The Transformation of Religious Moderation Pedagogy in Reshaping the Culture of Student Social Interaction in Heterogeneous School Environments

Abstract

Indonesia's growing socio-religious heterogeneity in public schools strains everyday student interaction, making government-promoted religious moderation (moderasi beragama) essential, though it often remains limited to normative, one-way instruction. This qualitative case study examines how the pedagogy of religious moderation transforms in practice and alters social interaction cultures in a heterogeneous secondary school. Data were gathered through classroom observations, in-depth interviews with leaders, teachers, and students, and document analysis, then evaluated using thematic analysis with credibility established via triangulation. Findings reveal, first, that effective pedagogy shifted from monological doctrine transmission toward a dialogical, experience-based model utilizing cooperative cross-group projects. Second, this pedagogical evolution transformed student interaction from religiously segregated association into spontaneous, cross-affiliation collaboration, despite lingering micro-exclusion in informal spaces. Third, transformation durability depended heavily on teacher competence, consistent leadership, and alignment between formal and hidden curricula. The study concludes that religious moderation becomes culturally transformative only when pedagogically embodied as a dialogical practice rather than delivered as moral information. Practically, it recommends structured cross-affiliation collaborative learning as a replicable strategy for heterogeneous educational settings.