Doctrinal Innovation in Islamic Teachings: During the Pandemic Era for the Digital Native Generation

Teaching Islam to children in today's era presents a unique challenge, particularly for the digital native generation in the concrete operational stage of development. This necessitates innovative approaches in conveying Islamic doctrines. Moreover, the global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered the landscape of education, compelling children to learn from home or through blended learning modalities. This study employs a library-based research methodology using a coherent documentation approach. The analytical technique applied is inductive, with a particular emphasis on the meaning of creativity. The primary aim of this study is to explore alternative methodological innovations in religious instruction for children—emphasizing how Islamic teachings can be delivered without neglecting the intrinsic characteristics of digital natives, while also addressing the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic. Based on the findings, digital and online platforms—such as e-learning systems, webinars, social media, audiovisual applications, blogs, e-books, smart-books, and educational gaming apps—are found to be effective tools in accommodating religious education for the digital native generation. These platforms foster the development of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains in the doctrinal teaching of Aqidah, Akhlaq, Fiqh, Islamic History, Qur'an, Hadith, Arabic, and other areas of Islamic knowledge. Furthermore, while considering religious practice within the socio-religious and cultural-demographic contexts of learners, doctrinal innovations must also integrate three key perspectives, the technical perspective, critical literacy perspective, and socio-emotional literacy perspective.