Digital Technology and the Reconstruction of Social Interaction in a Madrasah: A Qualitative Study in East Jawa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61255/jupiter.v4i4.1794Keywords:
Sociology of Islamic Education, Social Interaction, Digital Technology, Madrasah, Transformation of EducationAbstract
Background: The increasing integration of digital technology into madrasah education has transformed learning practices as well as communication, authority, participation, and interpersonal relations. However, limited attention has been given to how these changes reconstruct social interaction and the internalization of Islamic values in madrasah settings. Purpose: This study analyzes how digital technology reconstructs social interaction and its implications for communication, participation, interpersonal closeness, educational authority, and religious value internalization in a madrasah. Methods: A descriptive qualitative approach was used in a single madrasah in East Java that has integrated digital technology into learning and communication. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 informants (one head, six teachers, and eight students). Thematic analysis was conducted through coding, categorization, theme development, and interpretation using NVivo 14. Results: Digital technology expands communication spaces, accelerates information flow, enhances collaboration, and enables flexible participation. It also produces hybrid interaction patterns combining online and face-to-face engagement. The role of teachers shifts from primary information sources to epistemic and moral authorities. However, challenges include reduced face-to-face interaction, weakened social control, digital literacy gaps, and changing communication ethics. Conclusion and Implications: Digital technology reconstructs social interaction by reshaping communication, participation, relationships, and authority. Madrasas need ethical, inclusive, and Islamic value-based digital governance. Findings are context-specific. Originality: This study conceptualizes digital technology as a driver of hybrid social relations and transformed educational authority in madrasas.
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