Ecological Values in Islamic Religious Education Textbooks for Elementary Schools: An Islamic Ecotheology Perspective

Abstrak

The global ecological crisis, marked by ongoing environmental degradation, demands a refined educational paradigm that is not only cognitively oriented but also ethically and spiritually oriented. In the context of Islamic education in Indonesia, Islamic Religious Education and Character Building (PAI) textbooks in elementary schools play a strategic role in instilling ecological awareness based on religious values. This study aims to describe and analyze the representation of ecological values ​​in Islamic Religious Education textbooks in elementary schools and evaluate implementation strategies and their impact on the development of students' ecological behavior. Using a qualitative approach and content analysis design, data were collected from official textbooks published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) (2021–2022) for grades I through VI. The results show that values ​​such as cleanliness (taharah), amanah (ecological responsibility), khalifah (stewardship), mizan (balance), and ihsan (ecological ethics) are represented through narrative texts, illustrations, and learning activities. However, the internalization of these values ​​in the classroom still tends to be normative and not fully reflective-transformative. This study concludes that Islamic Religious Education textbooks in elementary schools have the potential to serve as instruments for ecotheological education, provided they are supported by reflective and experience-based pedagogy. These findings provide theoretical contributions to the development of an Islamic Ecotheology paradigm from an early age in elementary schools, as well as practical implications for reorienting Islamic Religious Education curricula toward sustainable and ecologically valuable Islamic education.