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In the era of globalization and technological advancement, education must transform to develop students who are adaptive, critical, and have strong character. One innovation introduced by the government is the Merdeka Belajar (Independent Learning) Curriculum, which emphasizes competency, character, and project-based learning. This study aims to determine the effect of implementing the Merdeka Curriculum on the learning outcomes of Pancasila Education for Grade XI students at SMAN 1 Petir in the 2024/2025 academic year. A quantitative method with a survey approach was used, involving 80 student respondents. Data were collected through questionnaires and learning outcome tests, and analyzed using correlation and regression statistical techniques. The results show that the Merdeka Curriculum has a significant and positive effect on students’ PPkN learning outcomes, with a correlation coefficient of 0.766. This means better implementation of the curriculum leads to better student achievement. The curriculum contributes 58.7% to the learning outcomes, while the remaining 41.3% is influenced by other factors. The study concludes that the Merdeka Curriculum effectively enhances learning outcomes, particularly in character and 21st-century skills development.

The main objective of the Citizenship Education (PKn) course in higher education is to develop students into individuals with nationalist, participatory, and critical characters towards national dynamics. Conventional learning approaches that are still dominant in higher education, such as one-way lectures and memorization of materials, are considered less able to encourage active participation and the development of critical thinking patterns of students in the Citizenship Education (PKn) course. This study aims to identify the effectiveness of the application of innovative learning methods in improving students' activeness and critical thinking skills. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through classroom observations, interviews with lecturers and students, and analysis of lecture documents from three study programs at Merdeka University of Malang. The results of the study showed that the application of learning strategies such as Project Based Learning, role playing, utilization of interactive multimedia, collaborative discussions, and nationality-based simulations were able to significantly increase students' participation and critical understanding. This method is relevant to the needs of learning in the era of globalization that demands digital literacy, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and contextual problem solving. Based on these findings, this study recommends the integration of innovative methods into the Civics curriculum in higher education, pedagogical training for lecturers, and the provision of technological infrastructure that supports the implementation of competency-based learning in the era of globalization.

This study examines the role of Islamic Religious Education in shaping the character of young generations in the contemporary era. Islamic Religious Education is not only focused on cognitive aspects but also emphasizes moral, spiritual, and social development. The rapid development of technology and globalization has influenced the lifestyle and mindset of youth, creating challenges in maintaining ethical values and noble character. This research aims to analyze how Islamic Religious Education contributes to the formation of students’ character, including honesty, responsibility, discipline, tolerance, and social awareness. The research method uses a qualitative descriptive approach through literature review and analysis of relevant educational practices. The results show that effective Islamic Religious Education can strengthen students’ moral awareness, develop positive behavior, and build spiritual intelligence. Teachers play a significant role as role models in integrating Islamic values into daily life. Therefore, strengthening curriculum, learning methods, and collaboration between schools, families, and communities is essential to optimize the role of Islamic Religious Education in forming a morally upright and responsible young generation.

The era of globalization demands that education systems produce human resources who are skilled, adaptable, and capable of competing in the international job market. However, several issues arise in efforts to prepare graduates who are well aligned with industry requirements. These challenges include the mismatch between competencies taught in educational institutions and those required by the workforce, limited digital literacy and technological mastery, the lack of soft skills development, and insufficient collaboration between schools and industries. Rapid technological advancements often result in curricula that lag behind the current skill demands of the labor market. Moreover, many students still lack the mindset, creativity, and adaptability needed to face global competition. This literature-based study aims to identify the main educational problems in preparing human resources for the world of work and propose strategic directions for improvement. Findings highlight the necessity of competency-based curriculum transformation, enhanced vocational training, integration of technology-based learning, and stronger partnerships between education providers and industry sectors. Enhancing teacher quality is also crucial to ensure learning processes remain relevant to global demands. By optimizing the roles of all stakeholders, education can produce graduates who possess not only technical expertise but also essential 21st-century skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership. Therefore, education becomes the primary foundation for preparing a generation capable of competing globally and contributing to national development.

This article aims to analyze and compare the education systems in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia through a literature study approach. This study highlights similarities and differences in educational objectives, curriculum structure, education management, and the types and levels of education applied in the two countries. In addition, this article reviews the history of the development of education in Saudi Arabia, especially the central role of Islamic education in shaping national education orientation and policy. The analysis shows that Saudi Arabia has an education system that is heavily influenced by religious values and Islamic law, while Indonesia develops an education system based on Pancasila with a more pluralistic approach. However, both countries face similar challenges, such as improving the quality of teachers, equitable access to education, modernizing the curriculum, and adapting to technological developments and globalization. The findings of this study confirm that despite fundamental differences in educational ideologies and approaches, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia share a common commitment to improving the quality of human resources through strengthening the national education system. This article is expected to serve as a reference for comparative research on education in Muslim-majority countries.

