Inclusive Pedagogical Strategies of Islamic Religious Education Teachers in Instilling Multicultural Values Among Students

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the inclusive pedagogical strategies employed by Islamic Education (PAI) teachers to instill multicultural values among students at SMA Negeri 2 Ungaran, Semarang Regency. Using a qualitative case-study design, data were collected from the school principal and five PAI teachers through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis (lesson plans, syllabi, and school records). Data were processed using thematic analysis with iterative reduction, display, and conclusion drawing, supported by source and technique triangulation to ensure trustworthiness. The results indicate that teachers enact a constellation of inclusive strategies, interactive discussions, contextual case analyses, heterogeneous group work, project/value-based tasks, and explicit role modeling, while positioning themselves as facilitators, mediators, and moral exemplars in diverse classrooms. Enabling conditions include a school culture that affirms difference, strong principal support, and active student participation; constraints involve limited instructional time, uneven prior religious knowledge, occasional student resistance, and scarcity of contextually rich learning materials. Student responses are broadly positive, marked by higher participation, increased empathy, and improved cross-background collaboration, suggesting early prejudice reduction. Overall, the strategies are effective yet variably implemented across teachers and bounded by institutional constraints, indicating the need for sustained support to consolidate outcomes.