Teaching Moderation in Diversity: Experiences of Islamic Education Teachers in Multicultural Schools
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Abstract
Religious education plays a crucial role in shaping values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence in multicultural societies. Within this field, the teaching of religious moderation by Islamic Religious Education (IRE) teachers remains underexplored from the perspective of lived experience. Despite growing policy emphasis on moderation, little is known about how teachers personally interpret and implement this value in real classroom settings. This study uses a descriptive phenomenological approach to investigate how IRE teachers experience the practice of religious moderation in multicultural schools. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with ten IRE teachers and analyzed using Colaizzi’s method to identify essential themes. The findings reveal that teachers internalize religious moderation as a spiritual and ethical commitment, navigate resistance through personal reflection, and adapt pedagogical strategies to fit diverse contexts. These experiences highlight the emotional and moral complexity of teaching moderation beyond formal guidelines. This study deepens our understanding of religious moderation as a contextual and embodied practice, offering valuable insights for future policy and teacher education programs in diverse educational environments. However, the study is limited by its small sample size and focus on a single national context, which may restrict the generalizability of findings. Despite this, the results provide practical implications by emphasizing the need for teacher training programs that integrate reflective practice, intercultural competence, and context-sensitive pedagogical approaches.
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