Multicultural Education in the Religious Thought of the Millennial Generation

PENGARUH PENDIDIKAN MULTIKULTURAL TERHADAP PEMIKIRAN AGAMA GENERASI MILENIAL

Abstract

Religion-based multicultural education in Indonesia is an important issue amid the rapidly growing religious and cultural diversity, especially among the millennial generation. This research aims to examine the millennial generation's understanding of religious education that integrates multicultural values, as well as explore their challenges and expectations for an inclusive religious education curriculum. A qualitative approach with case study design was used in this study, where data was collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observations, and analysis of curriculum documents from various schools and universities. The results show that religious education in Indonesia tends to be sectarian and does not introduce religious diversity, even though social media plays an important role in expanding the millennial generation's knowledge of other religions. The informant expressed his hope that religious education in the future can teach the values of tolerance and mutual respect between religious communities. The study also found that the lack of training for religious teachers on multicultural education is one of the main obstacles. The novelty of this research lies in the effort to integrate the concept of multicultural-based religious education with the perspective of the millennial generation, which has not been explored much in previous research. These findings provide recommendations for designing a religious education curriculum that is more responsive to the needs of the times and cultural diversity.