Preventing extremism through Islamic Religious Education (IRE) in Schools

Abstract

This study focuses on the role of Islamic Religious Education (IRE) in preventing extremism in Indonesian schools. Given increasing global concerns about extremism and radicalism, Islamic religious education is considered an important instrument in such prevention. There remains a gap in the literature regarding how policies of the Government of Indonesia, such as the National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Extremism or Rencana Aksi Nasional Pencegahan dan Penanggulangan Ekstremisme (RAN PE), areimplemented or translated into educational practices and how these are received and perceived by educators in the field.This research explores teachers' perceptions of the policy on preventing extremism through Islamic Religious Education. The main focus is understanding how this policy is implemented in the Islamic Religious Education curriculum, its impact on teaching methods, and the challenges teachers face in carrying out their role in this context.This study uses a social constructivist epistemology, applying a qualitative case study approach to collect data from three different high schools in Bandung, Indonesia. One school is a madrasah (religious school), the second is a private school, and the third is a state school. Participants include IRE teachers, school principals, local government representatives, and teacher association representatives. Data were collected through document review, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The conclusion of this study synthesises the key findings on teachers' interpretation and implementation of the Indonesian government's policy to prevent extremism through IRE. The findings reveal that while most teachers support the policy's objectives, they face significant challenges, including a lack of in-depth understanding, limited resources and increased administrative burden. Teachers recognised the potential of IRE to foster tolerance and critical thinking. Still, they also expressed concerns about the complexity of the policy and the need for better training and support. The effectiveness of the policy was seen as mixed, with some teachers noting an increase in students' resistance to extremist ideologies. In contrast, others highlighted the need for a more comprehensive approach that includes addressing broader issues such as juvenile delinquency and bullying. Collaboration with NGOs has been beneficial, but continued efforts are needed to ensure the policy is well integrated into teaching practices without overburdening educators, ultimately creating a safer and more inclusive learning environment.

Date of Award	May 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Coventry University
Supervisor	Michael Hardy (Supervisor), Joel Busher (Supervisor) & Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor (Supervisor)