Journal of Islamic Education Students (JIES)

Exploring Children's Experiences Through Cooking Class Activities at Rocket Chicken Restaurant in Developing Fine Motor Skills

Laily Wakhidah — 2026-06-24

Fine motor development requires meaningful hands-on learning experiences in early childhood education. This study aimed to analyze the implementation of cooking class activities at Rocket Chicken Restaurant and their contribution to children's fine motor skill development. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed using observation, interviews, and documentation. The participants were children from Triguna Kindergarten, Kendal Regency, who participated in cooking class activities. The findings revealed that activities such as stirring, mixing, arranging, and serving food effectively enhanced hand-eye coordination, manipulative skills, and fine muscle strength. In addition, the activities fostered children's independence, creativity, and self-confidence. Teacher readiness, adequate facilities, and collaboration with the restaurant supported the program's success, while time limitations, supervision demands, and differences in children's abilities emerged as challenges. The study concludes that cooking classes provide an effective and enjoyable contextual learning experience for promoting fine motor development in early childhood. Future research is recommended to involve broader educational settings to further explore the benefits of cooking-based learning activities.

Generative AI-Assisted Design of Love-Based Curriculum Modules for Islamic Education Teachers

Zakiya Alifatuz — 2026-06-26

The ability to design effective teaching modules is a fundamental competency for Islamic Education teachers, yet the process is often constrained by curriculum alignment and administrative demands. This study aimed to explore teachers' experiences in designing Love-Based Curriculum teaching modules using Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Employing a qualitative approach, data were collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis. The findings reveal that Generative AI supports teachers in organizing instructional components, generating learning ideas, and improving the efficiency of module development while maintaining the values and principles of the Love-Based Curriculum. The effectiveness of AI utilization was determined not by its ability to replace teachers' roles, but by teachers' capacity to critically adapt and integrate AI-generated outputs into meaningful pedagogical practices. The study concludes that Generative AI serves as a valuable support tool for enhancing teachers' capacity in curriculum-based module design while preserving professional judgment and educational values. Further studies are recommended to examine AI-assisted curriculum design across broader educational contexts.

Optimizing Academic Supervision for Enhancing Teacher Performance in Integrated Islamic Elementary School

Kafrina — 2026-06-26

This study aims to analyze the implementation of academic supervision, identify obstacles to optimizing academic supervision, describe efforts to optimize academic supervision, and examine its contribution to improving teacher performance at SD IT Nur Inayah Kubang. This research employed a qualitative descriptive approach. The research subjects consisted of the principal and teachers selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation. Observations focused on the implementation of academic supervision, classroom learning activities, interactions between the principal and teachers during supervision, and changes in teacher performance following supervision. Data were analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing.The findings revealed that academic supervision was systematically conducted twice each semester, namely at the beginning and in the middle of the semester. The supervision activities included reviewing instructional documents, observing classroom teaching, and providing feedback to teachers. However, its implementation had not been fully optimized due to the principal’s limited time, heavy managerial workload, insufficient post-observation feedback sessions, and teachers’ perceptions of supervision as an evaluative activity. Efforts to optimize academic supervision included structured supervision planning, strengthening collaborative communication, providing constructive feedback, and conducting follow-up activities through continuous professional development programs. Academic supervision contributed positively to improving teacher performance, particularly in lesson planning, instructional implementation, and learning evaluation.

Development of Interactive Media Abacaga Adventure to Improve Capabilities Early Children's Beginning Reading

Sri Ismi Pebriani — 2026-06-24

This study aimed to identify learning needs, develop a prototype, and examine the validity, practicality, and effectiveness of the Abacaga Adventure interactive media for reading for beginners in early childhood. The ability of reading for beginners constitutes a critical dimension of children’s language development; however, instructional practice in the field continues to rely predominantly on less interactive media that are inadequately aligned with the developmental characteristics of young learners. Such conditions contribute to difficulties among children in letter recognition, syllable reading, and simple word comprehension. Consequently, the development of instructional media that is engaging, enjoyable, and accessible is essential to support the process of reading for beginners. This study employed a research and development (R&D) approach using the 4-D model, comprising four phases: define, design, develop, and disseminate. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and questionnaires. The research subjects consisted of four teachers, and data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The findings reveal that the Abacaga Adventure interactive media is highly needed by teachers as an alternative instructional medium for reading for beginners. The media prototype was developed in the form of an interactive calendar encompassing sequential stages of letter introduction, syllables, words, and simple sentences, accompanied by a user guide. The result of media validation obtained a score of 82.25%, categorized as highly valid. Practicality, as assessed through the teachers’ response questionnaires obtained a score of 85.75%, classified as highly practical, while the effectiveness obtained 85.75%, categorized as highly effective. Based on the aforementioned findings, it is concluded that the Abacaga Adventure interactive media is feasible for use, as it has been demonstrated to be valid, practical, and effective in enhancing the ability of reading for beginners in early childhood.

