Operationalizing ʿaql as Moral Reasoning in Islamic Education:  A Multi-Site Qualitative Study in Indonesia

Irgi Aqilul Fathoni; Yuan Remanita

doi:10.70376/jerp.v4i1.398

Authors

Irgi Aqilul Fathoni Universitas Islam Negeri Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8651-6693
Yuan Remanita Universitas Islam Negeri Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1069-4237

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70376/jerp.v4i1.398

Keywords:

islamic education, moral reasoning, ʿaql, qualitative multi-site study, vocational education, secondary education, character education

Abstract

Moral reasoning is central to contemporary education, yet empirical studies rarely examine how the Islamic concept of ʿaql (reason) is operationalized within school practices. This comparative multi-site qualitative study investigates how moral reasoning is cultivated through Islamic education at two secondary schools in Tulungagung, Indonesia: SMK NU Tulungagung (vocational) and MA Al-Ma’arif Tulungagung (senior secondary). Data collection comprised non-participant classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with school leaders, teachers, and students, and analysis of curricular and institutional documents. Thematic analysis revealed an integrated pedagogical ecology in which dialogic classroom instruction, contextualized exemplars, reflective and problem-based tasks, structured extracurricular enactments of religious values, sustained teacher mediation, and formal competency articulation function as interlocking mechanisms for fostering moral reasoning. Both sites manifested these core mechanisms, though the pedagogical emphasis differed: the vocational site foregrounded applied problem-solving tied to everyday and occupational responsibilities, whereas the general secondary site emphasized doctrinal explication prior to application. By empirically operationalizing ʿaql as moral reasoning and demonstrating cross-contextual mechanisms, the study offers a transferable framework for faith-based curricula and teacher development that integrates ethical deliberation with cognitive and practical formation. Implications for policy and longitudinal research are discussed further internationally.

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