Interreligious Learning among Indonesian Secondary School Teachers

This research is a study of literacy, dialogue and interfaith religious sensitivity of educators in schools, madrasahs and Islamic boarding schools. The research was conducted in four cities/regencies in Indonesia, namely Manado City, Makassar City, Salatiga City, and Poso Regency. Data collection was conducted using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 80 educators, especially religious teachers, as respondents. Educational institutions and informants were selected purposively. The focus of the research questions is how is the quality of interfaith religious literacy of educators in schools, madrasahs and Islamic boarding schools; what are their views on the importance of interfaith literacy in the education process in Indonesia; what are their views on the importance of interfaith dialogue in everyday life; and what is the orientation of their religious sensitivity as educators. The results of this study provide an overview of the position of literacy, dialogue, and interfaith religious sensitivity among educators in Indonesia, namely in schools, madrasahs, and Islamic boarding schools at the same time. The results of the study show that the average teacher has a level of interfaith knowledge below six. This means that their interfaith knowledge tends to be low. In terms of their views on interfaith literacy, most teachers have a minimalist view of the need for interfaith knowledge as educators, especially in the field of religion. Interfaith knowledge for them is just enough. Then, in terms of their views on interfaith dialogue in everyday life, they also have views besides being minimalist, also instrumentalist. Interfaith dialogue for most of them is not something that is very important to do with various considerations. Finally, in terms of the orientation of interfaith religious sensitivity, they tend to be minimalist on average and simply accept the existence of other religions without being followed by a desire to adapt, let alone integrate across religions. Thus, teachers, especially religious teachers, who are the respondents with the largest presentation in this study have not been able to carry out their function as agents of developing interfaith relations to create good relations between adherents of religions based on good interfaith knowledge and understanding.