Development of Story-Based Emotional Picture Puzzle Media to Improve Early Childhood Emotional Expression Skills

Mukarramah Mukarramah — 2026-06-24

This study aims to: 1) identify the needs of children and teachers regarding story-based emotion picture puzzle media to train early childhood emotional expression skills, 2) develop the design of story-based emotion picture puzzle media to train early childhood emotional expression skills, and 3) determine the validity, practicality, and effectiveness of the story-based emotion picture puzzle media in improving early childhood emotional expression skills. This research is a development study using the ADDIE model, which consists of five stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Data collection techniques in this study include observation, interviews, documentation, validation sheets, teacher response questionnaires, and instruments for assessing children’s emotional expression skills. The subjects of this study were early childhood children and teachers at TK Aisyiyah Pammase. The data were analyzed using descriptive qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques. The results of the study show that: 1) the story-based emotion picture puzzle media is highly needed because children still have difficulty recognizing, understanding, and expressing emotions appropriately, while teachers need attractive, concrete, and easy-to-use learning media; 2) the media design was developed in the form of emotion picture puzzles accompanied by simple stories and a teacher’s guidebook; 3) the level of validity of the media obtained an average score of 86.38% with a very valid category, the level of practicality based on teacher responses obtained 99.11% with a very practical category, and the effectiveness of the media showed an increase in children’s emotional expression skills after using the media. Therefore, the story-based emotion picture puzzle media is declared valid, practical, and effective for training early childhood emotional expression skills.

Development of LEGO Calculator Learning Media to Improve Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Multiplication

Nadia Salsabila — 2026-07-15

This study aims to develop LEGO Calculator learning media based on the ADDIE model to support third-grade students’ conceptual understanding of multiplication at MI Plus Ar-Ridha. The novelty of this study lies in the design of LEGO blocks as a concrete calculator that represents multiplication through vertical and horizontal block arrangements, allowing students to connect repeated addition, grouped quantities, and symbolic multiplication. Unlike general manipulative media that mainly function as counting aids, the LEGO Calculator integrates constructive play, concrete representation, collaborative learning, and Wordwall-assisted interactive questions in one learning sequence. This study employed a Research and Development method using the ADDIE model and involved 21 third-grade students of MI Plus Ar-Ridha. Data were collected through observation, interviews, expert validation sheets, teacher and student response questionnaires, and pretest-posttest instruments. The instruments were reviewed through expert judgment to ensure content suitability, language clarity, readability, and alignment with multiplication concept indicators. The data were analyzed using descriptive quantitative analysis and N-Gain calculation. The results showed that the media was highly feasible, with an average score of 4.6 from the media expert and 4.5 from the material expert. The practicality test obtained 92% from the teacher response and 90.4% from student responses. The limited trial showed an increase in the average score from 58.1 in the pretest to 89.5 in the posttest, with an N-Gain score of 0.8 in the high category. These findings indicate that the LEGO Calculator can serve as an alternative manipulative medium to support concrete, interactive, and meaningful multiplication learning in elementary mathematics.

The Role of Religious Education in Adolescents’ Readiness for Early Marriage in Fishermen Communities

Nur Alfina Sari Sitepu — 2026-07-15

Early marriage remains a serious social and educational issue in fishermen communities, especially when adolescents have not developed sufficient mental, moral, social, and spiritual readiness for family life. This study aims to analyze the role of religious education in shaping adolescents’ readiness for early marriage in the fishermen community of Kuala Lama Village. This research employed a qualitative phenomenological approach involving nine main informants, consisting of three adolescents who married at an early age and six parents, supported by religious and community figures. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation, then analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña through data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing. Data validity was ensured through source and technique triangulation. The findings show that religious education is practiced through family habituation, Qur’an recitation, moral guidance, parental advice, mosque activities, Islamic learning groups, and community religious traditions. This study contributes by highlighting family-based religious education in coastal communities as a contextual framework for strengthening adolescents’ self-control, moral awareness, and responsibility before entering marriage.

Celebrity Ustaz on YouTube: Moderate Islamic Education and Students’ Interreligious Tolerance

Mas Teguh Wibowo — 2026-07-15

This study examines students’ reception of celebrity ustaz preaching on YouTube in relation to moderate Islamic education and interreligious tolerance. The study focuses on how Ustaz Abdul Somad, Ustaz Adi Hidayat, and Habib Husein Ja’far Al Hadar construct messages of moderation and tolerance, as well as how UINSU students interpret these messages as active digital audiences. This research employed a qualitative approach with a netnographic method. Data were collected through observation of selected YouTube preaching content, semi-structured interviews with eight students from Islamic-based faculties at UINSU, and documentation of relevant digital materials. Data were analyzed through coding, thematic categorization, and netnographic interpretation by connecting digital content with students’ offline religious experiences. The findings show that the three celebrity ustaz construct moderate Islamic education and tolerance messages through normative-ethical, educational-argumentative, and dialogical-inclusive communication patterns. The novelty of this study lies in its integration of digital da’wah content analysis and students’ audience reception, showing that YouTube functions not only as a preaching medium but also as a space for shaping students’ religious understanding, digital religious literacy, and interreligious tolerance.

