From Compliance to Commitment: Institutional Ethics and the Social Formation of Student Engagement in Islamic Religious Education

Purpose: This study examines how Islamic Religious Education operates not merely as a curricular obligation but as an institutional ethical practice that shapes students’ engagement through social and moral formation. Moving beyond a compliance-oriented view of religious instruction, the study explores how institutional ethics influence students’ attention, participation, and commitment within everyday school practices. Method: The research employed a qualitative descriptive approach with a field-based design. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with Islamic Religious Education teachers, students, and parents, and institutional documentation. The study was conducted in a public senior high school context. Data analysis followed an interactive model involving data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, supported by credibility checks to ensure trustworthiness. Findings: The findings reveal that student engagement in Islamic Religious Education is socially formed through three interrelated dimensions. First, ethical teaching practices foster attentive participation by framing religious learning as meaningful rather than obligatory. Second, students’ use of discretionary time reflects negotiated commitment, where learning occurs selectively and is shaped by both institutional expectations and personal agency. Third, participation in classroom interaction and religious extracurricular activities demonstrates that engagement is sustained when ethical values are embedded in institutional routines rather than imposed through formal authority. These dynamics indicate a shift from procedural compliance toward moral commitment. Significance: This study contributes to religious and social studies by reframing Islamic Religious Education as a site of institutional ethical formation rather than solely an instructional process. It offers an empirical basis for understanding how religious education can cultivate sustained engagement through ethical governance and social interaction, providing insights relevant to scholars and practitioners concerned with religion, education, and institutional morality.