The Impact of Outdoor Learning Strategies Based on Islamic Religious Education Values on the Spiritual Intelligence of Early Childhood
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54150/altahdzib.v4i2.636Keywords:
Learning, Outdoor Learning, Islamic Religious Education, , Spiritual Intelligence, Early ChildhoodAbstract
The spiritual intelligence of early childhood remains relatively low; thus, innovative, contextual, and experiential-based Islamic education strategies are required to support the spiritual, social, emotional, and physical development of children. This study aims to enhance children's spiritual abilities through interactive, contextually relevant outdoor Islamic Religious Education activities. The research employed an experimental design with observational data from 15 students. Data analysis was conducted using validity testing and t-tests in SPSS. The study's pretest results indicated low to moderate spiritual abilities in early childhood (average score 1.33–1.67), particularly in identifying religion, mimicking worship movements, reciting prayers, and distinguishing between good and bad behaviour. Observation of Outdoor Islamic Religious Education activities revealed improvement, with children displaying increased enthusiasm, greater orderliness in the mosque/musholla, greater independence during ablution, greater mimicry of prayer movements, and greater diligence in reading the Qur'an (average score 2–3, categorized as Moderate–Good). The posttest showed a significant improvement (average score 2.33–2.67), reflecting a better understanding of religious teachings, improved worship skills, and positive behaviour. Pearson validity test (r=0.977, p=0.000) and the t-test (p=0.000) confirmed that the data were valid and showed a significant increase in spiritual intelligence. In conclusion, outdoor Islamic Religious Education activities enhance religious understanding, worship skills, positive behaviour, and motor, coordination, and social skills, with statistically significant results
References
Abdolrezapour, P., & Alipour, J. (2021). Fostering spiritual intelligence and a concomitant development of WTC in EFL learners. Teaching Theology and Religion, 24(3), 136–151. https://doi.org/10.1111/teth.12592
Abdulghani, A., Hashim, H., Abd Rani, A., Mohd Radzuan, N. R., Ali, F., Fauzi, W. J., Zainal Abidin, N. A., Ngah, E., & Haron, S. F. (2018). Inculcating heart intelligence in English communication workshop for day-care educators. Proceedings of the 32nd International Business Information Management Association Conference, IBIMA 2018 - Vision 2020: Sustainable Economic Development and Application of Innovation Management from Regional Expansion to Global Growth (pp. 4669–4678). International Business Information Management Association. ISBN 978-099985511-9
Adilah, N., Situmorang, M. N., Ay, E. L. ., & Situmorang, P. L. N. (2024). Analysis of Gross Motor Skills in Early Childhood Through Educational Learning. Al Tahdzib: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam Anak Usia Dini, 3(2), 59–72. https://doi.org/10.54150/altahdzib.v3i2.614
Agustin, M., Mamat, N. B., & Syaodih, E. (2020). Exploring “Kaulinan Barudak” to develop children’s character values in Islamic early childhood education. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 6(1), 13–26. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v6i1.8226
Ahluwalia, G. (2019). Spiritual intelligence in relation to expansion and extension of potentials in ageing. International Journal of Scientific and Technology Research, 8(12), 2785–2788.
Amram, Y. J. (2022). The intelligence of spiritual intelligence: Making the case. Religions, 13(12), 1140. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13121140
Barrable, A., Touloumakos, A., & Lapere, L. (2022). Exploring student teachers’ motivations and sources of confidence: The case of outdoor learning. European Journal of Teacher Education, 45(3), 356–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1827386
Cheng, I. N.-Y., & Lee, J. C.-K. (2015). Environmental and outdoor learning in Hong Kong. In Experiencing the outdoors - Enhancing strategies for wellbeing (pp. 135–146). Sense Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6209-944-9_12
Chofifah, N. N., Lubis, M. A., Anami, A. M., Hazar, I., Amirullah, et al. (2025). Parental strategies in instilling Islamic values in children: A case study. Research Journal in Advanced Humanities, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.58256/xrmwwp32
Chongcharoen, D., Waiyaroop, S., Phangsanga, D., & Khan, M. S. (2024). Promoting the emotional and social intelligence of early childhood by improving pre-service teacher performance through collaborative learning process. Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental, 18(3), e06771. https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v18n3-145
Chrysomalidou, A., Takos, I., Spiliotis, I., & Xofis, P. (2024). The participation of teachers in Greece in outdoor education activities and the schools’ perceptions of the benefits to students. Education Sciences, 14(8), 804. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14080804
Cinantya, C., Suriansyah, A., Asniwati, & Aslamiah. (2019). The strategy of religious-based character education in early childhood education. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 5(5), 174–189.