The Relationship Between Family, School, and Community Learning Environments and Student Learning Achievement in Elementary School

Syauqi Musfirah Daud Pisba — 2026-07-25

Student learning achievement is influenced by multiple educational environments, yet previous studies have mostly examined family, school, and community environments separately. Evidence regarding their simultaneous relationships with elementary students' learning achievement remains limited. This study aimed to examine the relationships between family, school, and community environments and students' learning achievement at SDN Batu Ampar 10 PG. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 67 students selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using four-point Likert-scale questionnaires and analyzed using validity and reliability tests, classical assumption tests, multiple linear regression, t-tests, F-test, and the coefficient of determination (R²) in SPSS. The findings showed that all instruments were valid and reliable, while the regression model met the assumptions of normality, multicollinearity, and heteroscedasticity. The school environment (β = 0.478, p < 0.001) and community environment (β = 0.263, p = 0.023) were significantly associated with learning achievement, whereas the family environment, despite showing a positive coefficient (β = 0.179), was not statistically significant (p = 0.074). Collectively, the three environments significantly explained students' learning achievement (F = 29.062, p < 0.001; R² = 0.581). These findings indicate that school and community environments demonstrate stronger associations with learning achievement than the family environment in this context. The study underscores the importance of integrating multiple educational environments to better support elementary students' academic achievement.

Child Emotion Management Strategies through Macro Role-Playing in Kindergarten

Sri Mardiana — 2026-07-25

This study aims to describe the implementation of the macro role-playing method as an effort to support emotional regulation in early childhood. The research employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive design. The study was conducted at Intan Payong Kindergarten, with role-play center teachers as the research subjects. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation to obtain an in-depth understanding of the implementation process of the macro role-playing method. Findings reveal three main strategies for children's emotional management: (1) organization through four structured scaffoldings and play rules; (2) delivery through contextual thematic scenarios, varied media, and emotional language modeling; and (3) classroom management through calm behavior modeling, gentle persuasive communication, and interactive conflict mediation. Continuous evaluation through behavioral observation indicates the method effectively helps children recognize, express, and control emotions in social situations. These findings contribute to understanding emotional development strategies in Islamic early childhood education.

Managing a Randai Traditional Arts Program for Character Development in Elementary Education

Yuli Fatrisna — 2026-08-09

Amid growing concerns over moral decline associated with globalization, integrating local wisdom into school programs has emerged as an important strategy for strengthening character education. As a traditional performing art of West Sumatra, Randai offers cultural, moral, and social values that can support students' character development. This study explores the management of the Randai extracurricular program and its contribution to character development in an elementary school. A qualitative case study was conducted at an elementary school implementing Randai as a structured extracurricular activity. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling, including the principal, teachers, Randai instructors, parents, and community representatives. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis and analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. Trustworthiness was established through data triangulation and member checking. The findings indicate that program planning optimized hybrid resources to overcome financial constraints, implementation integrated character education into cultural learning activities that promoted students' intrinsic motivation, discipline, cooperation, and self-awareness, while supervision relied on strong collaboration among school leaders, teachers, parents, community members, and local cultural stakeholders despite limited external monitoring. The sustainability of the program was reinforced by the integration of formal school management and community participation, with social capital serving as the primary driver of program continuity. These findings demonstrate that local cultural programs can function as effective management strategies for strengthening character education and preserving cultural heritage in elementary education.

Principal Managerial Competence and Readiness for Deep Learning Implementation: The Moderating Role of Teacher Digital Literacy

Meli Sesmira — 2026-08-09

This research is driven by suboptimal teacher digital literacy, inadequate school facilities, and the need to enhance principals’ managerial competence due to limited training and misconceptions regarding deep learning. The study aims to analyze the influence of principals’ managerial competence and teachers’ digital literacy on the readiness to implement deep learning, including the role of digital literacy as a moderating variable at public elementary schools in Kupitan District, Sijunjung Regency. The study employed a quantitative causal-associative approach involving 101 respondents selected via simple random sampling. Data were collected using Likert scale questionnaires and analyzed through simple linear regression and Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA). The research findings indicate that: Principals’ managerial competence significantly influences implementation readiness (t count 5.372 > t table 1.984); Teachers’ digital literacy significantly influences implementation readiness (t count 3.850 > t table 1.984), and; Digital literacy significantly moderates the effect of managerial competence on implementation readiness (sig. value 0.002 < 0.05). These findings underscore that the synergy between leadership and teachers’ digital proficiency is key to educational transformation in elementary schools.

