Designing a Pedagogical Model for Islamic Legal Literacy and Religious Moderation in Contemporary Digital Contexts

Abstract

This study aimed to design an integrative instructional model to enhance Islamic legal literacy, maṣlaḥah reasoning, and the character of religious moderation character through digital technology. Employing a Research and Development (R&D) approach tailored for Islamic higher education, the research involved needs analysis, model development, expert validation, limited trials, and large-scale implementation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk test for normality, paired t-tests, and N-Gain calculations. Conducted in four teacher education institutions in West Java, Indonesia, the study involved 16 lecturers and 375 students in the initial phase, 20 students in the limited trial, and 127 students with 8 lecturers in the implementation phase. The needs analysis underscored the urgency for an integrative learning model. As a result, the MASLAHAH model was developed—an acronym for eight structured instructional stages: Mapping Readiness, Access Core Texts, Synthesize Concepts, Learn through Cases, Argue with Maqāṣid, Humanize with Moderation, Apply in Community Context, and Highlight Reflections & Evaluate. The model significantly improved Islamic legal literacy (N-Gain = 0.72), maṣlaḥah reasoning (0.72), and moderate character (0.82). Expert validation rated the model’s feasibility at 87.4%. This study presents the MASLAHAH model as a novel pedagogical contribution to Islamic legal education, offering a structured and digitally enhanced framework for cultivating contextual, reflective, and moderate educators in pluralistic societies.