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, R Agustinus Arum Eka Nugroho — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0700

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, Mubarok Achmat, Wiwin Fachrudin Yusuf, Muhammada Muhammada — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0700

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

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0700

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

Nadia Salsabila, Lailatun Nur Kamalia Siregar — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0700

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.

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

Mas Teguh Wibowo, Salminawati, Zaini Dahlan — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0700

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

Nur Alfina Sari Sitepu, Afrahul Fadhila Daulai, Sapri — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0700

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.

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

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0700

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

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0700

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.