The Implementation of Digital Media in Islamic Religious Education Learning at SDIT Bunayya Gayo Lues

Abstract

The rapid diffusion of digital technologies into primary education has reconfigured how young learners encounter religious knowledge, yet evidence on how faith-based schools operationalize digital media in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) remains limited, particularly in peripheral regions. This study examines how digital media are implemented in PAI learning at SDIT Bunayya Gayo Lues, an integrated Islamic primary school in the highland Gayo region of Aceh, Indonesia. Employing a qualitative single-case design informed by the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, data were gathered from four PAI teachers, one principal, and fifteen pupils through semi-structured interviews, non-participant classroom observation across ten lessons, and documentary analysis of lesson plans and digital learning artefacts. Data were analyzed thematically using the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña interactive model, supported by NVivo 14, with trustworthiness secured through triangulation, member checking, and an audit trail. Findings indicate that teachers deployed digital media interactive slides, short animated videos, Qur'anic recitation applications, and gamified quizzes through four interlocking practices: content visualization, interactive engagement, formative digital assessment, and blended reinforcement. These practices enhanced pupils' attention, comprehension of abstract religious concepts, and motivation, although their effectiveness was moderated by uneven infrastructure, variable teacher digital competence, and concerns over screen-based distraction. The study contributes a contextually grounded model of digital PAI pedagogy that extends TPACK into faith-based primary schooling in an under-researched setting, offering practical guidance for teacher preparation, media selection, and madrasah digital policy