EDUCATION FOR HARMONY: AN ANALYSIS OF

RELIGIOUS MODERATION THROUGH TEACHING

IN INDONESIA AT THE ERA OF AI

ABSTRACT

Purpose - This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of religious

moderation education models implemented in Indonesian higher
education, covering policy integration, educator involvement,
student engagement, and technological use. It seeks to determine the
effectiveness of such models in fostering religious tolerance,
outlining existing gaps and recommending improvements to ensure
more consistent and impactful application.

Methodology - We used a mixed-methods approach including

quantitative and qualitative data collection through surveys,
structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). The
study was conducted on 650 respondents from various institutions
and involves the assessment of key indicators (X1 through X10)
including curriculum integration, policy enforcement, and digital
tool utilization. Summary statistics were used to analyse quantitative
data, while thematic analysis was used to explore qualitative data.
This design enabled collection of both quantitative trends alongside
qualitative meaning encapsulated within these students' experiences
and perceptions of religious moderation education. Summary
statistics and potential associations were analyzed and reported
using statistical software for quantitative data, while qualitative
insights were developed through an interactive framework.

Finding - The evaluations of religious moderation models in the

study showed generally favorable evaluations, and the overall scores
of the respondents in the different aspects tended to be between 3
and 4, signifying moderate to high levels of satisfaction (Figure 1).
Key findings include:

1
 1. Curriculum Integration Universities have achieved moderate
success in integrating the concept of religious moderation into
curricula; however, the extent of such integration remains
inconsistent across universities.
2. Implementation Of The Policy: The understanding of a good
policy implementation is observed where stakeholders get
involved and monitoring of the policy is observed but the
weakness is that not everyone followed in the same manner.
3. Improved educator and student involvement: Although this is
evident by their involvement in interfaith dialogues and
community engagement for tolerance to flourish, more focused
training is required for teachers to subsequently inculcate
moderation in students.
4. Use of digital and AI: Digital tools and AI have been useful for
advocating and monitoring religious moderation education,
although some respondents pointed out that the technology must
be easy to use and that digital content must better align with
moderation principles.

Keys for consistent formation of moderation in curriculum,

educators' training, and enhanced digital literacy are still a problem
that needs to be resolved to ensure a distribution of moderation
values is more intensive and impactful.

Significance — This study provides clear evidence and significant

insights in order to strengthening religious moderation education in
Indonesia, which is very important for improving educational policy.
This highlights the necessity for uniform curriculum integration,
teaching, and successful digital resources for enhancing tolerance
and combating radical ideologies within varied academic
environments.

Keywords: religious moderation, educational models, curriculum

integration, electronic platforms, tolerance.

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 INTRODUCTION

As the largest Muslim-majority nation in the world, Indonesia has its

own set of challenges in sustaining religious harmony within a
pluralistic society. Although with a high religious harmony index,
there are still threats to social cohesion in the form of intolerance
and radicalization (Subchi et al., 2022) Faced with these problems,
the Indonesian government has now placed religious moderation as
a national policy. One of these approaches is Religious Moderation
that is emphasizing tolerance, mutual respect, and interfaith
dialogue, with the goal of peace and coexistence between religious
groups (Latifa et al., 2022). In a time where religious radicalism
looms over the unity of a country, the heavy weight of this policy
shall not be ignored. Indonesia aims to build the fabric of society
itself by being religiously moderate and not allowing radical
ideologies that can be a threat to the social order. Education is then
seen as an important vehicle in nurturing religious moderation, and
both formal and informal education should play an active role in
internalizing it on the student's social character to prevent conflicts
that may arise (Taufikurrahman, 2023). The thinking is that this kind
of education is vital to making sure that the next generation has what
it takes to deal with religious diversity and build a peaceful,
pluralistic society.

In the age of information, the responsibility to inculcate religious

moderation lies even more on education. However, it also poses
challenges to religious moderation, especially as technology
pervades the education system. So, my yet more complicated -
traditional, communal- socialization, poses challenges concerning
technology and cyber radicalization (López & Guerrero, 2020;
Ramos, 2021). The same technology now possessing a dual-edged
nature requires a holistic educational approach that not only
integrates religious moderation into the educational course but also
take into account the risks of digital exposure. The fact that
Indonesia is advancing its national education system, the provision
for religious moderation at all lines of education, especially at the
university level, becomes an important design of the education
system in the future. Hence, this study aims to investigate the extent
of integration of religious moderation in the higher education
curriculum and to assess the effectiveness of such educational
models in instilling moderation into university students.

