madrasah aliyah students

Islamic Cultural History (Sejarah Kebudayaan Islam/SKI) learning requires students to understand values and meaning beyond historical facts, yet empirical explanations of how storytelling connects narratives with students’ meaning-making remain limited. This study analyzes storytelling as a narrative pedagogy practice in SKI learning, identifies its pedagogical potential and limitations in supporting students’ understanding and meaning-making of Islamic historical narratives, and formulates a conceptual model of the meaning-making process emerging from the practice. A qualitative approach with a case study design was employed at MA Khozinatul ‘Ulum Blora. Data were obtained from 10 informants, comprising one Grade XI SKI teacher, one vice principal for curriculum affairs, and eight Grade XI students, through classroom observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation. Data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, involving data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings indicate that storytelling was implemented dialogically and adaptively rather than as a stand-alone method, being integrated with teacher explanations, questions, and classroom discussions. The practice supported students’ understanding of historical events, figures, conflicts, and values, while its limitations included students’ perceived difficulty in recalling factual details when narratives were lengthy or contained numerous names and dates, as well as dependence on teacher mediation. Meaning-making developed through narrative understanding, personal reflection, and pedagogical dialogue. The study contributes the Multi-Pathway Meaning-Making model, which conceptualizes storytelling as a trigger for engagement and meaning-making rather than as a single causal mechanism.

Student learning outcomes are often suboptimal due to inadequate internal factors, such as learning motivation, learning discipline, and critical thinking skills. Students can achieve optimal learning outcomes when these internal factors are consciously, systematically, and intentionally developed as part of their efforts to improve their learning achievement. This study aims to examine the factors that influence student learning outcomes, namely learning motivation, learning discipline, and critical thinking skills, among students at Al-Amin Islamic Senior High School, Sukodono, Sidoarjo. This study employed a quantitative approach, with data collected through questionnaire distribution, documentation of relevant documents, and direct observation at the research site. A total of 97 students constituted both the population and the sample, selected using the total sampling technique. The collected data were assessed for validity and reliability before being analyzed using multiple linear regression. Accordingly, classical assumption tests were conducted as prerequisites for the analysis. The results showed that two independent variables, namely learning motivation and critical thinking skills, had a positive and significant effect on student learning outcomes. In contrast, learning discipline did not show a significant effect on student learning outcomes.

This study examines the use of web-based interactive game platforms in the instruction of Islamic Cultural History (Sejarah Kebudayaan Islam/SKI) at MA Safinatul Huda, Jepara. The research employs a qualitative approach with a case study design. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation, and subsequently analyzed thematically. This study involves informants consisting of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers, the school principal, students, and parents/guardians at MA Safinatul Huda Sowan Kidul, Kedung, Jepara. The findings indicate that, based on the informants' experiences and perceptions, the use of web-based interactive game platforms is seen to support student engagement in the learning process, facilitate the understanding of course material, and encourage reflection on religious values. Nevertheless, these findings regarding understanding and attitudes represent the informants' perceptions rather than objective measurements of learning outcomes or behavioral changes. Consequently, this study provides a contextual overview of the informants' experiences with these platforms, without concluding that there has been any measurable improvement in learning outcomes or a definitive causal relationship.