Exploring Islamic-Oriented Cooperative Learning through Faith-Driven Collaboration in among University Students in Islamic Education Courses

In the context of Islamic higher education, there is a growing need to align pedagogical practices with faith-based values, particularly in creating collaborative learning environments. However, limited research has explored how cooperative learning is shaped by Islamic ethical principles within the domain of Islamic Educational Sciences. This study addresses that gap by examining how Islamic ethical values influence the implementation of cooperative learning in Islamic Educational Sciences courses at Indonesian Islamic universities. Guided by social constructivist learning theory, cooperative learning theory and Islamic pedagogical ethics, this research employed a qualitative phenomenological design. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with six lecturers and 22 students from three Islamic higher education institutions. The findings revealed that when infused with values such as mutual assistance, brotherhood and sincerity, cooperative learning is transformed into a pedagogical and spiritual act, worship, promoting both academic achievement and moral development. Three major themes emerged: (1) Islamic values establish an ethical framework for group accountability and conflict resolution; (2) lecturers act as moral facilitators by embedding religious rituals and monitoring ethical conduct; and (3) students experience personal transformation marked by increased empathy, sincerity and responsibility. Despite these benefits, challenges such as grade-oriented mindsets and institutional focus on performance metrics hinder consistent application. The study proposes a Faith-Driven Cooperative Learning Model that integrates traditional Islamic educational practices with contemporary cooperative learning strategies. Recommendations include faculty development programs on values-based pedagogy and institutional realignment of assessment systems to support character education. Although limited by its reliance on interview data, this research offers theoretical and practical contributions to faith-integrated pedagogy in Islamic and broader values-based educational contexts.