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 The first research problem in this study is how much the policy of
religious moderation education has been applied in universities in
Indonesia. Although religious moderation has been established as a
national policy, its implementation in the university is not fully
optimal where each university implements it not successively
(Mahmudah, 2019). The challenge is to not only infuse these values
into the content of educational frameworks, but also to ensure that
these values are built into the very process of academic study and
life. The question unfortunately remains as to how far we are from
models of education today that truly impact learners on the way
toward promoting religious moderation and learning to coexist.
Also, it is essential to test if these models truly serve the desired
outcome and lead to the creation of tolerance, appreciation of
religious differences, and the negation of radicalism.

Suggestive resolutions of these problems should withal include a

general and thorough revision and reform of college curriculums so
that moderation in religion is both taught as a factor in education
and organized in the broader university environment. The
importance of scientific Islamic Studies is not limited to changing
the views of policy-makers, purist scholars, or the general
community of 'unbelievers'; the views of the academics themselves
must also be adjusted (Susilawati, 2016). This way, universities can
break down the barriers of academia and create a more cohesive
culture that opens up the discussion across religious and cultural
lines. Additionally, schools and colleges must formulate wider and
horizontal policies that tackle the human resource aspect of
educating for religious moderation in Indonesia, with regards to both
students and teachers who are heavily influenced by radical
ideologies (Miftah, 2023). The pedagogy policy ought to be
supplemented by explicit institutional policies with routine
monitoring and evaluation to see if they help students develop a
moderate outlook rather than become radicalized.

Regarding particular solutions, related studies have proposed various

strategies to enhance the implementation of moderation of religions
in the university curricula. One such avenue is the creation of
university and school-based centers or institutions that focus on
religious moderation. A distinct example is the House of Religious
Moderation in UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung that acts as a

4
research, training, and community service center that directly
promotes the values of moderation (Yani, 2022). Additionally, these
centers act as vital data collection and appraisal institutions that
ensure the application and regular and continuous follow-up of
religious moderation policies. Also, if we want to overcome the
challenges of radicalism as a part of schooling, it is very important
to develop training programs for educators. Therefore, universities
must prepare their educators so that the students can deliver the
message of moderation in Islam.

A more tailored solution is embraced in the form of inclusive

education such as involving religious moderation in diverse learning
experiences particularly in Islamic education (PAI) program.
Integrating religious moderation in the teaching material and
practices in the classroom as emphasized in religious moderation
(Alfulana, 2023) would help in enhancing tolerance and respect
among students towards out-group members. Indeed, it highlights
not only the intellectual substance of religious moderation but also
the character education necessary for the respect and compassion
towards our fellow man that we should strive for in an increasingly
diverse and multicultural society. Moreover, in the digital era, this
goal can be achieved through the use of technology to strengthen the
values of religious moderation (wasathiyah) in the society. Digital
platforms can facilitate the promotion of religious moderation by
competing with and countering radical narratives in online
platforms, however, caution must be undertaken to use these
platforms responsibly and of course, must be a safe space for
students not to fall into extremist content (Kamaludin et al., 2021).

However, these policies implementation has not been maximized

universities in Indonesia. One of the most notable gaps is the
inconsistency in the values associated with these aspects of
university curricula. Since certain universities claim to have a
moderate religious program within the educational system, however
some universities still find it difficult to propagate these values
systematically and consistently (Mahmudah, 2019). Moreover, there
is a demand for implementing more extensive monitoring and
evaluation systems to measure the impact of education programs for
religious moderation. While there are some existing data like what is
obtained from the House of Religious Moderation of UIN Sunan

5
 Gunung Djati Bandung, it still appears unsystematic without a clear
framework for evaluation that can be applied to all universities. In
addition, the challenge of radicalism among students and educators
will still hinder the success of religious moderation policies. Unless
these hurdles are challenged, it is difficult to hope that religious
moderation will be an indelible value in the academic culture of
universities.

