Integrating Islamic Religious Education and Character Development through School Extracurricular Activities to Foster Students’ Morality and Social Responsibility

Abstract

Islamic Religious Education is not only concerned with the acquisition of religious knowledge but also plays an important role in developing students’ morality and social concern. One approach that schools can adopt to support these objectives is to integrate Islamic Religious Education with character development through extracurricular activities. This article aims to analyze the role of religious extracurricular activities in integrating Islamic Religious Education values with students’ character development, particularly in fostering morality and social concern. This study employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive method. Data collection was conducted through interviews and observations, as stated in the manuscript, while the discussion examines the implementation of religious extracurricular activities and their relevance to character education. The discussion indicates that religious extracurricular activities have the potential to support Islamic Religious Education by providing learning experiences beyond the classroom. Activities such as religious gatherings, classical Islamic text studies, hadith and Qur’anic exegesis studies, and religiously oriented social activities can help students deepen their understanding of Islamic teachings, internalize moral and ethical values, and develop concern for their social environment. Optimizing these activities requires purposeful planning, regular implementation, competent instructors, adequate facilities, continuous evaluation, and support from schools, teachers, parents, and the wider community. Therefore, integrating Islamic Religious Education with character development through extracurricular activities can serve as an approach to fostering students’ morality and social concern.