Strategi Guru Pendidikan Agama Islam dalam Pembinaan Perilaku Toleransi Berbasis Multikultural di MAI Mundu Kabupaten Cirebon

Abstract

Indonesia is a country characterized by high levels of social, cultural, and religious diversity, requiring educational practices that promote tolerance and respect for differences. In Islamic education contexts, Islamic Religious Education (IRE) teachers play a strategic role in internalizing multicultural values and religious moderation among students. This study aims to analyze the strategies employed by Islamic Religious Education teachers in fostering multicultural-based tolerance among students at MAI Mundu, Cirebon Regency. The study is grounded in multicultural education, social learning theory, the intergroup contact hypothesis, and religious moderation indicators as an analytical framework for examining both the strategies and the mechanisms through which tolerance develops. This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, and analyzed through data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing. Data validity was ensured through source and technique triangulation. The findings indicate that Islamic Religious Education teachers develop tolerance through the integration of tolerance values into learning activities, teacher role modeling, school cultural habituation, dialogical learning, and strengthening religious moderation values. These strategies illustrate that students’ tolerance development occurs through the integration of learning processes and a supportive educational environment. These strategies operate through three mutually reinforcing mechanisms: cognitive-reflective understanding, role modeling, and repeated social experience. The implications of this study highlight the important role of Islamic Religious Education teachers in developing an inclusive madrasah culture through consistent pedagogical practices and exemplary behavior. This research contributes to Islamic education and multicultural education studies, particularly regarding tolerance development practices within madrasah contexts. The novelty of this study lies in its analysis of how teacher strategies, role modeling, and madrasah culture work together, and in its attention to internal diversity within Muslim communities. Limitations related to the single research site inform recommendations for future multi-site research.