The improvement of Islamic elementary education quality largely depends on the competence of teachers as the primary agents of learning. In the context of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI), the challenges of globalization and the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum demand teachers to develop professionally, innovatively, and with strong Islamic values. This study aims to analyze the integration of transformational leadership and organizational culture in enhancing the quality of teachers’ human resources in MI. A qualitative approach with a case study design was employed at three Islamic elementary schools in Central Java. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation, and analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model with source and method triangulation for validation. The findings reveal that transformational leadership practiced by school principals plays a crucial role in building teachers’ motivation, commitment, and change orientation through exemplary behavior, inspiration, and empowerment. Meanwhile, an organizational culture rooted in Islamic values strengthens collaboration, professionalism, and shared responsibility among teachers. The integration of these two elements creates a synergistic effect that enhances teachers’ pedagogical, professional, and spiritual competencies. It can be concluded that transformational leadership combined with a strong organizational culture serves as an effective strategy to sustainably improve teacher quality in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah..

This research examines the vital role of pesantren education in embedding and sustaining moral values within the broader social context, with a particular focus on Pondok Pesantren Raudlatul Muta’allimin Kudus. As traditional Islamic institutions, pesantren not only function as centers for religious instruction but also act as moral guardians that shape the character, ethics, and social behavior of students and their surrounding communities. In the midst of rapid globalization and shifting cultural dynamics, pesantren face the challenge of preserving the relevance of Islamic values while adapting to contemporary realities. The purpose of this study is to investigate how pesantren education contributes to moral development and to identify strategies utilized to instill Islamic ethics. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research gathered data through interviews, direct observation, and documentation involving kyai, teachers, students, and community members. The findings show that pesantren foster moral growth through structured daily rituals, integration of moral teachings in curriculum, exemplary leadership (uswah), and active community-based programs. These practices build discipline, honesty, empathy, and social responsibility in students, which in turn positively affect the surrounding society. Furthermore, the leadership model demonstrated by kyai and teachers plays a central role in reinforcing values through example, rather than instruction alone. The study concludes that pesantren education continues to serve as a powerful moral force by blending religious instruction with practical community engagement, ensuring that values are not only taught but also lived. This underscores the relevance of pesantren as adaptive agents of moral transformation capable of addressing the ethical challenges of modern Muslim societies. It also highlights that the pesantren framework can serve as a replicable model for strengthening character education in diverse social and cultural contexts, making it both traditional and forward-looking.

The Simalungun culture, a vital part of the Batak ethnic identity in North Sumatra, is increasingly at risk of marginalization due to the accelerating influence of globalization and national standardization in education. Despite policy allowances for local content (muatan lokal), the incorporation of Simalungun cultural elements into formal schooling remains inconsistent and largely superficial. This study aims to investigate how educational institutions can serve as effective agents of cultural socialization to preserve and transmit Simalungun cultural identity among youth. Employing a qualitative interpretive approach, the research integrates ethnographic observation, in-depth interviews, and discourse analysis of curriculum documents across five Simalungun-majority schools. Data were analyzed using NVivo and interpreted through the lenses of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital. The findings reveal major structural and pedagogical barriers: most teachers lack training in Simalungun traditions, curriculum content is minimal, and student cultural awareness is declining. However, the study also identifies effective practices in schools that involve community elders and use experiential methods, demonstrating improved student engagement and cultural retention. A Cultural Transmission Score (CTS) of 0.46 confirms the limited efficacy of current efforts. The study concludes that formal education systems must move beyond ceremonial inclusion to structural integration of local culture, supported by teacher development and community-school collaboration. These insights offer a scalable framework for strengthening indigenous cultural education in minority contexts.

Islamic education plays an important role in forming perfect human beings through the integration of character values ​​and aqidah in the learning process. In the context of basic education, this integration is becoming increasingly relevant amidst the challenges of globalization and digital influences that can disrupt the formation of students' morals. This study aims to examine the strategy of integrating character and moral education in Islamic learning, both in face-to-face and online learning, and to evaluate its impact on the development of students' personalities. The method used is library research by analyzing relevant academic literature, both in the form of books, journals, and scientific articles. The results of the study indicate that effective integration of character and aqidah education requires the active role of teachers as role models, an adaptive curriculum, and a school environment that supports Islamic values. However, challenges such as lack of teacher training, unsystematic evaluation, and the influence of digital culture are obstacles that need to be overcome. In conclusion, the integration of character and aqidah education in Islamic learning has been proven to have a positive impact on the formation of students' morals and personalities, but its success is highly dependent on a holistic evaluation approach and the involvement of all parties, including teachers, parents, and the community.

