





































English Language Teaching Educational Journal   ISSN 2621-6485 

Vol. 8, No. 1, April 2025, pp. 14-24  

       https://doi.org/10.12928/eltej.v8i1.11912          http://journal2.uad.ac.id/index.php/eltej/index        eltej@pbi.uad.ac.id 

Unleashing the power of instruction: Internalizing religious 

moderation values in students’ EFL writing  

Nurul Puspita a,1,*, Septa Aryanika b,2 

a, b UIN Raden Intan Lampung, Jl. Endro Suratmin, Bandar Lampung and 35131, Indonesia  
1 nurulpuspita@radenintan.ac.id*; 2 septaaryanika@radenintan.ac.id   

 

 

* corresponding author 

A R T I C L E  I N F O 

 

A B ST R ACT  

 

 

Article history 

Received 19 December 2024 

Revised 14 March 2025 

Accepted 25 April 2025 

 Writing in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is a special chance for 
students to improve their language skills and develop their social 
awareness. Through the use of writing prompts that promote values like 
tolerance, respect for others, and critical thinking, students are able to 
express themselves more effectively in English and gain a deeper 
comprehension of other viewpoints. This study used qualitative research 
to examine the effects of implementing religious moderation values on 
EFL students' writing ability. Analysis of the effects of exposure to these 
values on writing coherence, argumentation, and intercultural sensitivity 
was done using data acquired through students interviews and 
observation sheets. The results show that the incorporating of religious 
moderation in EFL lessons has a positive effect on students' language 
learning and knowledge of global cultural issues encouraging more 
considerate and polite conversation. The research emphasizes how 
learning a language together with a values-based education can result in 
students who are more adept and socially conscientious, especially in 
writing class. 

 

© The Authors 2025. Published by Universitas Ahmad Dahlan. 

This is an open access article under the CC–BY-SA license.    

 

 
Keywords 

The Power of Instruction 

Religious Moderation  

Students’ EFL Writing 

Values 

 

 

How to Cite: Puspita, N. & Aryanika, S. (2025). Unleashing the power of instruction: Internalizing religious 
moderation values in students’ EFL writing. English Language Teaching Educational Journal, 8(1), 14-24. 
https://doi.org/10.12928/eltej.v8i1.11912 

1. Introduction 

Indonesia is admitted universally as one of the moderate Islamic countries and has the major 
Muslim population in the world. Subsequently, we have always constantly encouraged moderate Islam 
as element of our foreign rule uniqueness in order to determine the essential reputation in the global 
system. However, dialogue over Indonesia’s hesitating moderate Islam in Indonesia has lately picked 
up steam, especially in the wake of the substantial public complaints in Jakarta in late 2016. As of 
right now, the tendency toward intolerance in all of its indications in society is developing rather than 
lessening (Fajri & Muhtarom, 2022). For instance, inappropriate usage of moderation is often the root 
cause of religious conflicts in Indonesia; promoting the principle of moderation will aid in their 
resolution (Qoffal et al., 2025). It means that as a civilization, we have to increase and incorporate the 
important values of religious moderation in our daily lives such as incorporation obligation, tolerance, 
non-violence, and accommodating to local culture. 

Therefore, the existence of religious moderation is desired to facilitate between diversity, where 
religious devotees can take the middle (moderate) route within the diversity of interpretations, and 
tolerance without disobeying the core of their religious teaching (Muchtar et al., 2022). A midway 
ground where religion and culture coexist peacefully is religious moderation. Furthermore, 
moderation aims to prevent current religions and beliefs from clashing with the cultural diversity or 

https://doi.org/10.12928/eltej.v8i1.11912
http://journal2.uad.ac.id/index.php/eltej/index
mailto:nurulpuspita@radenintan.ac.id
mailto:septaaryanika@radenintan.ac.id
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https://doi.org/10.12928/eltej.v8i1.11912


ISSN 2621-6485 English Language Teaching Educational Journal 15 
 Vol. 8, No. 1, April 2025, pp. xx-xx 

 Puspita & Aryanika (Unleashing the power of instruction: Internalizing religious moderation values) 

local wisdom that emerges in Indonesia. It is possible to stop radical or restrictive religious viewpoints 
by adopting an attitude and level of awareness associated to religious moderation toward culture 
(Mahmudin et al., 2022). At last Smith (2023) explains that the lack of excess, or the act or state of 
being less aggressive or intense, is what is meant by moderation. 

