Digital Transformation Model of Islamic Religious Education in the AI Era: A Case Study of Madrasah Aliyah in East Java, Indonesia
Keywords:
digital transformation; Islamic religious education; AI era; learning technology; diffusion of innovations theoryAbstract
Islamic Religious Education (Pendidikan Agama Islam, PAI) at the madrasah level in Indonesia currently faces significant challenges in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) era, particularly in integrating digital technology while preserving core Islamic values. Therefore, the digital transformation of PAI learning is essential as a concrete step toward establishing a responsive and sustainable modern education model. This study explores the digital transformation model of PAI at three Madrasah Aliyah in East Java (MAJB, MANR, MAJE) in the AI era. Employing a qualitative aapproach through a multi-site case study design, data were collected through non-participant observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis. Data analysis followed Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory and the interactive model proposed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The results reveal that the digital transformation model in MAJB, MANR, and MAJE is manifested in two key aspects. First is the institutional strategy, which encompasses the development of digital infrastructure and stakeholder collaboration. Second is the pedagogical and instructional system, which involves integrating Learning Management Systems (LMS) and implementing the flipped classroom model. This study highlights how madrasahs balance digital transformation with Islamic values by implementing ethical content filtering, teacher training grounded in Islamic principles, and value-based learning design. These strategies integrate technology in madrasahs while preserving core Islamic values, enhancing educational quality. This research contributes by: 1) Expanding Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory in Islamic education; 2) Offering practical models for digital transformation; 3) Developing contextually relevant digital education models.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.8.37
References
Agung, M. W. (2023). Congratulations! MA Best Award Winner in Website Management. Mauwh.Sch.Id. https://mauwh.sch.id/post/selamat-peraih-penghargaan-ma-terbaik-dalam-pengelolaan-website
Ahmad, K. A., Asni, F., Hasbulah, M. H., Hashom, H., Mustafa, W. A., Noor, A. M., Tambak, S., & Nasir, K. (2025). Mobile Learning of Islamic Studies: A Comprehensive Review. Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology, 48(2), 211–224. https://doi.org/10.37934/araset.48.2.211224
Ajani, O. A. (2024). Exploring digital transformation and future trends in higher education development across African nations. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 6(3), 34–48. https://doi.org/10.33902/jpsp.202427374
Alkandari, K., & Alabdulhadi, M. (2023). Promoting Self-Regulation Skills Among Pre-Service Islamic Studies Teachers Through Project-Based Learning Utilizing a Flipped Learning Strategy. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(5), 74–100. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.5.4
Andoniou, C. (2024). Technology Integration and Digital Transformation in Post-COVID-19 Hybrid Education. In R. Khamis Hamdan, A. Hamdan, B. Alareeni, & R. E. Khoury (Eds.), Information and Communication Technology in Technical and Vocational Education and Training for Sustainable and Equal Opportunity (pp. 303–315). Springer. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6909-8_27
Aqobah, F. (2023). Main Female Student Ambassador of Gresik Regency. Man1gresik.Sch.Id. https://man1gresik.sch.id/2025/03/28/fildina-aqobah-siswa-kelas-xi-10-dinobatkan-sebagai-duta-siswa-utama-putri-kabupaten-gresik/
Arim, S. N., Ajmain, M. T., Razak, K. A., Salleh, M. N. M., Yusof, A. S., & Noor, S. S. M. (2024). Navigating Educational Turbulence: A Systematic Literature Review on Challenges Faced by Islamic Education Amid the Pandemic. In Studies in Systems, Decision and Control (pp. 663–680). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-62106-2_50
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. SAGE Publications.
Dabbagh, N., & Bannan-Ritland, B. (2005). Online Learning: Concepts, Strategies, and Application. Prentice-Hall.