Christian education faces significant challenges in integrating the values of missional spirituality into its curriculum and teaching practices, particularly in the context of globalization, secularization, and a declining awareness of spiritual calling among educators. This study aims to examine the extent to which Pentecostal theological values such as prayer, worship, and mission are implemented in Christian education and how these values contribute to the formation of students' character and spirituality. Employing a descriptive qualitative method, data were collected through in-depth interviews, classroom observations, curriculum document analysis, and open-ended questionnaires administered to teachers and students. The findings reveal that the integration of missional spirituality remains partial and lacks structured incorporation into both curriculum and pedagogy. However, when implemented contextually, these values have been shown to enhance learning motivation, shape Christian character, and deepen students’ spiritual lives. The study concludes that Pentecostal-based missional spirituality can holistically enrich Christian education. The primary contribution of this research is the development of a conceptual model for the contextual and practical integration of missional spirituality in Christian education, aiming to bridge the gap between theoretical understanding and practical spiritual formation.  

English language skills are an essential competency for health students, especially in accessing scientific literature, understanding medical terminology, and facing the demands of professional globalization. However, the suitability of the English language learning curriculum with the specific needs of health students is still an issue. This study aims to identify the academic and professional English language needs of health students at Hafshawati University. The study used a qualitative approach with an open-ended questionnaire instrument that was analyzed thematically. Participants consisted of five students from various semesters and health study programs. The results showed that the ability to read and understand English-language medical references was the main need, followed by speaking skills in the context of professional communication. Non-formal learning media such as YouTube and TikTok were also actively utilized by students. The implications of this study indicate the importance of curriculum reformulation based on needs analysis and strengthening the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) approach in health education. These findings provide a basis for the development of teaching materials, lecturer training, and more contextual and applicable learning designs.

This study examines the strengthening of students' character through the integration of local wisdom in education in Indonesia. In facing the challenges of globalization, education must not only focus on improving academic quality, but also on character building. The purpose of this study is to analyze the application of methods that integrate local wisdom in the learning process and its impact on student learning outcomes. The proposed methods include identification of local wisdom, curriculum development, implementation of active learning, and assessment and evaluation. The results showed that the application of this method increased the average student grade from 70 to 85 and the graduation percentage from 60% to 90%. These findings indicate that the integration of local wisdom not only increases learning motivation but also contributes to the development of students' character and identity. Thus, this study concludes that strengthening character through local wisdom is an effective strategy to improve the quality of education in Indonesia, as well as encourage the younger generation to love their culture and identity more.

This study discusses strategies for creating and enhancing religious life in schools as a means of shaping students’ moral character in the face of globalization. Despite the implementation of various religious programs, challenges such as low student participation, lack of teacher role models, and negative social and technological influences persist. The aim of this study is to formulate comprehensive and adaptive strategies to foster a religious atmosphere in schools. The research employs a qualitative method with a library research approach through content analysis of educational and religious literature. The findings indicate that religious life in schools can be strengthened through the integration of religious values into the curriculum, the development of a religious school culture, reinforcement of religious extracurricular activities, active roles of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers, involvement of parents and communities, wise use of technology, and ongoing evaluation. This study offers practical and applicable strategies to build a school environment that supports students’ holistic spiritual development.

This study aims to examine the role of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) in the formation of students' character in the era of globalization which is full of value challenges due to technological developments and information flows. Globalization has had a significant impact on the morality of the younger generation, so that religious-based character education is becoming increasingly important. Using a qualitative research method based on literature studies, data were collected from various relevant scientific literature sources and analyzed thematically. The results of the study indicate that PAI plays a central role in instilling students' faith, morality, and social values ​​through value-based learning, habituation of worship, and teacher role models. However, globalization is a contextual factor that can weaken or strengthen this influence depending on the implementation strategy. These findings strengthen Lickona's character education theory and Bandura's social learning theory, and show the importance of an adaptive and contextual approach in teaching PAI. The implications of this study are the need to develop a more innovative, integrative, and collaborative PAI curriculum and learning strategy between schools, families, and communities so that religious values ​​remain firmly embedded in students amidst the challenges of globalization.

Pancasila education has a strategic role in shaping the character of the younger generation, especially generation Z, during the challenges of globalization and the development of the digital era. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of Pancasila Education in preventing social disintegration that is increasingly rampant due to shifting values, individualism, and social fragmentation. Using a qualitative approach, this study explores the implementation of Pancasila values in the life of generation Z through formal education curriculum and non-formal activities. The results of the study show that the understanding and internalization of Pancasila values can increase collective awareness, social solidarity, and tolerance in the face of diversity. However, challenges in the form of lack of innovation in teaching methods and low active participation of generation Z are obstacles that need to be overcome. Therefore, strengthening Pancasila Education with a relevant and adaptive approach to the needs of generation Z is urgently needed to prevent social disintegration in the digital era.

