INTEGRATING ISLAMIC VALUES INTO ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING FOR CHARACTER BUILDING
Abstract
This study examines the integration of Islamic teaching values into English language learning to build students’ character at the Tarbiyah Faculty of IAIN Sorong. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, it combined quantitative and qualitative data. The population comprised 563 students; 56 English Education students completed a 40-item Likert-scale questionnaire, and six were purposively selected for semi-structured interviews based on high, medium, and low engagement. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, while interview data were thematically analyzed. The findings show overwhelmingly positive responses, with mean scores above 4.10. The highest score was the relevance of Islamic ethics to ELT (4.35), followed by motivation through Islamic-themed texts (4.30), Amanah in assignments (4.25), discipline (4.16), and Siddiq/honesty (4.13). Students viewed English not as a secular threat but as a medium for spiritual and character reinforcement. Qualitatively, participants reported reduced foreign-language anxiety and a culturally safe learning environment when Islamic values, Quranic parables, and Adab were integrated. They also emphasized the lecturer’s role as Uswah Hasanah in modeling honesty, responsibility, and discipline. The study concludes that spiritually grounded English instruction can bridge linguistic proficiency and moral development, helping produce globally competent and spiritually rooted educators. It recommends formalizing an English syllabus incorporating Wasathiyah and Islamic ethics and training lecturers as moral role models.