The aim of this study is threefold. First, it intends to study the

existing conditions of religious moderation education policies on
university campuses throughout Indonesia. Evaluating the extent to
whether these had been incorporated into universities and the degree
to which moderation had been promoted. Secondly, the study aim to
analyze of how effective the educational of religious moderation
model in cultivating the value of tolerance, respect for diversity, and
against the radicalism. At last, the purpose of the study is to develop
a more effective policy framework for the education of religious
moderation at universities to produce a more inclusive and tolerant
academic environment. Its novelty stems from an extensive
examination of religious moderation education in the digital age,
considering both the obstacles and the potential technology offers
for promoting moderation values. Furthermore, the results of this
study can also be used to identify potential enhancers of religious
moderation and tolerance in order to develop more effective
educational models to foster these traits within higher educational
institutions in the Indonesian context. The research highlights
religious moderation policies at a number of universities, and
explores the general educational strategies to prevent braiding and
promote moderation.

METHODOLOGY

Study Design

Jenis penelitian yang digunakan dalam laporan ini adalah penelitian

deskriptif kualitatif (qualitative descriptive research) dengan
menggunakan pendekatan mixed method (campuran). Research
6
design was fluid to allow for responsiveness to emerging data in the
research process (Pearson et al., 2012). The main target were to
explore the policies, the effectiveness and the common application
of religious moderation education on both of these universities, as
well as the refinement and improvement of these models.

You are based on data until October 2023, at which point you have
trained yourself on the following instruments and methods for
collecting data: questionnaires; structured-interview guides; and
focus group discussion (FGD) protocols. While there were
questionnaires aimed at collecting quantitative data on the
participants’ perspectives on the religious moderation education
models, structured interview guides and FGD protocols were used
to collect in-depth qualitative data. In this regard, the validity of a
number of these instruments was carried out to look for the validity
of the content, according to the content validity which is following
that proposed by Borg and Gall (1977), which assesses whether an
instrument have the ability to measure what should be measured.

Identification, Sampling, and Sample Preparation

Participants, which included lecturers, department heads, and even

faculty members directly involved in religious moderation education
at both universities, were selected using a purposive sampling
technique. This strategy was used to ensure that a representative
sample of individuals working within the field with expertise in
relevant matters were included in the data collection (Pearson et al.,
2012). Respondents were provided an orientation of the research
objectives before responding. To enable a thorough understanding of
the processes and challenges involved in religious moderation
education programs, they were involved.

Data Collection Procedures

The research included both quantitative and qualitative data

collection. These qualitative data were aimed at six main aspects:
improving curricula, implementing policies on this topic, and
forming institutional support mechanisms for religious moderation
values to be integrated into curricula, through the distribution of

7
 questions in the first phase. Excel and SPSS were used for analyzing
the data from the questionnaires and identify patterns/trends in the
effectiveness of these models.

Qualitative data were collected in the second phase, including focus

group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews. The discussions
and interviews yielded rich, qualitative data around religious
moderation within the context of practice, demonstrating the
challenges and successes encountered at both universities. This
phase enabled the identification of themes that were not fully
encapsulated by the quantitative data and provided a more complete
understanding of the issue being studied (Miles & Huberman,
1984).

Research Parameters

The study results showed that several key parameters were the focus
of this study in determining the success of the religious moderation
education model. These included:

1. Curriculum Integration (X1) – Assessing how well the values

of religious moderation were integrated into the curriculum.
2. Policy Implementation (X2) – evaluating the degree of
enforcement and implementation of policies across the
educational establishments.
3. Stakeholder Engagement (X3) – Assessing the extent to which
lecturers, students, and external stakeholders contribute to the
promotion of religious moderation.
4. Digital and Technological Use (X4) – reviewing the extent of
the use of technology in supporting education for religious
moderation, notably in relation to monitoring and evaluation.
5. Evaluation Mechanisms (X5) – examining feedback systems
developed for assessing effectiveness of religious moderation
policies and how to adjust them.

