Institutionalizing Tarbiyah: An Empirical Model for Sustainable Islamic Character Education in an Integrated Islamic Senior High School

Abstract

Character education has become a central concern in Islamic education; however, existing studies predominantly examine the effectiveness of religious programs, curriculum integration, or mentoring practices, while limited attention has been given to how these initiatives become institutionalized within the educational system. This study aims to analyze the institutionalization process of Tarbiyah Islamiyah as a holistic Islamic character education system in an integrated Islamic senior high school. Employing a qualitative intrinsic case study, data were collected through in-depth interviews with the principal, teachers, Islamic education teachers, extracurricular mentors, and four students, complemented by observations and document analysis. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns of institutionalization. The findings reveal that Tarbiyah Islamiyah develops through an interconnected institutional process comprising five major dimensions: institutional foundation, curriculum institutionalization, mentoring system, school culture and value habituation, and character assessment, which collectively foster students' holistic character development across spiritual, intellectual, social, and personal domains. Rather than functioning merely as a religious mentoring program, Tarbiyah operates as an institutional mechanism that integrates organizational values, curriculum, pedagogical practices, and school culture into a sustainable character education system. Based on these findings, this study proposes the Institutionalization of Tarbiyah Model (ITM) as a conceptual framework that explains how Islamic values gain institutional legitimacy, are internalized through educational practices, and are continuously reproduced through organizational culture. The study contributes to the literature by extending the understanding of Islamic character education from program implementation toward the institutionalization of values within educational organizations.