Additionally, it is enormously important to adopt religious moderation values over education field. 
Education is also an essential characteristic of assembling a tolerant educational setting for all 
religious believers. The application of religious moderation in education is to comprehend common 
thoughtful from an early age between students who have altered religious views. The syllabus or books 
employed in schools should incorporate the principles of diversity and religious tolerance. 
Additionally, by executing the principles of religious culture in schools as well as the compact focus 
on teachers and administration of educational organizations, it is anticipated to form closeness and 
social students so that prospectively, we can figure the atmosphere, ethics and cultivation of a 
distinguished country and not victimize in contradiction of other people's religions (Abdilaa, 2021). It 
is also explained by Nor et al. (2025) that incorporating religious moderation into English instruction, 
particularly in curricula that emphasize values-based learning and encourage tolerance and moderation 
to build peaceful communities. It can be said that incorporating religious moderation values in 
teaching and learning process can foster students’ positive manners in their social lives both at school 

and at home. 

The completion of religious moderation value in teaching and learning procedure is not only 
combined in religious course but also into entire course. For illustration, science and social subject, 
such as English (Pelu, et al., 2022). The existence of Islamic integrity values mixed into every subject 
in school, students could implement the values of Islamic character in daily lives Fakhruddin et al. 
(2025). Moreover, Sholeh et al. (2022) express that through lesson designs, instructional materials, 
teaching and learning activities, and evaluation, madrasah English language instruction can 
incorporate Islamic moderation norms. Thus, participating the Islamic moderation value into the 
teaching and learning process is not a hard work. Teachers can designate the education methods which 
shelter the teaching space activity connecting collaborative activities. In one word, the use of religious 
moderation values can be simply affected in a school’s curriculum. 

According Patak et al. (2018), teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) becomes more 
relevant if teachers can participate local information, such as the importance of students’ religion, in 
addition to the culture of the society in which the students live. By giving information about the 
students’ social and cultural backgrounds and using real-world examples to illustrate a topic, for 
instance, teachers can inspire their pupils. Additionally, students' cultural backgrounds can be used as 
a source of input texts while teaching English as a second language. This allows them to learn about 
and develop local cultures, including moral values and knowledge that are essential for character 
development. Thus, pre-service English instructors who have integrated the local culture into their 
lesson plans in three areas such as product, practices, and perspective support it. Then, some of them 
blended local customs from different ethnic groups, while others solely included specific local cultures 
(Azhary & Fatimah, 2024). 

Students should acquire English language skills, such as speaking, listening, reading, and writing, 
when studying English as a foreign language (EFL). Since teaching writing also involves teaching all 
other skills, it is said to be the most challenging talent to teach. Over the course of several decades, 
educators and academics have worked hard to determine the most effective methods for teaching 
ESL/EFL writing. Iskandar (2020) expresses that there are two key unfavorable circumstances 
repeatedly faced by students in the process of writing. First of all, it is understandable when students 
utilize inappropriate language translations because they typically have a propensity to think in two 
different languages simultaneously. Second, they write more slowly to prevent errors since they are 
aware of their weakness in writing mechanics. It is also stated by Altun (2023) that writing is a difficult 
process that calls for creativity, critical thinking, and language skills since it involves generating, 
organizing, and transforming ideas into coherent compositions. 

Extensive studies have been conducted regarding the execution of religious moderation values. For 
instance, Azizah et al. (2022) argue that the study's findings demonstrated a strong correlation between 
puppet media and storytelling exercises in helping young children, ages 5 to 6, develop a deeper 
understanding of tolerance and peace making toward differences. Additionally, the teacher's approach 
was successful in instilling the concept of gentleness as moderation and a love of peace. Finally, it can 



16 English Language Teaching Educational Journal   ISSN 2621-6485 

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 Puspita & Aryanika (Unleashing the power of instruction: Internalizing religious moderation values) 

be claimed that early childhood story activities are strongly linked to fostering values in a moderately 
religious manner. In addition, Pelu, et al. (2022) explain that the study's findings demonstrated that 
while constructing learning objectives and guidelines for moderation-based English education, 
English teachers constantly take the implementation into account. When formulating learning 
objectives and guidelines, educators should be impartial, avoid favoritism toward any student or 
group, and steer clear of any goals that could incite violence.  

