APPLICATION OF THE STUDENTS’ POTENTIAL IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ISLAMIC STUDIES IN PRESCHOOLS

The objective of the study is to explore the spiritual and socioemotional potential development of students in the teaching and learning (T L) of Islamic Studies in preschools. The goals of preschool education are to develop the potential of students in a holistic and integrated manner with fun, creative, and meaningful leaning. As such, teachers need to play proactive roles with knowledge and determination to achieve these goals. This qualitative study, in the form of a case study, used the observation method as the main instrument. Data from the observations were triangulated with those from interviews and document analysis. Using the purposive sampling method, participants were selected among those who have obtained a diploma of education from teaching institutions, attended courses and trainings conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE), and had more than three years of teaching experience at preschools. The results showed that in the T L of Islamic Studies in preschools, teachers’ characteristics, knowledge, and creativity played a role in developing the potential of students. It is hoped that this study will contribute to our basic knowledge about T L of Islamic Studies, particularly towards the efforts in developing the potential of spiritual and socioemotional of children.