The Implications of Sociocultural Theory for Islamic Education: A Case Study of Pesantren Ramadhan

Lev Vygotsky, through his sociocultural theory, encourages educators to prepare individuals who are adaptive to change. The process of sociocultural internalization in learning contributes to making education more meaningful. Islamic Religious Education emphasizes not only cognitive knowledge but also the cultivation of Islamic character. Using a qualitative approach with a case study focus, this research closely examines the implementation of sociocultural principles in the execution of the Ramadan Boarding School (Pesantren Ramadhan) program. Through in-depth interviews and documentation involving students, teachers, and organizing committee members, it was found that the application of sociocultural learning theory—through intensive social interaction, culturally relevant learning mediations, and attention to the learners’ Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)—is in alignment with the implementation of the Pesantren Ramadhan. Activities such as Qur’anic recitation in peer groups function as peer-facilitated learning, followed by religious discussions, which include small group discussions and public lectures as learning mediators. Additionally, the implementation of various competitions helps to both actualize and strengthen students' potential. These three religious activities represent the embodiment of Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Learning Theory in practice.