INTEGRATING MULTICULTURAL BOARDING SCHOOL EDUCATION TO STRENGTHEN STUDENTS' RELIGIOUS AND ACADEMIC CHARACTER

Abstract

This study examines how Islamic Religious Education in a multicultural boarding school integrates formal learning, mentoring in the dormitory, and character building in a religiously and culturally diverse environment. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation involving the madrasah principal, Islamic Religious Education teachers, dormitory supervisors, students, and parents. Data were analyzed through condensation, display, and conclusion drawing, while triangulation of sources and techniques was used to strengthen credibility. The findings indicate an integrative, 24-hour educational system that links the madrasah curriculum with the dormitory program, congregational worship, Quran recitation and memorization, evening study, the role of educators as role models, discipline, and ongoing monitoring. Religious character is developed through greater consistency in worship, respectful behavior, tolerance, and social responsibility. Academic character is strengthened through learning discipline, time management, independence, task responsibility, academic honesty, and achievement motivation. The main mechanism is not only regulation alone, but also the interaction between habituation, modeling, mentoring, reflective explanations, educational rewards and punishments, and collaboration between the school, the dormitory, and the family. This study implies that multicultural Islamic boarding school education is most effective when religious identity, social tolerance, and academic self-regulation are fostered as a coherent educational ecology.