Development of In-House Training (IHT) To Enhance Pedagogical and Professional Competence of Teachers in Islamic Religious Education using Digital Platforms in Junior High Schools Throughout Cilaku District

This study addresses the low pedagogical and professional competence of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers in utilizing digital platforms across junior high schools in Cilaku District, manifested through three critical indicators: (1) minimal integration of technology in instruction, (2) constrained digital learning resources, and (3) challenges in managing digital-based learning. The research aims to analyze IHT needs, design an IHT model, test its efficacy, and evaluate its impact. Employing a Research and Development (R&D) approach with the Borg & Gall model, data were collected through observation, documentation, and questionnaires across nine junior high schools. Key findings reveal: First, a pressing demand for IHT as a competence-building intervention, wherein PAI teachers demonstrated technological adaptability but required structured pedagogical-professional support—including hands-on training and sustained mentorship—for effective digital platform utilization. Second, the IHT model was designed as a seven-stage cyclical framework (needs analysis, planning, material development, implementation, mentoring, CIPP evaluation, and sustainable development), validated through data triangulation. Third, IHT significantly enhanced pedagogical competence (digital lesson planning, evaluation) and professional competence (creative material development), evidenced by marked pre-post training score improvements and elevated quality of teacher-generated digital products. Fourth, sustainable outcomes emerged, including transformed teacher learning culture, communities of practice, and collaborative PAI media development initiatives reinforced by post-training mentorship. The study concludes that IHT serves as a strategic foundation for technology-driven educational enhancement.