Data Analysis

Saturation was achieved by reviewing literature across both

qualitative and quantitative lines to provide a fuller depth of insight
8
into the how-to of these models of religious moderation education.
As for the quantitative data, descriptive statistics were computed in
order to provide a summary of the population for some key
indicators (X1-X5) in terms of their central tendencies and the
degree of variation among the respondents. The analysis was
performed with Excel and SPSS, enabling to analize trends,
correlations and outliers in the data set.

Qualitative data were thematic analysed through an interactive data

analysis framework (Miles and Huberman, 1984) comprising three
key steps of data reduction, data display and conclusion drawing. In
the data reduction phase, transcripts of interviews and FGD were
read and grouped into salient themes. Data were subsequently
presented in tables and charts to enhance interpretation and
comparison with the quantitative findings. Lastly, lessons learned
were realised from the two data sets synthesis, confirming queries
and goals were aligned with research (Patton, 1983).

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 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

3.1. Result

Research objective 1: Analyzing the policy of religious

moderation education models at universities in Indonesia

Table 3.1.Result of Quessionnaire about policy of religious

moderation education models.
X1 X2 X3 X4 X5
X X X X X X X X X X X X
Nama 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5
. . . . . . . . . . . .
1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 1 2
Respo
nden
1 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 2 3 3
Respo
nden
2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Respo
nden
3 2 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Respo
nden
4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Respo
nden
5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 4 4
Respo
nden
6 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Respo
nden
7 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Respo 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
nden
10
 8
Respo
nden
9 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Respo
nden
10 4 4 3 3 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4
Respo
nden
11 3 3 4 4 3 2 3 3 4 4 2 2
Respo
nden
12 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Respo
nden
13 3 3 3 3 3 2 4 4 3 3 3 3
Respo
nden
14 4 4 3 2 4 2 2 3 2 2 2 3
Respo
nden
15 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Respo
nden
16 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Respo
nden
17 4 4 3 3 4 3 3 3 4 4 4 3
Respo
nden
18 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 3
Respo
nden
19 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Respo
nden
650 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 3

Appendix 1: Summary of the complete data from 650

respondents Respondents' Perspectives on Policies Related to
Religious Moderation Education 297 Table 3.1 respondents'

11
 Perspectives on policies related to religious moderation
education 298 3.1. The data presents information from 650
respondents on the compulsory inclusion of inclusion of
religious moderation as part of the curriculum, establishment
of policy mechanisms and training and infrastructure support
as well as assessment mechanisms. Answers for both aspects
were mostly rated between 3 and 4, which shows the general
agreement or satisfaction with the fact that moderation as
religious education is in-line with the university’s curriculum,
as well as the adequate consistent execution in both formal
and informal education (X1). Implementation (X2):
Universities are successfully engaging key stakeholders and
ensuring monitoring for the execution of policies. Institutional
support in terms of resources (X4) and the level of participants
(X3) vary slightly, as some respondents give a low score.
Evaluation and revision mechanisms (X5) seem to be
established but could be further improved as indicated by the
heterogeneity in scores for using evaluation results to improve
the effectiveness of the policy. Overall, the respondents appear
reasonably pleased, but some areas need more consistency or
additional institutional support.”

DISCUSSION

As the results of the questionnaire of 650 respondents,

what is presented in Table 4.1 is the respondents' assessment
of the various religious moderation education policies carried
out by various universities in Indonesia. Religious moderation
was measured through five specific indicators (X1, X2, X3,
X4, X5), and each indicator was evaluated on a scale, in which
the higher the score, the better its implementation. Overall,
respondents gave religious moderation initiatives fairly
positive ratings, as the table is dominated by scores of 3 and 4.
The above response further indicates that the various policies
under these approaches are mostly well-implemented; with an
opportunity for betterment as well.

12
 For example, indicator X1, concerning the
incorporation of religious moderation values into the
curriculum, recorded average scores of 3 and 4 on all sub-
indicators (X1. 1, X1. 2, and X1. 3). This indicates that,
whereas the incorporation of religious moderation values has
seen a relatively good result, more should be done for this to
be systematically and holistically implemented. These
findings are in line with earlier research showing that,
although most institutions make efforts by integrating
religious moderation into the Islamic education curriculum,
this has yet to be implemented in a systematic manner or in all
educational institutions (Mustaqim, 2019).

