Epistemological Transformation of Religious Moderation Through Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) in Islamic Higher Education

Abstract

This study investigates the implementation gap in religious moderation within Islamic Higher Education, specifically focusing on the uneven distribution of moderation indicators in the Aqidah Akhlak curriculum. The research aims to solve the problem of superficial integration by utilizing the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) approach. The key argument is that moderation values are only effectively internalized when students' prior social experiences are formally recognized and integrated into the pedagogical framew A mixed-methods design was employed involving 96 alumni from the 2024/2025 academic year. Data collection utilized the Madrasah Religious Moderation Assessment (MRMA) survey tool and in-depth semi-structured interviews. The PLAR framework was applied through four stages: identification, documentation, assessment, and recognition of students' prior moderate behaviors. The study found a significant disparity in indicator distribution. While "Ukhuwah" (brotherhood), politeness, and wisdom reached a 100% insertion and relevance rate, "Local Accommodation" showed the lowest integration, with only 50–57% of students recognizing its presence. Furthermore, environmental justice remains neglected, with 67% of respondents noting a lack of material distribution in religious lessons. The findings are primarily constrained to the PTKI context in West Sumatra, which may limit generalizability to institutions with different cultural backgrounds. Methodologically, the reliance on alumni recall (Prior Learning Recognition) may introduce retrospective bias regarding their past classroom experiences.