Moreover, Hidayat (2022) states that the findings of the research indicated that Habib Hussein 
Ja'far Al-Hadar has successfully accomplished the three phases of value incorporation: value 
transformation, value transactions, and trans-internalization. It demonstrates how the YouTube 
channel's material works to combat extremism and foster tolerance for other religions in millennials. 
Therefore, Wahyuningsih and Munawaroh (2023) mention that verbal stimulation (advice and 
reminders), English language material, instructional strategies, instructor conduct, and homework can 
all contribute to the internalization of religious moderation principles. Tolerance, dialogue, fairness, 
dynamics, creativity, and development are some of these principles. The personality diversity of 
students and the dearth of English textbooks with religious moderation ideals provide obstacles in the 
meantime. At last, it is seen to be beneficial to incorporate religious moderation into the creation of 
English teaching materials in order to shield pupils from radicalism and intolerance (Budiasih & Dewi, 
2023). 

Considering the phenomena above, research on religious moderation values were mostly in Islamic 
study program where they are accustomed with Islamic values. Therefore, research on integrating 
religious moderation values into ELT settings, particularly in teaching writing and analysing its 
strengths, remains limited and requires further exploration. The current research, therefore, aims to 
portray on internalizing the religious moderation values in teaching writing as well as the strength. 
Since writing is a complex skill, it differs based on students’ academic level, prior knowledge, and 
language skills. Furthermore, students should also adhere strictly to the writing process. Making a 
plan, outlining, drafting, and refining the manuscript are the first steps. 

Through collaborative writing strategies, the researchers in this study aim to help students 
internalize the values of religious moderation when writing essays. One type of collaborative learning 
that encourages students to collaborate to produce a written piece is the collaborative writing 
technique. With the primary objectives of switching ideas, peer teaching (such as checking grammar 
or writing mechanics), or even suggesting concepts to improve the writing, students can share in 
groups or pairs to put it into practice. They can also acquire social skills like negotiation and open-
mindedness (Wahyuningsih & Munawaroh, 2023). In addition, in academic writing classes, 
collaborative writing exercises greatly enhance the caliber of individual writing (Pham, 2023). The 
students are practicing religious moderation values like tolerance (“tasamuh”) and discussion 
(“syura”) by employing this method. Afterward, the researcher shall offer the topic and theme of the 
essay, which denotes to local wisdom (“I’tiraf bil urf”).   

The research is unique in that it takes an innovative approach to incorporating religious moderation 
values into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing instruction, particularly in Islamic 
educational contexts. While earlier research has examined into religious moderation in education, this 
research distinguishes out because it focuses on internalizing religious moderation values through EFL 
writing, a less usual intersection. Providing useful advice on how English teachers might integrate 
cultural and moral values into language instruction, which may encourage more all-encompassing 
teaching methods. The primary research and research questions for this research are: 

1. How is the incorporation of religious moderation values in students’ EFL writing? 

2. What is the impact of incorporating religious moderation values in students’ EFL writing? 

2. Method 

This qualitative research aimed to comprehend the social phenomena of the student performance 
in essay writing, specifically writing comparison essays with the topic of Lampung local wisdom by 
implementing religious moderation values. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to inform the 
implementation and impact of religious moderation values. Since qualitative research aims to 
understand and evaluate people's meanings, behaviours, and social facts in their everyday 
environments, it is a crucial technique in many academic disciplines and expert fields (Hecker & 



ISSN 2621-6485 English Language Teaching Educational Journal 17 
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 Puspita & Aryanika (Unleashing the power of instruction: Internalizing religious moderation values) 

Kalpokas, 2024). Although it offers a variety of data gathering and analysis methods and in-depth, 
human-centred insights, qualitative research has drawbacks such as limited generalizability and 
possible researcher bias (Lim, 2024). To sum up, qualitative research aims to provide a comprehensive 
and contextualized understanding of the phenomenon being studied by compiling and analysing non-
numerical data, such as words, images, and behaviours. Qualitative research uses a variety of 
techniques and approaches for the collecting and analysis of non-numerical data in order to get a 
deeper knowledge of human experiences and behaviours. 