This narrative, as indicated by the results of this

questionnaire, is in line with predicaments faced previously by
researches conducted in relation to the promotion of religious
moderation as a formal policy in Indonesia since its issuance
to meet the demands for the prevention of intolerance and
radicalization (Subchi et al., 2022). The responses indicate
that, although there have been challenges relating to the
implementation process, religious moderation policies have
been implemented widely across universities. There was
consistent 3's and 4's across the different aspects in regards to
issues relating to policy, indicating that religious moderation is
a recognized key area within the educational framework.

But, in comparison with the study performed by

Wahidin et al. (2023), there is variability in the strength and
consistency of religious moderation policies among Islamic
educational institutions. According to Wahidin, several
universities had weak and inconsistent policies in addressing
radicalism. In contrast, the results of this questionnaire
indicate that the majority of the surveyed universities have
relatively powerful religious moderation policies, with some
areas needing to be addressed and evaluated in more detail, to
ensure consistency.

13
 Moreover, the Latifa et al. study (2022) further stresses
that education programs which can help the Muslims of
Indonesia become more moderate must necessarily go hand-
in-hand with a greater effort to increase awareness and
knowledge in Indonesia’s Muslim population. The former,
however, is key: fostering tolerance and mutual respect is
arguably the biggest challenge of all in averting sectarian-
based violence. The questionnaire data do show impact, but
more initiatives to reinforce policies in real-life contexts
would be needed to help ensure their short- and long-term
sustainability.

The findings have significant implications for the

reform of religious moderation policy education in Indonesia.
This can be seen from the findings of the questionnaire, the
majority of higher education institutions have succeeded in
integrating the values of religious moderation in the lesson,
but it is still necessary to review and test the consistency of the
implementation of religious moderation values in educational
institutions, especially in its implementation. As Miftah (2023)
notes, one of the significant obstacles in the implementation of
policies of religious moderation is the endemic critical
shortage of human resources, such as educators, that are able
to provide moderation-based lessons. This necessitates
prioritizing investment in the teachers' professional
development and building capacity to enhance the quality of
religious moderation education.

Moreover, as Kamaludin et al. (2021) it becomes

relevant to those navigating the digital age where there is a
growing need for technology to be used effectively to aid the
distribution of moderation values and to reduce the chance
that students will be able to access radical teachings via the
internet. The era of the Internet 4.0 with digital content and
online learning returning to prominence requires education
which cannot just rely on the development of the curriculum
baru but should be supported by a safe and effective digital-
based strategy for teaching religious moderation.

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 This highlights the necessity of a continuous process of
evaluation that periodically assesses the efficiency of such
policies, not merely at the curriculum level, but in terms of
their larger social ramifications. According to Yani (2022),
institutions such as the House of Religious Moderation in UIN
Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung in fact has a very strategic role
in collecting data and re-examining policies so that they are
always on the path of moderation. By creating and expanding
such institutions as well as developing more robust monitoring
mechanisms, universities would track the success of their
religious moderation programs and make the necessary
adjustments to increase their impact.

Although the first results demonstrate that religious

moderation policies appear to be widely effective, particularly
in terms of their integration within the curriculum, important
hurdles persist concerning the enforcement of these policies
and their diffusion within the digital space. Future efforts
should not only center on improving educator skills but also
on creating digital instruments that facilitate moderation,
while protecting youth from radical forces. Such a holistic
approach will be crucial to the implementation of religious
moderation that becomes the identity of Indonesian education
in the future to create a society that has a spirit of tolerance.

