Islamic Religious Education Teachers’ Strategies in Overcoming Students’ Learning Difficulties in Kotabaru Regency

Abstract

School education is a vital medium for achieving national educational goals. However, educational success does not depend solely on teachers and curriculum; it is also influenced by environmental factors. This study addresses an important gap in previous research, where previous studies only focused on single aspects, either social environment, teacher strategies, or learning media, without integrating them into a comprehensive framework. This study aims to analyze the relationship and interaction among three main components involved in addressing learning difficulties in Islamic Religious Education (PAI): teacher strategies, social environment, and learning media utilization. This study uses a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative findings from previous empirical studies involving 116 students across three schools in Kotabaru, Indonesia. Data were obtained through questionnaires, observations, interviews, and documentation from the selected studies. Quantitative data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment correlation analysis, while qualitative findings were analyzed descriptively. Quantitative data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment correlation analysis, and qualitative data were analyzed descriptively. The findings indicate that students' social environment was categorized as high (71.74%), while learning behavior was also categorized as high (76.75%), showing a strong relationship between both variables (rxy = 0.673). However, students' learning interest was still at a moderate level (59.3%) with a strong correlation (rxy = 0.681). Teacher strategies include planning, implementation, evaluation, modeling exemplary behavior, assigning tasks, and habituation. These findings highlight that overcoming learning difficulties in PAI requires an integrated approach that combines teacher pedagogical competence, supportive learning environments, and effective use of learning media.