Dacka, M., & Rydz, E. (2023). Personality traits and the spiritual and moral intelligence of early adulthood in Poland: Research reports. Religions, 14(1), 78. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14010078
Fauziddin, M., Lestari, G. D., Mariana, N., Hendratno, & Sukartiningsih, W. (2023). Analysis on value of 12 verses Gurindam by Raja Ali Haji in the context of learning Islam in early childhood (PAUD). International Journal of Membrane Science and Technology, 10(2), 600–607. https://doi.org/10.15379/ijmst.v10i2.1268
Foerch, D. F., & Adelman, A. (2024). The WeFEEL approach: Examining an emotional intelligence curriculum’s impact on young children’s development and social interactions with their families. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2024.2427728
Ghonchehpour, A., Parandeh Afshar, P., Tirgari, B., Maazallahi, M., & Azizzadeh Forouzi, M. (2025). Spiritual sensitivity in nursing and midwifery students and its relationship with spiritual intelligence and spiritual growth. BMC Medical Education, 25(1), 1442. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-08041-6
Grajczonek, J. (2022). Ambiguity, silence and misalignment: The place of religion in Australia’s early childhood education curriculum documents. In The Routledge international handbook of the place of religion in early childhood education and care (pp. 353–363). Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003017783-27
Grasmane, I., Raš?evskis, V., & Pipere, A. (2022). Primary validation of children spiritual intelligence scale in a sample of Latvian elementary school pupils. International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 27(2), 97–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364436X.2022.2043833
Jucker, R., & von Au, J. (2022). Outdoor learning—Why it should be high up on the agenda of every educator. In High-quality outdoor learning: Evidence-based education outside the classroom for children, teachers and society (pp. 1–26). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3031041082_1
Kilcup, C. (2016). Secret wisdom: Spiritual intelligence in adolescents. Gifted Education International, 32(3), 242–257. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261429415602587
Mann, J., Gray, T., Truong, S., Brymer, E., Passy, R., Ho, S., Sahlberg, P., Ward, K., Bentsen, P., Curry, C., & Cowper, R. (2022). Getting out of the classroom and into nature: A systematic review of nature-specific outdoor learning on school children's learning and development. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 877058. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.877058
Mann, J., Gray, T., Truong, S., Sahlberg, P., Bentsen, P., Passy, R., Ho, S., Ward, K., & Cowper, R. (2021). A systematic review protocol to identify the key benefits and efficacy of nature-based learning in outdoor educational settings. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 1199. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031199
Ne’matullah, K. F., Mee, R. W. M., Talib, N. A., Pek, L. S., Amiruddin, S., & Ismail, M. R. (2024). Early childhood education pre-service teachers’ perception of outdoor learning. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 13(3), 1474–1480. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v13i3.27096
Neville, I. A., Petrass, L. A., & Ben, F. (2023). Cross disciplinary teaching: A pedagogical model to support teachers in the development and implementation of outdoor learning opportunities. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 26(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-022-00109-x
Nguyen, T. A. H. (2023). Spiritual intelligence: A vision for formation in religious education. Religious Education, 118(4), 343–355. https://doi.org/10.1080/00344087.2023.2264554
Nikbay Arslanta?, Ç., & Bavl?, B. (2024). School-based outdoor education: A neglected practice at secondary level. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 24(2), 270–286. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2022.2143385
Oberle, E., Zeni, M., Munday, F., & Brussoni, M. (2021). Support factors and barriers for outdoor learning in elementary schools: A systemic perspective. American Journal of Health Education, 52(5), 251–265. https://doi.org/10.1080/19325037.2021.1955232
Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia. (2014). Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Nomor?137 Tahun?2014 tentang Standar Nasional Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini. Jakarta: Biro Hukum dan Organisasi.
