to a lack of technical guidance and strick administrative demands. Teachers responded to this challenge through a Pedagogical Bricolage (adaptive navigation) strategy, namely improvising digital platforms to maintain the relevance of learning. Furthermore, this study identified a crucial barrier in the form of dissonance within the hidden curriculum, marked by the coexistence of authoritarian and humanistic teaching styles, as well as a deficit in students’ social literacy that hinders empathy. The findings suggest that the success of religious moderation does not depend solely on theological competence, but rather on a cohesive school ecosystem. This implies the need for policy reforms that shift the focus from the individual burden on teachers toward building a democratic school culture and strengthening social literacy.

Keywords

Islamic religious education; religious moderation; love-based curriculum; pedagogical compassion; madrasah education

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v18i2.9556