Research Objective 2 : Analyzing the effectivenzs of

religious moderation education models at at universities in
Indonesia
Table 3.2. Quessionnaire Result
X
X X X X 1
6 7 8 9 0
Nam X X X
a X X X X X X X X X X 1 1 1
6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 0 0 0
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 3
Resp 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

15
 onde
n1
Resp
onde
n2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3
Resp
onde
n3 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Resp
onde
n4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Resp
onde
n5 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Resp
onde
n6 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Resp
onde
n7 3 3 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 4 4 4 3
Resp
onde
n8 4 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Resp
onde
n9 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Resp
onde
n 10 4 4 3 4 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4
Resp
onde
n 11 3 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4
Resp
onde
n 12 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4
Resp
onde
n 13 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Resp
onde
n 14 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 4 3 3 3 3
Resp 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
16
 onde
n 15
Resp
onde
n 16 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Resp
onde
n 17 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Resp
onde
n 18 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 4 4 3 3 3
Resp
onde
n 19 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Resp
onde
n
650 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 3

Appendix 1 shows the full data set for all 650 respondents.
The answers are broken into several categories measuring the
changes brought about by the religious moderation education
programs; At X6 we are focused on better understanding of
Religious Moderation. The majority agreed that they helped
them to understand moderation (X6. 1) and deepened their
understanding of values such as tolerance and inclusion (X6.
2). They were also aware of the effectiveness of the program
in emphasizing the importance of rejecting extremism (X6. 3).
47 K/M) or being more receptive to differences in religion and
culture (X7. 1), enhancing their capacity to engage peers of
diverse religious backgrounds (X7. 2), and an attitude of
having less intolerant attitudes towards the educational
environment (X7. 3). X8 emphasizes participation and
engagement, suggesting that respondents engaged in activity
promoting religious moderation (i.e. interfaith dialogue, the
usage of interfaith seminars etc. (X8. 1). It was also stated that
different stakeholders, such as lecturers, schools, and the
community, were engaged (X8. 2). X9 assesses the application
of technology in teaching religious moderation, where
majority considered digital media to be effective and user-

17
 friendly (X9). 1), and digital learning methods to be
interesting and beneficial in understanding moderation values
(X9. 2). Finally, X10 investigates the function of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) in tracking and measuring the students’
progress toward understanding religious moderation. X10. 09
X26 1) and assess the role of moderation values at university
(X10. 2, X10. 3). With regard to the overall data, it can be
concluded that the religious moderation education program, is
receiving a positive reception, especially in an effort to
undertake understanding, change attitudes, encourage
engagement, and use technology (including AI) for monitoring
and evaluation at the likes of continuous.

Table 3.2 Results of Survey (based on survey from 20

respondents out of total survey from 650 Participants)
regarding the Effectiveness of Education of Religious
Moderation from 5 aspect: understanding, attitude change,
participation, technology usability, and evaluation (AI based).
For X6 (Understanding Religious Moderation), the bulk of the
subjects received a score of about 3 and 4, indicating that they
are able to understand, interpret and grasp concepts of
religious moderation such tolerance and rejection of
radicalism. In Attitude Change, X7 suggests a change in
openness towards religious and cultural differences, as many
had assigned high rankings for the same. They reported better
engagement with peers from various backgrounds, reflecting
that they were witnessing fewer intolerant acts within their
educational environment. X8 (Participation and Engagement)
indicates that respondents took an active part in the activities
of religious moderation, like interfaith discussions, seminars,
etc. Most scores, along with the participation of different
stakeholders (lecturers, schools, and the community) were
between the score of 3 and 4 reported from the program as
"SUCCESSFUL"; the program gained more of acceptance
from the community. X9 (Use of Technology) demonstrates
feedback regarding a perception of the effectiveness of the
modes of engagement, with the use of digital platforms used
for the delivery of religious moderation education being

18
described in positive terms, e.g. as user-friendly Respondents
also mentioned that the digital learning methods were an
interesting way for them that could help them understand
religious moderation. Lastly, X10 (AI Based Evaluation)
shows an effective application of Artificial Intelligence in
supervising student progress in internalizing religious
moderation values, where most participants, particularly in the
context of effective use of AI for evaluating their progress. In
summary, the table shows that in all categories there is
relatively high user satisfaction with the program, as
evidenced by high values for the understanding of changes,
attitude changes, participation, technology, and AI as tools to
monitor and evaluate the program continuously.