El-Hamamsy, L., Monnier, E. C., Avry, S., Chessel-Lazzarotto, F., Liégeois, G., Bruno, B., Zufferey, J. D., & Mondada, F. (2024). An Adapted Cascade Model to Scale Primary School Digital Education Curricular Reforms and Teacher Professional Development Programs. Education and Information Technologies, 29(9), 10391–10436. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12043-6
Espina-Romero, L., Ríos Parra, D., Noroño-Sánchez, J. G., Rojas-Cangahuala, G., Cervera Cajo, L. E., & Velásquez-Tapullima, P. A. (2024). Navigating Digital Transformation: Current Trends in Digital Competencies for Open Innovation in Organizations. Sustainability (Switzerland), 16(5), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052119
Ferk Savec, V., & Jedrinovi?, S. (2025). The Role of AI Implementation in Higher Education in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study from Slovenia. Sustainability (Switzerland), 17(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17010183
Greenhalgh, T., Robert, G., Macfarlane, F., Bate, P., & Kyriakidou, O. (2004). Diffusion of Innovations in Service Organizations: Systematic Review and Recommendations. Milbank Quarterly, 82(4), 581–629. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0887-378X.2004.00325.x
Gyonyoru, K., Ida, K., & Katona, J. (2024). Student Perceptions of AI-Enhanced Adaptive Learning Systems: A Pilot Survey. 7th International Conference and Workshop Obuda on Electrical and Power Engineering, 93–98. https://doi.org/10.1109/CANDO-EPE65072.2024.10772884
Hamdanah, Rusmaniah, Rajiani, I., & Muslimah. (2024). Continuance intention of digital education in traditional Indonesian higher education: Policy implication forward. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(5), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i5.3596
Hamdani, N. A. (2023). Scrutinizing Islamic Higher Education Institutions in Indonesia. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 9(1), 93–106. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v0i0.24478
Hornik, R. (2023). Some Reflections on Diffusion Theory and the Role of Everett Rogers. In Zitteliana (Vol. 19, Issue 8). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/1081070490271610
Huang, R., Liu, D., Kanwar, A. S., Zhan, T., Yang, J., Zhuang, R., Liu, M., Li, Z., & Adarkwah, M. A. (2024). Global Understanding of Smart Education in the Context of Digital Transformation. Open Praxis, 16(4), 663–676. https://doi.org/10.55982/openpraxis.16.4.761
Jailani, M., & Huda, M. (2024). Artificial Intelligence (AI): An Opportunity and Challenge for Achieving Success in Islamic Education in the Era of Digital Transformation. Suhuf: International Journal of Islamic Studies, 36(2), 200–215. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.23917/suhuf.v36i2.6273
Kasman, R., & Madjid, A. (2024). Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence and Their Implications in Islamic Education. Intiqad: Jurnal Agama Dan Pendidikan Islam, 16(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.30596/19308
Khamis, S. (2024). The Paradoxes of Modern Islamic Discourses and Socio-Religious Transformation in the Digital Age. Religions, 15(207), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15020207
Khan, R. A., & Ali, A. (2023). Students’ Perceptions of EvalTools LMS: A Case Study. The International Journal of Technologies in Learning, 30(1), 91–105. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-0144/CGP/v30i01/91-105
Krishnan, C., Babbar, M., & Singh, G. (2023). Digital Transformation in Education: Emerging Markets and Opportunities. Bentham Books.
Kumar, R., & Sharma, S. (2025). Secondary school teachers’ perspectives on GenAI proliferation: generating advanced insights. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 21(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-025-00180-z
Li, W., Coelen, R., & Otten, S. (2025). Enhancing interaction quality in interdisciplinary group work: The impact of student motivation and teacher-initiated diversity climate. Social Psychology of Education, 28(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-024-10004-6
Mahsusi, Hudaa, S., Fahmi, M., Kusen, Haryanti, N. D., & Wajdi, M. B. N. (2024). Achieving excellence: the role of digital transformation in madrasah management and Islamic culture. Cogent Arts and Humanities, 11(1), 2304407. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2024.2304407
Operational Instructions for Regular Physical Special Allocation Funds in the Education Sector for the 2021 Fiscal Year, Pub. L. No. 5/2021, 1 (2021). https://jdih.kemdikbud.go.id/
Mañero, J., & Escaño, C. (2024). A systematic review approach to the understanding of intercreativity as an educational resource. Interactive Learning Environments, 32(1), 273–285. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2022.2086573
Mbatha, B. (2024). Diffusion of Innovations: How Adoption of New Technology Spreads in Society. In D. Ocholla, O. B. Onyancha, & A. O. Adesina (Eds.), Information, Knowledge, and Technology for Teaching and Research in Africa (pp. 1–18). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60267-2_1
Merino-Campos, C. (2025). The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Personalized Learning in Higher Education: A Systematic Review. Trends in Higher Education, 4(17), 1–15. https://doi.org/https:// doi.org/10.3390/higheredu4020017
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis A Methods Sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Milicevic, N., Kalas, B., Djokic, N., Malcic, B., & Djokic, I. (2024). Students’ Intention toward Artificial Intelligence in the Context of Digital Transformation. Sustainability (Switzerland) , 16(9), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093554
Mubarikh, S. (2025). Facilities and infrastructure at MAN Gresik. Man1gresik.Sch.Id. https://man1gresik.sch.id/sarana-prasarana/
Navarro-Newball, & Adolfo, A. (2023). Smart expanded realities for innovation in digital culture. Periferica Internacional, 24, 129–141. https://doi.org/10.25267/Periferica.2023.i25.12
Nugroho, A., & Astutik, A. P. (2024). Digital Transformation of Islamic Boarding School Education. Indonesian Journal of Law and Economics Review, 12(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21070/ijis.v12i2.1723
Phuong, T. T. T., Nguyen, T. T., Danh, N. N., Van, D. N., Luong, H. D., Nguyen, L. V. A., & Tran, T. (2023). Digital transformation in education: a bibliometric analysis using Scopus. European Science Editing, 49, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3897/ese.2023.e107138
Pingali, S. R., Prakash, S., & Korem, J. R. (2021). Digital Transformation Strategies: Theory and Practice. SAGE Publication.
