Integrating Gamification and Digital Collaborative Platforms in Islamic Religious Education: A Phenomenological Study in a Semi-Peripheral School
Abstract
Although the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been widely implemented, the majority of previous literature solely evaluates technical effectiveness and cognitive outcomes, neglecting the dimensions of subjective meaning-making and students' reflective experiences. In Islamic Religious Education (PAI), digitalization demands more than mere device adaptation; it requires a transformation of the pedagogical space that influences the construction of spiritual understanding. This study aims to deeply explore the pedagogical experiences, meaning-making processes, and interactive responses of students and teachers toward the integration of digital collaborative platforms and gamification in a semi-peripheral school (SMA Negeri 1 Loa Kulu). Employing a qualitative design with a phenomenological method, data were extracted through in-depth interviews, participatory observations, and students' reflective documentations. Data analysis was systematically conducted using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The findings reveal that ICT integration shifts the learning paradigm from dogmatic transfer to dynamic social scaffolding. Digital platforms facilitate an alternative Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), where students collaboratively negotiate religious meanings. Furthermore, despite the infrastructural limitations of a semi-peripheral setting, asynchronous media foster learning experiences that are essentially more reflective and contextual. This study asserts that the success of PAI digitalization does not rely on the quantity of applications used, but rather on their functional integration to cultivate spiritual literacy and meaningful social interactions.
Keywords: Islamic Religious Education, Phenomenological Study, Meaning-Making, ICT Integration, Semi-Peripheral Context
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/tk.v24i1.92107
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