Designing a Humanistic Curriculum for Madrasah Aliyah based on the Values of Love and Empathy

Authors

  • Gusma Afriani Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59525/gej.2006

Keywords:

Empathy, Humanistic Curriculum, Islamic Education, Love, Madrasah Aliyah

Abstract

Humanistic education in Madrasah Aliyah requires a curriculum that integrates intellectual, emotional, social, moral, and spiritual development. However, love and empathy are often treated as values rather than organizing principles of curriculum design. This study aimed to design a humanistic curriculum for Madrasah Aliyah based on love and empathy and to formulate its principles, components, implementation strategies, and assessment framework. The study employed Research and Development (R&D) using an Educational Design Research (EDR) orientation. Data were collected through interviews, observations, document analysis, focus group discussions, and expert validation involving curriculum specialists, Islamic education experts, school leaders, teachers, and students. Qualitative data were analyzed interactively through data condensation, data display, and conclusion verification, while expert validation findings informed iterative product revision. The results indicate that love functions as the philosophical and ethical foundation, whereas empathy operates as a socio-emotional competency translating values into social practices. The resulting curriculum integrates humanistic objectives, learning experiences, dialogic pedagogy, teacher modeling, supportive school culture, and authentic assessment. The study concludes that love-based humanistic curriculum should be developed as a whole-school educational ecosystem rather than an additional instructional theme. Its contribution lies in integrating humanistic education, social-emotional learning, and Islamic values into a curriculum framework for Madrasah Aliyah.

References

Aldrup, K., Carstensen, B., & Klusmann, U. (2022). Is empathy the key to effective teaching? A systematic review of its association with teacher–student interactions and student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 34, 1177–1216. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09649-y

Afryansyah, & Sirozi, M. (2025). Pendidikan humanis melalui internalisasi Kurikulum Berbasis Cinta di Madrasah Aliyah Negeri. Intelektual: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Studi Keislaman, 15(2), 343–358. https://doi.org/10.33367/ji.v15i2.7484

Alhamuddin, & Arifin, A. G. (2025). Reorienting Islamic curriculum and pedagogy in Indonesia: Aligning with national character education policy. AL-TARBIYAH: Jurnal Pendidikan, 35(1). https://doi.org/10.24235/ath.v35i1.20276

Alhamuddin. (2025). Islamic character education in Indonesian national curricula: A critical policy analysis of the 2013 and Merdeka frameworks. Tarbiyah Islamiyah: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Agama Islam, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.18592/jtipai.v15i1.16437

Allen, K.-A., Slaten, C. D., Arslan, G., Roffey, S., Craig, H., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2021). School belonging: The importance of student and teacher relationships. In M. L. Kern & M. L. Wehmeyer (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of positive education (pp. 525–550). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64537-3_21

Alsayd, A. D., Rusdi, I., Muhtar, A., & Setyaningrum, N. (2025). Love-based curriculum: Integrating Islam, humanism, and local wisdom in madrasas. Tunjuk Ajar: Journal of Education and Culture, 1(2), 65–78. https://doi.org/10.64929/ta.v1i2.32

Apiyani, A. (2022). Implementasi pendidikan karakter di madrasah. JIIP: Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan, 5(2), 505–511. https://doi.org/10.54371/jiip.v5i2.445

Bernil, K. J. V. (2024). The mediating effect of empathy in the relationship between social support and academic engagement of STEM SHS students. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation. https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2024.1107020

Cipriano, C., Strambler, M. J., Naples, L. H., Ha, C., Kirk, M., Wood, M., Sehgal, K., Zieher, A. K., Eveleigh, A., McCarthy, M., Funaro, M., Ponnock, A., Chow, J. C., & Durlak, J. A. (2023). The state of evidence for social and emotional learning: A contemporary meta-analysis of universal school-based SEL interventions. Child Development, 94(5), 1181–1204. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13968

Dimyathi, M. S., Fatihunnada, F., & Ruswandi, B. (2025). Islamic character education in the digital age: A study of Indonesian State Islamic Universities. EDURELIGIA: Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.33650/edureligia.v9i3.11905

Ge, Y., Li, W., Chen, F., Kayani, S., & Qin, G. (2021). The theories of the development of students: A factor to shape teacher empathy from the perspective of motivation. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 736656. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.736656

Gökalp, A., & İnel, Y. (2022). The mediation role of responsibility and benevolence between eighth grade secondary school students’ empathy skills and the value of justice. International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.52380/ijpes.2022.9.3.711

Hassani, S., & Schwab, S. (2021). Social-emotional learning interventions for students with special educational needs: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Education, 6, 808566. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.808566

Jiang, Y., Yao, Y., Zhu, X., & Wang, S. (2021). The influence of college students’ empathy on prosocial behavior in the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of social responsibility. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 782246. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.782246

Khadijah, K., Suciati, I., Khaerani, K., Manaf, A., & Sutamrin, S. (2021). Schools’ character education values and students’ mathematics learning achievement: A meta-analysis. Cakrawala Pendidikan, 40(3). https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v40i3.39924

