Strategies of Islamic education teachers in developing students’ basic life skills at SD IT Al Hijrah 2

Abstract

This study aims to analyze students' basic life skills, identify the aspects of basic life skills developed at school, and describe the strategies used by Islamic education teachers to improve students' basic life skills at SD IT Al Hijrah 2, a private Islamic integrated elementary school in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, Indonesia. This research employed a qualitative field research approach. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, then analyzed using data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing techniques. The findings revealed that students' basic life skills developed in four aspects: personal skills, thinking skills, social skills, and vocational skills. These skills were developed through classroom learning, habituation programs, school culture, and extracurricular activities. The strategies implemented by Islamic education teachers included lectures, Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Discovery Learning, Inquiry Learning, Project-Based Learning (PJBL), Cooperative Learning, discussions, role play, direct practice, modeling, and habituation. These strategies effectively supported the holistic development of students' life skills. Beyond describing classroom practice, this study contributes to the field of Islamic education by showing how Islamic education instruction can be deliberately designed to build students' basic life skills, offering a contextual model for integrating character formation, Islamic values, and 21st-century life competencies at the elementary level.