2.1 Participants 

Students enrolled in an essay writing course in the fourth semester of UIN Raden Intan Lampung's 
English education study program served as the research participants. The participants were recruited 
through the use of purposive sampling. Eighty-six students from four classes participated. The 
students were chosen due to their extensive writing expertise, which was necessary for them to pass a 
course on composing paragraphs. 

2.2 Instruments 

The implementation of religious moderation values in students’ essay writing used an observation 
sheet from collaborative writing procedures. It was adopted to examine the internalization of the 
values by the participants in completing essay writing tasks. The observations comprise 7 steps. For 
instances, students create pairs or triads to produce concepts, students establish their concepts and 
create an outline, students split up the outline then produce draft, teams read rough drafts and examine 
and determine any substantial differences in voice, content, and style, teams merge individual writing 
into a single essay, team review and edit their essay, and teams collect their essay. It was done in two 
meetings. Therefore, these steps assisted the researchers to interpret the implementation of religious 
moderation values in students’ EFL writing. 

To interpret students’ experiences in writing an essay while implementing religious moderation 
values into learning activities, a semi-structured interview was organized. The researcher explored 
several aspects of religious moderation values into the items of questions. There are several aspects 
used as the interview guidelines for instance, Tasamuh (Tolerance), Shura (Discussion), Tathawur wa 
Ibtikar (Dynamic/Creative/Innovative), and Musawah (Egalitarian). 

2.3 Data Collection 

In this research, the researchers gathered the data by using observation, and semi-structured 
interview. First, an observation guideline was generated by using steps of collaborative writing 
technique theory. Second, the students were interviewed by using semi-structure interview. There 
were about 30 students interviewed. It is related to their experiences in writing an essay through 
collaborative writing by using local wisdom themes. This kind of interview allows the comprehensive 
investigation while pertaining consistency across interviews. 

2.4 Data Analysis  

The interview data were completely transcribed to find necessary information. The information 
was then coded. By grouping the coded data into distinct group types, the researchers created a 
conceptual framework (Corbin & Strauss, 2014). The interview revealed recurring themes that 
occurred. Within the data, researchers find and examine recurrent themes or patterns. This entails 
categorizing or labelling pieces of the data in order to code it and then organizing the codes into more 
general themes (Maguire & Delahunt, 2017). The symbol "S" was used to refer to the students when 
examining the data. For instance, student 1 is denoted by "S1." The insights gained from the interview 
sessions were cross-checked and validated with the students' real classroom activities using 
observational data. The observation data were also used to portray the incorporation of religious 
moderation values in students’ EFL writing. 

3. Findings and Discussion 

Following a comprehensive analysis of data collected from observation guidelines among students’ 
EFL writing of the 4th semester, this section will present the key results regarding their activity in 
writing a classification essay that incorporated religious moderation values, as presented in Table 1. 



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 Puspita & Aryanika (Unleashing the power of instruction: Internalizing religious moderation values) 

Table 1.  Result of Observation 

No. Procedures of 

Collaborative 

Writing Techniques 

Descriptions 

1. Students create pairs or 

triads at your directions 

or by selecting buddies 

and then produce 

concepts by thinking 

collectively or 

accompanying 

preliminary research.  

In the introduction to teaching writing, the lecturer has explained the topic 

of the material, which was a classification essay. Therefore, the students are 

divided into several teams. In a team are about 5 students. It is divided 

equally based on students’ competency without considering their social 

background (Musawah/Equality). It is fair, and all students have the same 

chance to work in teams (I’tidal). 

 

Moreover, the students are asked to share their knowledge with each other. 

