Developing Children's Islamic Spiritual Intelligence in the Digital Age: Indonesian Family Education Methods

Abstract

This study was to (1) shed light on how Indonesian family education is used to develop children's Islamic spiritual intelligence in the digital age; and (2) shed light on how the Indonesian family environment motivates children to utilize technology while also developing their Islamic spiritual intelligence. This study used a qualitative case study research design in conjunction with a cross-sectional survey method. A total of 160 Indonesian parents having children aged 7 to 12 years old participated in this study by responding to a survey distributed to all participants. However, only ten parent couples (20 persons) were chosen to engage in an indepth interview. This study gathered data using a survey and in-depth interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed descriptively quantitatively, and qualitative data were analyzed using Creswell's (2012) theory. The findings show that the parents involved in this study implement family education to develop their children’s Islamic spiritual intelligence. The approach of family education is implemented in two ways, i.e., verbal discourse and behavioral examples. The use of technology is another way and medium for developing children’s spiritual intelligence in this digital age. This study concludes that parents are aware that the most critical foundation for children's spiritual intelligence development is family education.