The Implementation of Islamic Storytelling to Enhance Students’ Islamic Knowledge at MAN 2 Aceh Tengah

Abstract

This study explores the implementation of Islamic storytelling as an instructional strategy to enhance students’ Islamic knowledge at MAN 2 Aceh Tengah. The research was motivated by the need to develop innovative and engaging learning methods that not only transmit religious information but also strengthen students’ understanding and internalization of Islamic values. A qualitative approach was employed, involving classroom observations, interviews with Islamic education teachers, and documentation analysis. The data were analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s interactive model, focusing on data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that Islamic storytelling effectively increases students’ interest and participation during learning activities. It facilitates deeper comprehension of religious concepts by connecting moral lessons from stories to students’ daily experiences. Teachers reported that storytelling served as an effective medium for value transmission, emotional engagement, and reflective thinking. However, challenges were noted in selecting appropriate stories and managing limited classroom time. The study concludes that Islamic storytelling is a valuable pedagogical tool for improving students’ Islamic literacy and character development when applied systematically and contextually. The findings suggest that teacher training programs should incorporate storytelling techniques to enrich Islamic education practices in Indonesian schools.