Ma, L., Liu, J., & Li, B. (2022). The association between teacher-student relationship and academic achievement: The moderating effect of parental involvement. Psychology in the Schools, 59, 281–296. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22608

Malyuna, S. I., Suparto, Kusaeri, & Hidayati, Z. (2025). Development of the Basic Empathy Scale of Islamic Theology to measure the empathy of Islamic Education teacher candidates. Fitrah: Journal of Islamic Education, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.53802/fitrah.v6i1.1166

Montero-Carretero, C., Pastor, D., Santos-Rosa, F. J., & Cervelló, E. (2021). School climate, moral disengagement and empathy as predictors of bullying in adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 656775. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.656775

Mukhsin, M., Sahudi, S., Hidayatulloh, Y., Nasir, M., & Alfani, I. H. D. (2025). Love-based curriculum in Indonesian madrasahs: A conceptual analysis toward inclusive-humanistic Islamic education. SYAMIL: Journal of Islamic Education, 13(3), 315–336. https://doi.org/10.21093/sy.v13i3.11485

Munawir, K., et al. (2024). Islamic Religious Education in student character development. Al-Hayat: Journal of Islamic Education, 8(1), 236–247. https://doi.org/10.35723/ajie.v8i1.475

Nasrullah, A., Salam DZ, A., Haedari, A., & Karim, A. (2023). The role of Islamic Religious Education teachers in character education: A qualitative study at Mutiara Hikmah Vocational High School (SMK). Jurnal Pendidikan Islam. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpi.2023.121.145-154

Nurasiah, I., Sumantri, M. S., Nurhasanah, N., & Casmana, A. R. (2022). Cultural values’ integration in character development in elementary schools: The Sukuraga as learning media. Frontiers in Education, 7, 849218. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.849218

Rahayu, W., Zukri, A., Maimunah, A., Sari, D. M., Jannah, R., & Ikhlas, M. (2023). Character education in Islamic education: Strengthening and implementing in the digital age. At-Tarbawi: Jurnal Kajian Kependidikan Islam, 8(2), 125–138. https://doi.org/10.22515/attarbawi.v8i2.7498

Rahman, S., Agustami, E., Effendi, S., Padang, R., & Guchi, Z. (2024). The impact of Islamic Religious Education on the development of social character among secondary school students. International Journal of Educational Research Excellence, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.55299/ijere.v3i1.881

Ramadani, D. R., & Fitrisia, A. (2023). The character education implementation and local wisdom values in learning history: The Islamic development in Indonesia. Indonesian Research Journal in Education, 7(1), 196–206. https://doi.org/10.22437/irje.v7i1.26308

Samadi, M. R., Rifai, A., Nurishlah, L., & Mulyana, J. (2024). Implementasi penguatan pendidikan karakter di Madrasah Ibtidaiyah. MASILE, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.1213/masile.v4i2.98

Sarkadi, Casmana, A. R., Hisyam, C. J., & Wardatussa’idah, I. (2022). Integrating character education into the RECE learning model through Pancasila and Citizenship Education subjects. Frontiers in Education, 7, 841037. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.841037

Seon, Y., & Smith-Adcock, S. (2021). School belonging, self-efficacy, and meaning in life as mediators of bullying victimization and subjective well-being in adolescents. Psychology in the Schools, 58(9), 1753–1767. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22534

Sunarya, E., & Sassi, K. (2025). Curriculum of love: Efforts to revitalise humanism in Islamic education. International Journal of Graduate of Islamic Education, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.37567/ijgie.v7i1.4323

Villares, E., Miller, A. E., & Chevalier, J. (2023). The impact of Leader in Me on the school climate and student behaviors: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 19(2). https://doi.org/10.22230/ijepl.2023v19n2a1339

Voigt, T. H., et al. (2022). The role of empathy between peers in upper secondary students’ study engagement and burnout. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 978546. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.978546

Wahyudin, W., Hasanah, A., & Arifin, B. S. (2023). Pengembangan model pendidikan karakter di madrasah dan pesantren. JIIP: Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan, 6(10). https://doi.org/10.54371/jiip.v6i10.3005

Wang, N., & Kang, J. (2023). The role of teacher empathy and immediacy in Chinese EFL students’ affective learning outcomes: Unveiling the associations. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1294891

Wang, X., et al. (2023). Exploring positive teacher-student relationships: The synergy of teacher mindfulness and emotional intelligence. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1301786

Yanti, G. R., & Susilawati, P. A. (2024). Factors influencing empathy students in inclusive schools. JPI: Jurnal Pendidikan Inklusi, 6(2), 133–145. https://doi.org/10.26740/inklusi.v6n2.p133-145

Downloads

Published

2026-05-25

How to Cite

Afriani, G. . (2026). Designing a Humanistic Curriculum for Madrasah Aliyah based on the Values of Love and Empathy. Global Education Journal, 4(2), 2153–2162. https://doi.org/10.59525/gej.2006

Similar Articles

<< < 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.