Digital Media in Islamic Religious Education: A Systematic Literature Review of Its Influence on Student Learning Motivation

Abstract

The proliferation of digital technologies has reshaped contemporary classrooms, yet Islamic Religious Education (IRE) in Indonesian schools largely retains lecture-based instruction that frequently fails to sustain learner engagement. Prior studies have examined educational technology broadly, but syntheses focused on how digital media shape motivation within IRE remain limited, particularly regarding the typologies of media most effective for spiritual and moral content. This study aimed to map the influence of digital media on IRE learning motivation, identify the most effective media typologies, and document the principal barriers to adoption. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 protocol. Peer-reviewed publications issued between January 2019 and December 2024 were retrieved from Scopus, ERIC, DOAJ, and SINTA-indexed databases using Boolean strings combining "digital media," "interactive media," "augmented reality," "virtual reality," "learning motivation," and "Islamic education." Of 318 records identified, 46 articles met the inclusion criteria, with inter-rater agreement of κ = 0.84 (substantial agreement). Thematic content analysis revealed that audiovisual media particularly animated videos were associated with motivational gains in 39.1% of the corpus; interactive applications and gamified platforms increased classroom engagement; and immersive AR/VR, although appearing in only 13.0% of studies, produced the largest reported gains for spiritual and historical narratives. Recurring obstacles included infrastructural limitations (60.9%) and insufficient teacher digital-pedagogical competence (54.3%). Digital media exert a positive influence on IRE motivation when integrated through pedagogically grounded designs that embed Islamic ethical values, addressing cognitive, affective, and spiritual dimensions concurrently.