Integrating Islamic Politeness Values into Indonesian Language Learning: A Pedagogical Model for Strengthening Literacy in Elementary Education

Abstract

Elementary language education frequently prioritizes linguistic competence while giving insufficient attention to ethical communication and communicative character development. This study aimed to formulate and preliminarily evaluate an Islamic politeness-based pedagogical model for strengthening Indonesian language literacy and ethical communication among elementary school students. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was implemented through qualitative exploration, model development, and quantitative field evaluation. The qualitative phase involved 10 classroom/Indonesian language teachers, six Islamic Religious Education teachers, four principals, and 24 Grade IV–V students. The quantitative phase involved 80 students from five elementary schools, including the 24 qualitative participants. Thematic analysis identified five interconnected pedagogical needs: explicit integration of language politeness, incorporation of Islamic communication values, systematic value internalization, teacher modelling and supportive classroom interaction, and integrative assessment. These findings informed the development of the five-stage SPEAK model: Stimulate, Practice, Engage, Actualize, and Keep Reflecting. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests indicated significant pretest–posttest differences in Indonesian language literacy and Islamic language politeness (both Z = −7.770, p < .001). Mean individual N-Gain values were moderate for literacy (g = .443) and politeness (g = .451). The findings provide preliminary evidence of consistent within-group improvement and establish SPEAK as an integrative framework connecting literacy development, Islamic politeness, contextual practice, and reflective habituation. Its emphasis on literacy, respectful communication, and value-based learning also indicates potential relevance to the broader educational priorities reflected in SDG 4, particularly target 4.7. Further controlled studies are required to determine the model’s causal effectiveness and broader applicability.