Research on the preservation of local culture amidst globalization emphasizes the importance of a systematic educational strategy aligned with government policy. The main focus of this study is the role of educational institutions in introducing and maintaining the sustainability of Simalungun culture, considering that the cultural knowledge of the younger generation is declining due to modernization and the influence of the media. The research objective was to develop and evaluate SIMALOKA, an artificial intelligence-based framework with a teacher-in-the-loop approach that integrates Simalungun language, arts, rituals, and crafts into both formal and non-formal curricula. The method used combines natural language processing to tag content, a knowledge graph to map cultural concepts and skills, and a multi-objective optimization algorithm to develop balanced learning modules according to the cultural calendar. The system was tested using a dataset containing 1,850 cultural learning objects and produced modules with an average cultural coverage deviation of 3.4%, a content relevance score of 0.92, and an engagement rate of 87.1%, superior to two state-of-the-art baseline models. The results show that the combination of AI-based optimization and human validation can maintain cultural authenticity while significantly increasing student participation. These findings strengthen the hypothesis that context-sensitive, technology-based curriculum design can strengthen local cultural identity without neglecting educational policy demands. The study's conclusions confirm that SIMALOKA is a large-scale model that can be adapted to other local cultures, providing important implications for policymakers, educators, and cultural organizations in maintaining the sustainability of cultural heritage. Future research directions are directed at assessing long-term retention, resource constraints, and cross-cultural adaptation to make cultural preservation more inclusive and effective.

This study aims to analyze the implementation of Akidah Akhlak learning in developing religious character among 8th-grade students at SMP NU Kajen. Religious character serves as the foundation of Islamic education in facing moral degradation challenges in the globalization era. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation study. The results show that Akidah Akhlak learning is implemented through: (1) planning (integrated curriculum development and character-based lesson plans), (2) implementation (experiential learning, teacher modeling, and habituation), and (3) evaluation (authentic assessment). The formation of religious character is manifested in five dimensions: faith, worship, morals, knowledge, and practice. Supporting factors include pesantren-based school environment, parental support, and extracurricular religious programs, while inhibiting factors include social media influence, limited learning time, and diverse student backgrounds.

This research aims to examine the role of Islamic education in encouraging the advancement of science and technology (science and technology) in the era of globalization. In facing the challenges of digitalization and value degradation, Islamic education is expected to be able to integrate Islamic values with technological developments harmoniously. The research method used is library research through analyzing various relevant literature sources. Data collection is done by tracing and analyzing various literatures, including books, scientific journals, and policy documents relevant to the theme of Islamic education. In addition, researchers also use qualitative techniques in analyzing data, which will then be presented descriptively. The results of the study show that Islamic education has great potential in forming a generation that is not only superior in science and technology, but also has good morals. The strategies highlighted include increasing the digital competence of educators, strengthening Islamic digital literacy, developing Islamic digital content, innovating learning methods, and integrating digital ethics in the curriculum. This research confirms that Islamic education is not an obstacle to technological progress, but a strategic partner in creating a modern civilization based on spiritual and moral values.

Instilling moral values in elementary school students presents its own challenges in the era of globalization, especially with the emergence of Generation Z, who have distinctive characteristics. This study aims to analyze the strategies employed by teachers in teaching moral education at the elementary level. A descriptive qualitative approach was applied by reviewing relevant literature sources. The findings reveal that teachers play a crucial role as role models and mentors in embedding Pancasila values through active learning, integrating moral values into the curriculum, and utilizing contextual learning media such as folklore rooted in local wisdom. Challenges encountered include environmental influences, limited resources, and students’ low awareness of the importance of morals. This study highlights the need for collaboration among schools, families, and communities, as well as continuous teacher competency development, to foster students with noble character, ethics, and readiness to contribute positively to the nation.

Improving the quality of learning in madrasas is a strategic and sustainable effort that includes various aspects, starting from developing a contextual and integrative curriculum, improving the competence of teaching staff, to optimal utilization of educational technology. In the context of globalization and rapid development of science, madrasas are required not only to maintain their Islamic identity, but also to be able to produce graduates who are competent, have character, and are adaptive to the challenges of the times. Therefore, learning in madrasas needs to be designed holistically, integrating spiritual, moral, and intellectual values ​​with an innovative and participatory pedagogical approach. In addition, support from various parties such as the government, society, and religious institutions is an important factor in creating a superior and competitive madrasa education ecosystem. With these steps, it is hoped that madrasas can become educational institutions that are not only relevant to the needs of the times, but also make a significant contribution to producing a generation that is knowledgeable, moral, and highly competitive.