Deep Learning Pedagogy and Students’ Digital Moral Character in Indonesian Islamic Education

Abstract

Digital communication exposes students to ethical challenges, including cyberbullying, uncivil interactions, and unverified information. This qualitative case study examines how deep-learning pedagogy is understood and enacted in Islamic Religious Education (PAI), and how participants perceive its contribution to students’ digital moral character at SMP Muhammadiyah Tanjung Redeb, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with the principal, two PAI teachers, and six students; classroom observations and observations of school-related WhatsApp interactions; and analysis of lesson plans, reflective journals, assignments, and school policy documents. Analysis followed Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s interactive model. Source and method triangulation, member checking, and peer debriefing supported credibility. Four interrelated findings emerged. First, school leaders and teachers framed deep-learning pedagogy as a shift from memorization toward critical inquiry, contextual interpretation of Islamic teachings, and moral reflection. Second, lessons connected digital dilemmas with Islamic ethical principles through case analysis, group discussion, reflective journaling, and personal action commitments. Third, interview and observational accounts suggested greater caution in online communication and more deliberate information verification, although the design cannot establish causality or persistence. Fourth, implementation was constrained by students’ preference for quick answers, uneven digital and critical literacy, limited instructional time, and inconsistent reinforcement at home. The study provides a context-specific account of how deep-learning pedagogy may connect Islamic moral concepts with everyday digital practices. Comparative and longitudinal research could examine how these practices are sustained across school and home contexts.