Proietti, E. (2025). Third Mission and Digital Transformation: An Opportunity to Take Advantage. European Journal of Education Research, Development and Policy, 60(1), e70035. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.70035
Radif, M. (2024). Artificial Intelligence in Education: Transforming Learning Environments and Enhancing Student Engagement. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 24(1), 93–103. https://doi.org/10.12738/jestp.2024.1.008
Radjak, D. S., Jusuf, S., & Bongkan, A. D. (2024). The Urgency of Digitizing Learning for Madrasah Aliyah Islamic Boarding School Students in The Era Of Society 5.0. Journal of Learning and Technology, 3(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.33830/jlt.v3i1.7896
Raja, S., Jebadurai, D. J., Ivan, L., Mykola, R. V., Ruslan, K., & Nadiia, P. R. (2024). Impact of Artificial Intelligence in Students’ Learning Life. In R. Khamis & A. Buallay (Eds.), Studies in Systems, Decision and Control (pp. 3–17). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49544-1_1
Ritonga, M., Ritonga, S., Mudinillah, A., Julhadi, & Putra, I. E. (2025). The Role of Future Technology in the Preparation of Prospective Teachers. In W. M. Yafooz & Y. Al-Gumaei (Eds.), Studies in Computational Intelligence. Springer. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80334-5_16
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations Fifth Edition (5th Ed.). Free Press.
Samala, A. D., Rawas, S., Criollo-C, S., Bojic, L., Prasetya, F., Ranuharja, F., & Marta, R. (2024). Emerging Technologies for Global Education: A Comprehensive Exploration of Trends, Innovations, Challenges, and Future Horizons. SN Computer Science, 5(8), 1175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-024-03538-1
Samuelsson, R. (2024). Computational transformations of early childhood education: Pathways toward child-centred computing in two educational change projects. British Journal of Educational Technology, April, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13536
Selwyn, N. (2019). Should robots replace teachers? AI and the Future of Education (1st ed.). Polity Press.
Siregar, H. S., Nurhamzah, Munir, M., & Fikri, M. (2025). Enhancing Islamic Education Through Technology Integration: a Study of Teaching Practices in Indonesia. Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun, 13(2), 959–986. https://doi.org/10.26811/peuradeun.v13i2.1875
Solberg, E., & Tømte, C. E. (2023). Moving beyond policy on digital transformation: Perceptions of digital transformation of teaching by academic staff and students. In The Impact of Covid-19 on the Institutional Fabric of Higher Education: Old Patterns, New Dynamics, and Changing Rules? (pp. 345–363). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26393-4_14
Stylianidis, E., Chrysovergis, V., & Toka, E. (2024). From classroom to marketplace: the impact of digital transformation on academic entrepreneurship. In F. Spigarelli, L. Kempton, & L. Compagnucci (Eds.), Entrepreneurship and Digital Humanities (pp. 209–226). Elgaronline. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035331864.00025
Susanti, S. S., Nursafitri, L., Hamzah, I., Zunarti, R., Darmanto, Fitriyah, Asy’arie, B. F., & Sa’ad, M. S. (2024). Innovative Digital Media in Islamic Religious Education Learning. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 21(1), 40–59. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpai.v21i1.7553
Ting, G., & Hong, Y. (2024). An Inquiry Into AI-Supported Classroom Transformation. 2024 6th International Conference on Computer Science and Technologies in Education (CSTE), 114–118. https://doi.org/10.1109/CSTE62025.2024.00028
Tømte, C. E. (2024). Conceptualisation of professional digital competence for school leaders in schools with 1:1 coverage of digital devices. Computers and Education, 222(May), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2024.105151
Uygun, D. (2024). Teachers’ perspectives on artificial intelligence in education. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 4(1), 931–939. https://doi.org/10.25082/amler.2024.01.005
Wang, X., Lee, C.-F., Li, Y., & Zhu, X. (2023). Digital Transformation of Education: Design of a “Project-Based Teaching” Service Platform to Promote the Integration of Production and Education. Sustainability, 15, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612658
Wang, Y., Hong, D., & Huang, J. (2023). A Diffusion of Innovation Perspective for Digital Transformation on Education. Procedia Computer Science, 225, 2439–2448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2023.10.235
Yan, L., Sha, L., Zhao, L., Li, Y., Martinez-Maldonado, R., Chen, G., Li, X., Jin, Y., & Gaševi?, D. (2023). Practical and ethical challenges of large language models in education: A systematic scoping review. British Journal of Educational Technology, 55(1), 90–112. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13370
Zheng, Y., & Yang, Y. (2025). Investigation and Enhancement Strategies for the Cultivation of Pre-service Teachers’ Digital Teaching Competence. ICETM ’24: Proceedings of the 2024 7th International Conference on Educational Technology Management, 492–497. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1145/3711403.3711483
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Agus Wedi, Dina Mardiana, Umiarso Umiarso
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
All articles published by IJLTER are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives 4.0 International License (CCBY-NC-ND4.0).
