YOGYAKARTA – The Undergraduate Islamic Religious Education (PAI) Study Program, Faculty of Education and Teacher Training (FITK), UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, held a community engagement program at the Gunungkidul Ministry of Hajj Building on Friday, October 23, 2026. Led by Dr. Yuli Kuswandari, S.Pd., M.Hum., the program brought together Islamic Religious Education teachers from junior high schools across Gunungkidul. The activity focused on strengthening teachers’ Qur’anic recitation skills (tahsin) and developing teaching strategies that respond to students’ educational needs.

The program featured two speakers whose areas of expertise complemented one another. In the first session, Asniyah Nailasariy, M.Pd.I., delivered a presentation entitled “Strengthening PAI Teachers’ Tahsin Competencies: Accurate Articulation of Arabic Letters and the Application of Gharib Recitation Rules in the Qur’an.” The presentation emphasized the importance of accurate Qur’anic recitation as an essential component of professional competence and a responsibility for Islamic Religious Education teachers in serving as role models for their students.

The session covered the articulation points of Arabic letters (makharijul huruf), their phonetic characteristics (sifat al-huruf), and several gharib recitation rules in the Qur’an according to the Hafs narration. The material also incorporated practical exercises to help teachers pronounce Arabic letters more accurately, identify recitation errors, and apply the appropriate rules of Qur’anic recitation in classroom instruction.

In the second session, Indra Fajar Nurdin, S.Pd., M.Ag., presented “Ecological Systems Theory and the Deep Learning Approach in the Implementation of Islamic Religious Education.” His presentation encouraged participants to view PAI learning as an educational process shaped by the environments in which students live. These environments include family, peers, and school, as well as cultural values, social norms, and changing circumstances that influence students’ learning experiences.

Through the deep learning approach, the speaker introduced three core learning principles: mindful learning, meaningful learning, and joyful learning. These principles emphasize active student engagement, connections between learning materials and real-life situations, and the creation of a positive learning environment that encourages deeper understanding and reflection.

In Islamic Religious Education, these principles can be applied through discussions of Islamic values such as trustworthiness, honesty, and ethical behavior in digital media. In this way, learning goes beyond the acquisition of subject knowledge and memorization. It also encourages students to think critically, understand the meaning of Islamic values, and apply them in their everyday lives.

Throughout the program, the participating junior high school PAI teachers demonstrated enthusiasm and active engagement during the presentations. The activity provided valuable insights to support their professional development and improve the quality of Islamic Religious Education in schools. The tahsin session strengthened teachers’ ability to recite the Qur’an accurately, while the discussion of teaching strategies offered perspectives on creating learning experiences that are contextual, in-depth, and relevant to students’ lives.

Through this community engagement initiative, the Undergraduate Islamic Religious Education Study Program, FITK, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, seeks to support the continuous professional development of Islamic Religious Education teachers. Strengthening accurate Qur’anic recitation and developing meaningful teaching strategies are expected to complement one another in promoting religious education that emphasizes not only Islamic knowledge but also exemplary conduct and the practical application of Islamic values in everyday life.(Ahmad Bayu Permana)