Pinto, C. T., Guedes, L., Pinto, S., & Nunes, R. (2024). Spiritual intelligence: A scoping review on the gateway to mental health. Global Health Action, 17(1), 2362310. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2024.2362310
Pratiwi, H., Ismail, M., Noor Haida, R., & Yarliani, I. (2025). Contextualizing sexuality education in early childhood: Leadership, curriculum, and cultural negotiation in Indonesia. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2025.2539874
Rojo-Ramos, J., Manzano-Redondo, F., Barrios-Fernandez, S., García-Gordillo, M. A., & Adsuar, J. C. (2021). Early childhood education teachers’ perception of outdoor learning activities in the Spanish region of Extremadura. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(16), 8986. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168986
Rouse, E. (2024). One teacher’s journey towards a spiritual pedagogy–an auto ethnographical narrative of epistemological beliefs and practice. International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 29(2), 49–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364436X.2024.2308887
Sebastián-López, M., & González, R. M. (2020). Mobile learning for sustainable development and environmental teacher education. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(22), 9757. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229757
Subandi, G., Eriyanti, R. W., Karmiyati, D., Nurfaisal, & Widodo, J. (2025). A response to the character crisis: Can a digital Islamic character education based on local wisdom be the solution? Perspectives in Education, 43(3), 236–253. https://doi.org/10.38140/pie.v43i3.8097
Baidowi, A. . (2020). Penanaman Karakter Pada Siswa Melalui Kegiatan Intrakurikuler dan Ekstrakurikuler Di Sekolah Dasar Terpadu Islam. EDUCARE: Journal of Primary Education, 1(3), 303–322. https://doi.org/10.35719/educare.v1i3.31
Oktari, R., Juliastuti, J., Budiana, I., Nurrita, T., & Abnisa, A. P. (2025). Analysis of the Success in Instilling Religious and Moral Values in Early Childhood. Al Tahdzib: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam Anak Usia Dini, 4(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.54150/altahdzib.v4i1.632
Mutinah, M., Srifariyati, S., Nursidik, N., & Etika, C. . (2024). Implementasi Metode Drill dalam Hafalan Surat Pendek Juz 30 Pada Anak Usia Dini. Al Tahdzib: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam Anak Usia Dini, 3(1), 27–34. https://doi.org/10.54150/altahdzib.v3i1.331
Jannah, S. F., Adawiyah, R., & Abnisa, A. P. (2025). The relationship between Islamic value-based school regulation counseling and the academic atmosphere in schools. Journal of Comprehensive Education, 1(01), 99–108. https://ejournal.sultanpublishing.com/index.php/JournalofComprehensiveEducation/article/view/13
Jalaluddin, M., Mahmudah, M., & Bashori, A. H. (2025). The influence of verbal and non-verbal communication of Islamic education teachers on students’ learning motivation. Journal of Comprehensive Education, 1(01), 76–86. https://ejournal.sultanpublishing.com/index.php/JournalofComprehensiveEducation/article/view/11
Suyono, S., Alimudin, A., Bashori, A. H., & Riezqulloh, A. (2025). Life skills-based curriculum in Islamic boarding schools. Journal of Comprehensive Education, 1(01), 36–44. https://ejournal.sultanpublishing.com/index.php/JournalofComprehensiveEducation/article/view/5
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nurrohman, Farida, Muhamad Sukri Situmeang, Mahamadaree Waeno, Mohd Ziaolhaq Qazi Zada
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