They started to arrange the brainstorming ideas from the chosen topic. The 

students are freely to share their creative and innovative ideas (Tathawur wa 

ibtikar). The topic is about the local custom of Lampung society (local 

wisdom). The topics provided are (1) the plantation commodities from 

Lampung, (2) the handicrafts from Lampung, (3) the indigenous community 

groups, (4) the Lampung’s traditional dance, (5) the Lampung’s traditional 

food, (6) the Lampung’s traditional song, and (7) the Lampung’s traditional 

folklore. 

 

2. Together, students 

establish their concepts 

and create an outline 

After writing a mapping of the brainstorming, the students organized their 

ideas and made an outline. All students try to share their ideas in making 

thesis statements, topic sentences, and conclusions. The members of the 

team support and embrace innovative ideas to produce an outline 

(Tathawwur wa Ibtikar/Dynamism and Innovation).  The students in their 

team actively participate in organizing and creating an outline 

(Musawah/Egalitarian). 

3. Students split up the 

outline, selecting or 

communicating portions 

so that each can 

produce an original 

draft on their own. 

The leader of the team showed the result of the outline to members. Then, 

the lecturer suggested that the students should generate their draft 

individually. It is helping the students to encourage their self-improvement 

for positive benefit about their writing proficiency (Ishlah/Reform).  In 

addition, the students practiced generating their original ideas in the initial 

draft and respecting their members’s ideas (Tasamuh/Tolerance). 

 

4. Teams read rough drafts 

and examine and 

determine any 

substantial differences 

in voice, content, and 

style. 

After completing the initial draft, then the team discussed and resolved 

several aspects, such as voice, content, and style. The lecturer guided the 

students to check whether or not the students had generated the ideas based 

on the main topic. In this essay, the students have classified the topic and 

mentioned examples of the chosen topic. Moreover, the member can 

prioritize revising their incorrect writing in order to have a positive effect on 

their essay (Aulawiyah/Prioritizing Priorities).  

 

5. Teams merge individual 

writing into a single 

essay 

The next step is collecting an individual writing. The team has consulted and 

selected each other then they made a decision to promote original single 

document (Shura/Consultation/Deliberation).  

 

6. Team review and edit 

their essay, ensuring for 

content and clarity as 

well as grammar, 

spelling, and 

punctuation. 

The writing document is ready to check. Each of the students identify the 

writing aspects such as content and clarity as well as grammar, spelling, and 

punctuation. The essay is written by using handwriting. Thus, it should be 

checked carefully by using the writing's rubric that emphasizes the middle 

path, not the careless rubric (Tawassuth/Middle Path). 

 

7. After the last edit, teams 

collect their essay to the 

professor for evaluation 

and assessment. 

The team has submitted their handwriting essay. The lecturer checked it. 

Example of introductory paragraph: 

Lampung dance shows rich cultural values. Lampung dance expresses 

respect and reflection of life. As a Lampung people, we must preserve it. 

There are many types of traditional dance from Lampung. Therefore, the 

writer will focus on explaining traditional dance from East Lampung. The 

dances are Meliting, Bedana, and Cangget.  

 

The second section will present the result of interview. The interview was conducted offline with 
the students. The students were permitted to respond to the interview questions in both English and 
Indonesian, even though the researchers asked the questions in English. There were several questions 
related to the research question given to the students. The questions refer to two major themes, such 



ISSN 2621-6485 English Language Teaching Educational Journal 19 
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 Puspita & Aryanika (Unleashing the power of instruction: Internalizing religious moderation values) 

as students’ experiences and the impact of implementing religious moderation values in students’ EFL 
writing. 

 

3.1. Themes 1: Students’ experiences of implementing religious moderation values in 

students’ EFL writing. 

All students who have been interviewed shared their activities during the implementation of 
religious moderation values based on the steps of the writing process. The following is an example of 
students’ transcription. 

S1 : First, we chose the topic. We chose the topic about the indigenous community groups.  Then, 
we brainstormed ideas, find familiar vocabulary such as begawi, pepaduan, and siger. We try to give 
chance one another in sharing our opinions, selected the most relevant points, and finally organized 
them into essay parts together. 

S2 : Lecturers give instructions to classify essays by giving several topics to choose from about 
the local wisdom of Lampung in each group that has been formed previously and then each group 
works together to complete the essay according to the topic they choose. In the essay we gave 
information or create new ideas about some typical Lampung foods and classified them according to 
the characteristics of each food in discussion. 

