CULTIVATING EMPATHY THROUGH CHILD-FRIENDLY ISLAMIC PEDAGOGY: A CASE STUDY AT MADRASAH IBTIDAIYAH DARUL ULUM BANYUANYAR, INDONESIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23969/jp.v11i03.62381Keywords:
child-friendly Islamic pedagogy, empathy development, rahmah ModelAbstract
This study examines how child-friendly Islamic pedagogy cultivates students’ empathy at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Darul Ulum Banyuanyar, Indonesia. Employing a qualitative single-case study design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with school leaders, Islamic education teachers, a guidance and counselling teacher, and students, complemented by classroom observations and document analysis. The data were analysed thematically through coding, categorisation, cross-source comparison, and interpretive synthesis. The findings reveal that empathy was cultivated through an integrated educational ecosystem grounded in rahmah, justice, ta‘awun, ukhuwah, positive discipline, student participation, teacher role modelling, dialogical learning, cooperative activities, religious reflection, and social engagement. Islamic narratives, case studies, role play, tadabbur, peer tutoring, restorative conflict resolution, and Friday Sharing enabled students to recognise others’ emotions, adopt different perspectives, and translate concern into prosocial action. The study formulates the Rahmah Model, comprising relational safety, perspective activation, dialogical collaboration, religious meaning-making, caring action, and holistic reinforcement. The model demonstrates that empathy develops not through isolated moral instruction but through sustained interaction among classroom pedagogy, institutional culture, counselling support, family involvement, and community partnership.
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