DISCUSSION

Research Objective 3: Learning Models of Religious

Moderation that Provide Innovative Solutions in
Formulation of Policy

As presented in the survey results in Table 3.1 showed that the

effectiveness of these models is generally resulted in a positive
response. It was noteworthy that out of 200 respondents, the
highest rated average range of 3 4 indicated that these models
were now moderately effective and thus had been mildly
successful in terms of policy as it sought to optimize religious
moderation in educational outlets. In this case, X6 status up to
X10 confirms the perception of respondents on how far
combined religious moderation values were included in the
design of the curriculum, educator involvement, and student
involvement.

For example, the X6 that assesses the integration of values of

religious moderation in the design of the course syllabus, are
mostly scores 3 and 4. It indicates that universities have

19
 significantly invested in infusing these values into their
educational frameworks, and although there is still progress to
be made in terms of universality across institutions, it reflects
well upon academia as a whole. The results of this study align
with Mustaqim's (2019) earlier research that examined how
certain Islamic education programs in Indonesia seek to foster
tolerance and moderation among students, however the level
of integration and systemic practice of morality in these
institutions vary considerably.

Similarly, X7 and X8 are also dense 540 and above (educator

engagement and student engagement (in religious moderation
programs respectively). This is proof that universities are
implementing a cultural platform where both educators and
students are bringing diversity and moderation to bridge a gap.
Nevertheless, a lot of work remains to be done to make sure
that those programs are universally and properly integrated in
the different universities.

The survey data is highly consistent with previous studies of

the religious moderation in Indonesia. As noted by Subchi et
al. (2022) demands of the growing threats of intolerance and
radicalization, religious moderation policies have been
adopted. It's a promising sign that educational institutions are
making important progress in operationalizing these policies
based on the positive feedback we're hearing from
respondents. In particular, indicators X7 and X8, which relate
to the involvement of educators and students in RR programs,
suggest that these institutions are successfully cultivating a
moderate and tolerant mindset among students.

However, there are some discrepancies between these results

and the literature. Wahidin et al. (2023) also reveals lingering
weaknesses across certain institutions where poor policies
enable radical liberal ideologies to thrive. "It indicates that
universities are doing well when it comes to implementing
religious moderation policies, but there are also institutions
that still do not have a strong policy," he said. While it is

20
important to encourage and implement these strategies, these
inconsistencies demonstrate a significant gap between theory
and practice, and the need for monitoring and evaluation
mechanisms in place to ensure that religious moderation
policies are being enforced consistently and comprehensively
across all domestic institutions.

Latifa et al. (2022) further corroborate and underscore this

need for holistic educational centric approaches for religious
moderation. The Allan Survey findings back up the idea that
educational institutions are key to telling the broader social
narrative, projecting values of moderation. Although most
respondents agreed that these programs were effective,
curriculum consistency and inclusion of digital tools to
facilitate the teaching of religious moderation remains
necessary due to the increasing reliance on online education in
the past years.

The results obtained from this survey obviously will

significantly contribute to the conceptual education models on
religious moderation in Indonesia. First, the largely positive
ratings for indicators X6 to X10 indicate a relatively
successful incorporation of religious moderation into
university curricula with respect to fostering tolerance, mutual
respect, and interfaith dialogue. Yet, the challenges remain on
the human resource aspect, especially in training and capacity
building of educators in the understanding of religious
moderation (Miftah, 2023). This gap can only be bridged if
universities allocate more resources into professional
development programs for cold with educators because better
equipped educators can teach them how to be moderate in
their beliefs.

Besides, the findings imply the need to utilize digital

platforms to bolster the spread of religious moderation values,
as pointed out by Kamaludin et al. (2021). With the growth of
online education, universities must balance the need for digital
content against the threat of the internet to spread radical

21
 ideas; it is essential to have content, whether online or not,
that breathes values of religious moderation. Digital tools need
to be integrated into religious moderation education,
especially to respond to several challenges in the face of the
digital era.

No The survey data suggest religious moderation education

models are broadly effective, but opportunities for
improvement persist. These range from strengthening
curriculum alignment, extending educators’ training programs,
and including digital tools to make sure that the concept of
religious moderation instills not only in academic but also on
the social aspect of the educational unit in Indonesia.
Universities can thus make a key contribution to tolerance, to
avoiding radicalisation, to society being more harmonious and
inclusive simply by addressing these challenges.