S3 : At first, we decided on the topic by drawing a lottery. We got Lampung folklore. The 
uniqueness obtained; we can find out that there are many Lampung folklores that people don't know. 
Many of these stories still exist today. Then we brainstorm it together. Some specific words are 
TelukBetung, Kota Bumi, Liwa, Kelengkup Gangsa, and more found in our discussion. Therefore, we 
share opinions with each other, choosing the most resonant, and finally organising them into the 
sections that we want to write into the essay. 

S4 : First, we brainstormed ideas related to Lampung culture. Then, we discussed which ideas 
were most suitable for a classification essay. After that, we selected specific categories and supporting 
details together. We categorized the words according to the theme, made sure they fit the 
classification, and checked their meaning and context through discussions and online dictionaries. We 
also found vocabulary such as "Sigeh Penguten," "Seruit," "Tapis cloth," "Pindang Lampung," and 
"Melinting Dance." 

3.2. Themes 2: Students’ reflection on the impact of implementing religious moderation 

values in students’ EFL writing. 

There were some varied answers from the students interviewed about the impact they obtained of 
implementing religious moderation values in students’ EFL writing. The following is an example of 
students’ responses. 

S1 : The presence of words that show the characteristics of each subject analyzed, for example: 
the classification of traditional Lampung food between “seruit” and “tempoyak”. Therefore, S1 also 
mentioned about their discussion. First, each of us must know and get information about Lampung 
culture, then we discuss to summarize the words with vocabulary that others often say, then change 
the words that are difficult for readers to understand. 

S2 : “Sigeh Pengunten”. A traditional welcoming dance performed to greet honored guests. Sigeh 
Pengunten is a dance symbol of hospitality and respect in Lampung culture, often performed at 
important ceremonies. It reflects the refinement and elegance of the Lampung people. In addition, S2 
also discuss and create new innovation for their essay. To facilitate different ideas in a team, several 
actions can be taken to encourage creativity, open communication. 

S3 : We chose suitable words by researching keywords and phrases related to Lampung folklore. 
Specific words include “Tari Sembah,” “Tari Bedana,” and “Upacara.” Then, S3 mentions the team 
also tried to solve several differences in writing and essay. By having a group discussion to determine 
the final outcome that will be used in writing the essay. 

S4 : We have focus on traditional food at Lampung. The terms such as seruit, tempoyak, and 
gulai taboh. Then, in discussion the team took several actions, it can be taken to encourage creativity, 
open communication. sometimes there is a different idea but there is always a way out for it 



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Drawing on the interview result, the students agree that the implementation of religious moderation 
values in students’ EFL writing provides positive impacts such as enriching students vocabulary, 
engaging students’ discussion, fostering students’ critical thinking, and promoting tolerance and 
harmony through real-life examples. 

3.3. Discussion  

The initial result of this research indicates that the implementation of religious moderation values 
in students’ EFL writing has become a major field of research. By internalizing religious moderation 
values into the teaching writing, the lecturer can produce a learning environment that is more 
significant and impactful. The religious moderation principles appear during the implementation such 
as Musawah or Equality, I’tidal or local wisdom, Tathawwur wa ibtikar or dynamism and innovation, 
Shura or consultation or deliberation, and Tawassuth or middle path. The following is the example of 
incorporation religious moderation principles taken from observation and interview result. “It is 
divided equally based on students’ competency without considering their social background”. “Yes, 
the leader divided roles among team members based on our strengths, such as research, writing, and 
editing” “It is fair, and all students have the same chance to work in teams” (Musawah or Equality). 
“The topic is about the local custom of Lampung society (I’tidal or Local wisdom). “The members of 
the team support and embrace innovative ideas to produce an outline”. “We searched online articles, 
books about Lampung culture, interviewed local elders, and referred to school materials.” “We 
compared several sources and chose the ones that were most accurate, detailed, and easy to 
understand.” (Tathawwur wa Ibtikar/Dynamism and Innovation). “The team has consulted and 
selected each other then they made a decision to promote original single document” “There were 
several times I gave my ideas for the topic. We were discussing, sometimes I took it by looking at the 
reality around me, or experiences from other people”. (Shura/Consultation/Deliberation). “Thus, it 
should be checked carefully by using the writing's rubric that emphasizes the middle path, not the 
careless rubric” “We have chosen to use sources that are reliable and written by those who know the 
Lampung Culture best”. (Tawassuth/Middle Path). 

