Unveiling Digital Religious Phenomenology: the Negotiation of Literacy, Ethics, and Islamic Character Building among University Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58518/gajie.v2i01.4644Keywords:
digital phenomenology, Islamic ethics, digital literacy, character education, social mediaAbstract
The pervasive integration of social media into university students' daily lives has created a complex digital-religious landscape, necessitating a deeper understanding of how Islamic values are negotiated online. This is particularly critical in Islamic teacher education, where future educators must embody and teach these values. This study aimed to investigate the phenomenological experience of Muslim student-teachers as they negotiate digital literacy, ethical practices (adab), and the construction of Islamic character within their social media ecosystems. A qualitative study employing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was conducted. Data were collected through digital ethnography (observation of 9 WhatsApp/Telegram groups), in-depth phenomenological interviews with 24 students from teacher education programs (PGSD, PGPAUD, Penjaskesrek), and analysis of digital artifacts over 4 months. Three central themes emerged: (1) the contextual compartmentalization of adab, where students applied distinct ethical norms across different digital spaces; (2) strategic value negotiation, employing methods such as silence, private confirmation, or polite confrontation to resolve ethical dilemmas; and (3) a performative-internalization dialectic, where curated displays of piety on public platforms contrasted with more instrumental communication in private groups. Social media functions as a significant pedagogical space for the moral development of Muslim student-teachers, characterized by active negotiation rather than passive reception of norms. The findings underscore the necessity for educational strategies in Islamic higher education that foster critical digital religious literacy, moving beyond normative instruction to support reflective ethical reasoning in digital contexts.
Downloads
References
Al-Ghazali, M. F. (2024). Critical Digital Literacy in Islamic Education: (A) Framework for Ethical Engagement. Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, 14(1), 112–130.
Andayani, D. T., & Harianto, J. (2025). Ukhuwah Islamiyah Dan Filantropi Sebagai Fondasi Masyarakat Madani. Journal of Multidisciplinary in Islam, 1(2), 177–186.
APJII. (2023). Laporan Survei Internet (APJII) 2022-2023. Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia.
Ashwin, P., & McVitty, D. (2023). The Meanings of Student Engagement: (A) Phenomenographic Analysis. Studies in Higher Education, 48(2), 374–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2021.2026260
Baharun, H., & Auliya, F. (2023). Social Media and (The) Challenge of Islamic Education in (The) Digital Era. Journal of Islamic Education Research, 4(1), 45–60.
Campbell, H. A., & Evolvi, G. (2020). Contextualizing Current Digital Religion Research on Emerging Technologies. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2(1), 5–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.149
Couldry, N., & Hepp, A. (2017). The Mediated Construction of Reality. Polity Press.
Eickelman, D. F., & Anderson, J. W. (2021). New Media in the Muslim World: (The) Emerging Public Sphere. Indiana University Press.
Harianto, J. (2022). PEMBERIAN BIMBINGAN KEPADA TEMAN SEJAWAT UNTUK PENINGKATAN KINERJA DOSEN. Jurnal Evaluasi Dan Pembelajaran, 4(1), 52–66.
Harianto, J., Amelia, S., & Latifah, U. A. (2025). Akidah islamiyah di era digital: tantangan dan penguatan kepribadian muslim. Journal of Multidisciplinary in Islam, 1(2), 161–176. https://ejournal.institutsmb.id/index.php/JMI/article/view/41
Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi RI. (2023). Peta Jalan Digitalisasi Pendidikan Tinggi 2023-2025. Kemendikbudristek.
Licoppe, C. (n.d.). Connected’ presence: The emergence of a new repertoire for managing social relationships in a changing communication technoscape. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 22*(1), 135–156. https://doi.org/10.1068/d323t
Mispani, M., & others. (2022). Utilization of Instagram as a Learning Medium for Islamic Religious Education in Higher Education. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 19(1), 123–140.
Nawawi, A., & Ma’arif, S. (2022). From Dogmatic Transmission to Dialogical Formation: ((Reimagining)) Islamic Education in the Digital Age. Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies, 12(2), 345–367. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijims.v12i2.345-367
Nuzulul Afillah, Curriculum Competency Standards in Indonesia; Identification Study 2004-2022. (2025). GAJIE: Global Journal of Islamic Education, 1(1), 75-86. https://doi.org/10.58518/gajie.v1i1.3216
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods: ((Integrating)) Theory and Practice (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Putri, A. R., & Huda, M. (2023). (WhatsApp Group) as a Tool for Fostering Islamic Learning Community: (A) Case Study in Indonesian Higher Education. Journal of Islamic Education, 15(1), 45–62.
Ramzy, I. (2020). The Concept of Adab in Islamic Education: (A) Philosophical Inquiry. Muslim Education Quarterly, 37(3), 215–230.
Rossa, J., Anggraini, A. E. S., & Harianto, J. (2026). MAKNA IBADAH DALAM KEHIDUPAN SOSIAL MAHASISWA MUSLIM. As-Sulthan Journal of Education, 3(1), 153–163.
Siregar, I. R. (2021). Cyber Civility in Islamic Boarding School: ((Between)) Digital Literacy and ((The)) Erosion of Traditional Silaturahmi. Jurnal Komunikasi Islam, 11(2), 215–234.
Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2022). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: (Theory), Method and Research (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.
van den Beemt, A., & others. (2023). Conceptualizing Variety in Digital Media Use: (A) Theoretical and Methodological Framework. Learning, Media and Technology, 48(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2021.2018604
We Are Social and Kepios. (2024). Digital 2024: (Global) Overview Report. Datareportal. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-global-overview-report
Zulkifli, Z., & Ismail, I. (2023). Digitalizing Islamic Pedagogy: The Use of Social Media for Collaborative Learning in Higher Education. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(4), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.4.1
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jimi Harianto, Vetty Febriana, Roliyah, Widiyati
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
