Humanistic Internalization of Islamic Religious Education Values among Children in a Muhammadiyah Welfare Institution

Abstract

Children living in residential welfare institutions frequently bring diverse experiences of family disruption, economic hardship, loss, and psychosocial vulnerability into educational settings. Religious education in such contexts therefore needs to move beyond cognitive instruction toward value formation that is emotionally safe, relationally supportive, and practically meaningful. This study examined how Islamic Religious Education values were internalized through a humanistic approach at LKSA Nurus Syamsi Muhammadiyah Bungkal, Indonesia. It aimed to describe the internalization process, analyze the humanistic practices used by caregivers, and identify supporting and inhibiting conditions. A qualitative single-case design was employed. Data were generated through participant observation, semi-structured and in-depth interviews with institutional leaders, caregivers, and selected children, and analysis of institutional documents and activity schedules. Data were condensed, displayed, and interpreted iteratively, with credibility strengthened through triangulation and repeated checking. The findings show that the institution internalized values of faith, worship, and moral conduct through a connected sequence of explanation, habituation, caregiver modelling, personal advice, dialogic guidance, and continuous accompaniment. Humanistic practice was visible in warm caregiver-child relationships, nonviolent correction, open communication, attention to individual psychological conditions, responsible freedom, and recognition of small improvements. A religious environment, structured programs, caregiver consistency, and family-like relationships supported the process, while heterogeneous backgrounds, psychological difficulties, uneven motivation, limited facilities, and external influences constrained it. The study concludes that humanistic care functions not merely as a delivery technique but as the relational condition that enables religious values to become personally meaningful and behaviorally embodied.