Exploring the Integration of Islamic Values on Students’ Discipline in Malaysian Primary Schools

Students’ discipline is a serious concern in primary education, especially in cultivating students’ behaviour through spiritual and moral awareness rather than depending entirely on regulations and punitive measures. This study examined the integration of Islamic values in the development of students’ discipline at some selected primary schools. The study specifically investigated teachers’ perceptions in handling discipline issues, the methods employed by the teachers to integrate Islamic values for maintaining students’ discipline, the challenges encountered by the teachers and the influence of integrating Islamic values on students’ discipline. Through a qualitative phenomenological approach, data of the study were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with six teachers and four Year 6 students of a national primary school and a private primary school, observations and document analysis of the teachers’ daily lesson plans. Through triangulation between the three sources, the data were examined thematically. The results show that teachers generally perceived that behavioural problems such as incomplete homework, lateness, talking during class, inappropriate language and peer conflicts were manageable but persistent. Lesson planning, classroom routines, reminders about Allah, sin and reward, storytelling, adab, discipline interventions, trustworthiness, peer responsibility and school programmes were all used to integrate Islamic values. The main challenges involved limited parental supervision, weak home-school continuity, media and peer influences, students’ developmental readiness, limited instructional time and inconsistent implementation. The study’s originality is in demonstrating the integration of Islamic values from structured lesson content into daily disciplinary procedures within both classroom and school culture at the primary level. The study suggests that Islamic values can enhance self- regulation, respect, responsibility, positive peer relationships, cleanliness and gradual behaviour progress when systematically planned, modelled and continuously reinforced. Future research ought to encompass a greater number of schools, incorporate parental perspectives and provide longitudinal evidence to determine the continuing effect of Islamic value-based discipline.