EXPLORING THE USE OF THE WORDWALL INTERACTIVE MEDIA IN ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY IN FORMAL AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATION

JKPI: Jurnal Konseling Pendidikan Islam P–ISSN: 2655-9692 E-ISSN: 2746-5977 Vol.7, No. 2, Mei 2026 EXPLORING THE USE OF THE WORDWALL INTERACTIVE MEDIA IN ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY IN FORMAL AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATION *1 Helmi Salma Labibah, 2Siti Muzayinah, 3Dinda Ayu Riskiana 1,2,3 Pascasarjana UIN Prof. K.H. Saifuddin Zuhri Purwokerto *1 Email: , , 3 Abstract The development of digital technology has driven the need for innovative learning media that can increase student engagement in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) learning. One interactive media that is starting to be widely used is Wordwall. This study aims to explore the use of interactive Wordwall media in Islamic Religious Education learning in the context of formal education at SD IT Harapan Bunda and non-formal, namely at Ledug Pintar Learning Guidance. This study uses a qualitative approach with a field study design. The research method uses a descriptive qualitative approach with data collection techniques in the form of observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis is carried out through the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results show that the use of interactive Wordwall media can create a more interesting learning atmosphere, increase active student participation, and help educators in delivering Islamic Religious Education materials in a more varied way. In addition, Wordwall is perceived as a flexible and easily adapted media according to the characteristics of students in formal and non-formal education. However, this study also found several obstacles, including limited access to technology and educators' readiness to optimize media features. This study provides effectiveness that the integration of interactive Wordwall media has the potential to support Islamic Religious Education learning that is more contextual and responsive to students' needs. Keywords: Interactive media, Wordwall, Islamic Education, Formal education, Nonformal education Abstrak Perkembangan teknologi digital mendorong perlunya inovasi media pembelajaran yang mampu meningkatkan keterlibatan peserta didik dalam pembelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam (PAI). Salah satu media interaktif yang mulai banyak digunakan adalah Wordwall. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi penggunaan media interaktif Wordwall dalam pembelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam pada konteks pendidikan formal di SD IT Harapan Bunda dan nonformal yaitu di Bimbingan Belajar Ledug Pintar. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan desain studi lapangan. Metode penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan teknik pengumpulan data berupa observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Analisis data dilakukan melalui tahapan reduksi data, penyajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan media interaktif Wordwall mampu menciptakan suasana 596 Lisensi Creative Commons Atribusi 4.0 Internasional pembelajaran yang lebih menarik, meningkatkan partisipasi aktif peserta didik, serta membantu pendidik dalam menyampaikan materi Pendidikan Agama Islam secara lebih variatif. Selain itu, Wordwall dipersepsikan sebagai media yang fleksibel dan mudah diadaptasi sesuai dengan karakteristik peserta didik pada pendidikan formal maupun nonformal. Namun demikian, penelitian ini juga menemukan beberapa kendala, antara lain keterbatasan akses teknologi dan kesiapan pendidik dalam mengoptimalisasi fitur media. Penelitian ini memberikan implikasi bahwa integrasi media interaktif Wordwall berpotensi mendukung pembelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam yang lebih kontekstual dan responsif terhadap kebutuhan peserta didik. Kata kunci: Media interaktif, Wordwall, Pendidikan Agama Islam, Pendidikan formal, pendidikan nonformal INTRODUCTION Advances in digital technology have brought about significant changes in various aspects of life, including education. The learning process in the digital age demands innovations capable of creating learning experiences that are more engaging, interactive, and tailored to the characteristics of learners. Technology-based learning media have become a widely adopted solution to bridge the need for adaptive and contextual learning, particularly in addressing the limitations of conventional teaching methods, which tend to be one-sided and lack active student participation (Rahmah, 2022). In the context of Islamic Religious Education (IRE), the challenges of learning lie not only in the delivery of content but also in the effort to instill Islamic values in a meaningful way. IRE requires an approach capable of integrating students’ cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects. However, the reality on the ground shows that PAI learning is still often perceived as monotonous and lacking in variety, thereby potentially diminishing students’ interest in learning, both in formal and non-formal education. Therefore, learning media capable of supporting the creation of more participatory and enjoyable PAI learning is needed (Sari & Sunarti, 2021). One interactive learning medium that is increasingly being used in the world of education is Wordwall. Wordwall offers various features based on educational games that can be tailored to learning objectives, including in Islamic Religious Education. Through this medium, educators can present Islamic Religious Education material in the form of quizzes, word games, and other interactive activities that encourage active student engagement. Wordwall’s flexibility allows for its use across various educational levels and learning contexts, whether in formal educational settings such as schools or nonformal settings such as tutoring centers (Fitria, 2020). Although the use of Wordwall in learning has begun to be widely implemented, studies examining how this medium is implemented and interpreted in Islamic Religious Education, particularly in formal and non-formal educational contexts, remain relatively limited. Therefore, this study aims to explore the use of the interactive Wordwall medium in Islamic Religious Education within formal and non-formal education. This study is expected to provide insights into the learning process, student responses, and educators’ 597 perceptions regarding the use of Wordwall, thereby serving as a reference for developing more innovative and contextually relevant Islamic Religious Education (IRE) instruction. Although interactive learning media hold great potential, their implementation in elementary school settings still faces several challenges. One of the main issues is the limited access to technology in some areas for educational purposes, particularly in remote regions. Data from Databoks indicates that 86.65% of students use the internet for entertainment purposes, while 66.68% use it for social media, and only 27.46% utilize the internet for online learning (Muhamad, 2023). Furthermore, not all teachers possess the competence or readiness to optimally uti (...truncated)