Determinants of Professional Excellence: The Role of Teacher Self-Efficacy and Commitment in Elementary Schools

Hasni Mudarti — 2026-08-09

Teacher quality is a key factor in the success of primary education, influenced by professionalism, self-efficacy, and commitment. This study aims to analyze the influence of teacher self-efficacy and commitment on the quality of public elementary school teachers in Lubuk Tarok District, Sijunjung Regency. Employing a quantitative correlational approach, this research involved a population of 146 teachers. A sample of 60 respondents was determined through proportional random sampling, while an additional 30 teachers participated in instrument validity and reliability testing. Data were collected via closed-ended questionnaires and analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results indicate that: (1) Self-efficacy has a significant effect on teacher quality; (2) Teacher commitment has a significant effect on teacher quality; and (3) Self-efficacy and teacher commitment simultaneously have a significant effect on teacher quality in Lubuk Tarok District. Crucially, this study demonstrates how these psychological determinants operate within rural educational ecosystems, where intrinsic motivation compensates for structural resource limitations. As an implication, educational human resource management should shift from purely technical training to localized interventions that prioritize the development of teachers’ mentality and moral responsibility, sustaining teacher quality in developing areas.

Challenges in Using Explanatory Methods in Islamic Religious Education Learning: A Constructivist Perspective

Aisyatul Farhah — 2026-08-09

This study aims to analyze the problems in the use of the explanatory method in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) learning at MTs Nahdlatul Athfal Surabaya from the perspective of Lev Vygotsky’s constructivist theory, particularly the concept of scaffolding. This study employed a qualitative field research design involving two PAI teachers and twenty students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through classroom observations conducted during four PAI learning sessions from April to May 2026, semi-structured interviews, and documentation. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, while source and method triangulation were applied to ensure data credibility. The findings reveal that the explanatory method remains dominant and tends to create teacher-centered learning, resulting in limited student participation, low classroom interaction, and a focus on memorization rather than conceptual understanding. Furthermore, scaffolding has not been implemented optimally because teachers tend to provide direct explanations instead of gradual guidance. Therefore, the explanatory method should be integrated with interactive and constructivist strategies to promote active, collaborative, and student-centered PAI learning.

The Effectiveness of STEAM-Based Learning in Enhancing Early Childhood Creativity in the Deep Learning Era

Dinda Aulia Putri — 2026-08-11

The digital era, marked by rapid advances in artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies, has transformed the paradigm of early childhood education, creating a need for learning models that effectively foster creativity as a key twenty-first-century competency. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) learning model in enhancing early childhood creativity through project-based activities integrating science, technology, art, and simple engineering concepts. A quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design was employed involving 30 children aged 5–6 years, consisting of 15 children in the experimental group and 15 children in the control group from a kindergarten. The experimental group participated in STEAM-based learning, while the control group received conventional instruction. The findings revealed that the STEAM learning model was effective in improving children's creativity. MANCOVA analysis indicated that pretest scores had a significant effect on posttest outcomes (p < 0.001), whereas parents’ educational background showed no significant influence on creativity development or intervention outcomes. These results demonstrate that interactive, collaborative, and project-based STEAM learning encourages children to become more active, enthusiastic, innovative, and creative in expressing their ideas. Therefore, the STEAM learning model is recommended as an effective strategy for implementing the Merdeka Curriculum and strengthening creativity and critical thinking skills in early childhood education

Digital Marketing Management Implementation in an Islamic Integrated Junior High School: A Qualitative Study

Anugrah Adisti — 2026-08-11

Digital marketing has become an essential strategy for strengthening educational promotion and institutional competitiveness in the increasingly competitive education sector. This study explores the implementation of digital marketing management in an Islamic Integrated Junior High School and examines the factors that facilitate and constrain its implementation. A qualitative descriptive design was employed. Participants included the principal as the key informant, supported by the vice principal for public relations, vice principal for curriculum, school operator, and teachers. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis and were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that digital marketing management was implemented through three main stages: planning, implementation, and evaluation. Digital platforms, particularly the school website and social media, were utilized to promote educational services and enhance public engagement. However, the effectiveness of implementation remained limited due to insufficient human resources, the absence of a dedicated digital marketing team, and limited content diversity. Supporting factors included organizational support from the school foundation, adequate technological infrastructure, stakeholder participation, principal leadership, and the readiness of several staff members to adopt digital practices. The study highlights the importance of strategic planning, dedicated human resources, and systematic management in optimizing digital marketing practices for educational institutions.