Akidah Akhlak Teachers’ Strategies to Mitigate Students’ Learning Boredom

Abstract

This study explores the causes of students’ learning boredom in Akidah and Akhlak lessons and examines how teachers address it within a pesantren context. This qualitative descriptive case study was conducted at MA Pondok Pesantren Nurul Falah Borongganjeng. The study utilized two main types of data: (1) data concerning the factors that cause students’ boredom in learning Akidah and Akhlak, and (2) data describing the strategies employed by Akidah and Akhlak teachers to overcome such boredom. These data were obtained through interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis involving selected teachers and students. The analysis revealed five key sources of boredom: excessive workload, monotonous teaching routines, low learning motivation, limited classroom dynamics, and the absence of refreshing activities. In response, teachers applied a set of adaptive strategies such as brief icebreakers, segmented lectures, storytelling with prophetic models, rotating collaborative methods, and flexible classroom arrangements. These efforts effectively enhanced engagement by increasing students’ perceived value and sense of control, aligning with the principles of Control-Value Theory. The study contributes to Islamic education research by demonstrating that simple pedagogical adjustments rather than additional resources can meaningfully reduce learning fatigue and sustain motivation in faith-based subjects.