Innovating Islamic Religious Education through Digital Role Playing to Enhance Students’ Learning Engagement

Abstrak

This study investigates the implementation of Digital Role Playing as an innovative pedagogical strategy to enhance students’ learning engagement in Islamic Religious Education (IRE) at SMP Negeri 23 Makassar. The research addresses the challenge of low student motivation and participation in IRE, often resulting from the dominance of teacher-centered and monologic approaches. Digital Role Playing was introduced to provide experiential, interactive, and value-based learning opportunities that link Islamic teachings to real-life contexts.

Adopting a quantitative quasi-experimental design, the study involved students of class VIII, with data collected through questionnaires, classroom observations, and documentation of learning activities. The results indicate that Digital Role Playing significantly increases students’ learning interest and engagement, as reflected in their improved participation, motivation, and emotional involvement in IRE classes. The method effectively fosters both cognitive and affective domains by encouraging students to internalize Islamic values through role simulation, empathy development, and reflective action.

The findings highlight the transformative potential of Digital Role Playing in aligning Islamic education with 21st-century learning demands, such as collaboration, creativity, and communication. This study contributes to the development of innovative, technology-supported, and experiential learning models in IRE and provides practical implications for teachers seeking to design contextual and student-centered instructional strategies.