Digital Ecology of Islamic Boarding Schools: A Systematic Literature Review on Multicultural Education and Resilience Against Religious Extremism

Digital transformation has transformed the landscape of Islamic education, presenting new opportunities and challenges in the formation of religious identity among Islamic boarding school students (pesantren). On the one hand, digital spaces can strengthen multicultural values and religious moderation, but on the other hand, they can also serve as a medium for the spread of extremist narratives. This study aims to synthesize the literature on the digital ecology of Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) and its role in building multicultural values and resilience against religious extremism. The study used a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method, adhering to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Literature was obtained from Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, Dimensions, and Google Scholar databases through a process of identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and inclusion. A total of 54 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The study identified five main themes: the digital transformation of Islamic education, changes in religious authority in the digital space, technology-based multicultural education, the expansion of digital extremism, and strengthening religious moderation and digital literacy. The findings indicate that resilience against extremism is determined not only by individual capacity but also by the existence of a healthy digital ecology characterized by critical digital literacy, an inclusive communication culture, access to credible religious sources, moderate leadership, and constructive digital governance. Furthermore, the relationship between digital transformation, multicultural education, and religious moderation is interdependent in shaping the resilience of Islamic boarding school students to extremist propaganda in the digital space. As a theoretical contribution, this study proposes the Digital Resilience Ecology Multicultural Model (DREM-Model), which explains that resilience against extremism is the result of the dynamic interaction between technology, education, culture, and religious values within the Islamic boarding school ecosystem. This model expands the study of digital Islamic education by shifting the focus from a counter-radicalization approach to ecological resilience as a strategy for strengthening sustainable resilience.