Exploring Teachers’ Lived Experiences and Social Capital in Religious-Based Schools

Abstract

Teacher collaboration plays a critical role in enhancing educational quality and organizational effectiveness, particularly within religious-based schools where professional practices are deeply influenced by shared cultural and spiritual values. Despite growing attention to collaborative practices, limited research has examined how teachers construct meaning from their experiences, leaving the subjective and sociocultural dimensions of collaboration underexplored. This study specifically addresses two research questions: (1) How do teachers perceive and interpret their lived experiences of collaboration within religious-based schools? and (2) In what ways does collaboration contribute to the development of social capital in these settings? Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, the study reveals that collaboration is understood not merely as a procedural task but as a value-driven process shaped by trust, collective reflection, shared vision, and religious principles. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with twelve teachers from two religious-based schools in Central Java, Indonesia. Thematic analysis identified four interrelated themes: trust as the foundation of collaboration, conflict resolution through collective reflection, strengthening social capital through shared vision, and integration of religious values into collaborative practices. These findings highlight that collaboration extends beyond professional relationships, encompassing broader connections with school leaders, parents, and the community. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of teacher collaboration as a culturally and spiritually embedded phenomenon and provides practical insights for improving collaborative strategies in diverse educational contexts. Future studies could expand these findings by conducting comparative research across different school settings and adopting mixed-method or longitudinal approaches to examine the evolution of collaborative practices over time.