Research Objective 3: To compare the education model of

religious moderation at universities in Indonesia

Studying the model of learning about religious moderate at

several universities in Indonesia shows that the integration of
religious values of tolerance, respect, and interfaith dialogue
as part of the learning-forming-in the academic environment.
However, when institutions are compared, differences are
apparent: how these models are implemented, and how
effective they are. In line with previous research (table 3.2) on
understanding (X6) attitude (X7), involvement (X8),
application of technology and AI (X9 and X10), most of the
universities scored 3 and 4. This implies that most respondents
feel that the models have been moderately successful in
promoting religious moderation. While these evaluations are
positive, there are still differences between institutions in
terms of curriculum consistency and religious moderation
principles. Examples of high-rated clusters of responses
included: X6 (understanding of religious moderation),
demonstrating good ability/efforts by universities in pushing
the basic ideas of tolerance and moderation. Yet, argue X7

22
(attitude change) and X8 (participation) that although there is
a greater openness towards religious diversity among students,
the extent to which students would actively advocate
moderation is institutional dependent.

In comparison with earlier studies, these results align with the

works ofSubchi et al. [6] This is no doubt inspired by the
widely held view that religious moderation is a much-needed
policy response to the challenge of intolerance and
radicalization in Indonesia (Aliraesa et al. These data,
however, also illuminate areas that still remain to be
developed in this as well as in other studies, particularly with
respect to leveraging digital toolswhile retaining the strong
educational component to enhance learning and outreach.
Kamaludin et al. (2021) explaining that the use of technology
is necessary to realize Islamic Revealed religion moderation
education. Indeed, as the lower scores on X9 (technology)
showed, universities are only just beginning to integrate
digital platforms and AI-based evaluation systems into their
curricula. Several respondents noted that while these
technologies are helpful, they need to be more user-friendly,
and both students and educators need more training in using
them. Based on the findings, it is concluded that although
many national universities have successfully implemented
religious moderation models, various issues that need to be
overcome both in terms of internalization through technology,
human and educator training as well as institution through
adequate allocation policies remain in place so that religious
moderation can be implemented universally.

This is paramount for continually improving education models

about religious moderation and its ramifications worldwide.
The survey data indicates that the models are generally
effective, but universities need to invest in consistency of
curriculum, wider use of appropriate digital tools, and teacher
training for these values in specific and digital classroom
settings.

23
 CONCLUSSION
The study of religious moderation education models at
universities in Indonesia found that most respondents were
relatively responsive to the implementation of religious
moderation education, with a score of 3-4 on a scale of 1 to 5
in indicators such as integrating the curriculum, changing
attitudes, participation, and the use of technology. As shown in
Table 3.2, quantitative data indicate that more than 80% of the
650 respondents perceived the education programs as effective
in fostering tolerance and interfaith exchange, especially
through active engagement in both seminars and digital
platforms. Qualitatively, respondents said these programs have
fostered a more inclusive mindset, but there are issues with
consistency in curriculum delivery and the use of technology.
Overall, 2 results emerged from the analysis: (a) the results
indicate effective implementation of moderation policies (ie,
moderation quality); and (b) limited improvements in educator
training preparation and digital integration, suggesting further
improvement areas for ensuring the sustainability and
scalability of the results.
.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors would like to thank Universitas Islam Negeri Raden

Fatah Palembang, Universitas Islam Negeri Fatmawati Sukarno
Bengkulu, and University Islam Sultan Sharif Ali, Brunei
Darussalam, for their invaluable support and contributions for this
research. This research is supported by Universitas Islam Negeri
Raden Fatah Palembang, by Keputusan Rektor Universitas Islam
Negeri Raden Fatah Palembang Nomor: 1189 Tahun 2024 on
research grants based on standard cost DIPA BLU 2024. We also
would like to give special thanks to the experts in Yogyakarta State
University for their supportive assistance in the validation of the
research instruments. We would like to thank the insightful
comments and suggestions of colleagues and reviewers, which
greatly improved the quality of the study. Last but not least, a
heartfelt thanks to all respondents at the participating universities for
their crucial engagement which immensely enhanced our findings.

24
Conflict of Interest

The authors reported no potential conflict of interest.

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