The implementation of religious moderation values, in learning writing using collaborative writing 
technique offers a novel way to promote tolerance. In this technique, students collaborate to produce 
written pieces that promote candid discussion and introspection on diverse viewpoints. For instance, 
the students have to share their ideas to the team to brainstorm the topic of a comparison essay about 
Lampung culture. Therefore, the member of the team usually finds problems about different ideas. 
Luckly, the implementation of this value emphasize moves to encourage tolerance, peaceful 
cohabitation, and empathy during the writing process. Collaborative writing technique also develops 
students’ writing abilities while fostering their capacity to respectfully discuss delicate subjects. 
Students can learn and practice these principles through collaborative writing, which guarantees that 
they will play a crucial role in their moral and intellectual growth. 

Numerous studies have shown that incorporating religious moderation ideals into students' writing 
in English as a foreign language has significant positive effects on fostering tolerance, respect for 
variety, and critical thinking. For instance, Nirwana and Darmadali (2021) explain that improve 
students' awareness and practice of religious moderation by including religious moderation into 
English language training, particularly through cross-cultural understanding classes. Likewise, 
Sukraini et al. (2021) emphasize that incorporating communication exercises into English language 
instruction to instil ideals of religious moderation and promote tolerance and respect for diversity 
among students. In keeping with the national motto of Indonesia, "unity in diversity," incorporating 
the concepts of religious moderation into English language instruction. This outcome is consistent 
with previous research by Nur Hamidah et al. (2022) that classifying the application of religious 
moderation values in university students over national assurance, tolerance, peace, and 
accommodation of local culture could support avoid radicalization and encourage tolerance between 
students. 

More significantly, including religious moderation principles into EFL writing fosters tolerance, 
respect for opposing viewpoints, and critical thinking. By using religious moderation in their EFL 
writing, the lecturer encouraged students to express their thoughts while considering different cultural 
and religious viewpoints. This approach reduces extremist or unbearable tendencies by encouraging a 
more balanced viewpoint. Furthermore, in addition to encouraging improved writing skills, these 
methods contribute to the development of a generation of students who are better equipped to navigate 



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the diversity of the world in a fair and inclusive way. Students contribute to the development of a more 
tranquil and harmonious society once they apply these principles outside of the classroom to their 
communities and careers. 

The second result of the research demonstrates that the implementation of religious moderation 
values in students’ EFL writing has a complex impact, supporting social and intellectual advancement. 
Firstly, implementing religious moderation values in education helps students become socially 
conscious individuals who can facilitate constructive discourse. Students who absorb these values are 
less likely to engage in extremism and more likely to encourage harmony and togetherness within 
their communities, which can have a knock-on effect on larger societal concerns. It is proven by the 
result of the interview that there are numerous tribes among the students. “No, I am not from the 
Lampung tribe.” Yes, I am part of the Lampung tribe.”. Secondly, it promotes students’ ability to 
participate with different viewpoints, encouraging their writing to reflect tolerance. For instance, “Yes, 
sometimes there were incompatible ideas, especially when deciding which cultural aspects were most 
important to include.” “Yes, some of the friends in group discussion have their own way expressing 
on what is writing an essay. Therefore, we discuss it again”. In addition, EFL writing classes help to 
promote intercultural understanding by allowing students to articulate diverse points of view. Due to 
the requirement that students examine and respectfully and thoughtfully explain complex social and 
religious topics; this approach not only fosters critical thinking skills but also enhances language 
ability. Thus, the students can enrich their vocabularies about local culture. 

Numerous studies have indicated, research on the implementation of religious moderation values 
in students’ EFL writing indicates complex impact in promoting vocabulary enrichment, critical 
thinking, respect for tolerance, discussion encouragement and harmony. As an illustration, Fitri et al. 
(2022) insert the values of religious moderation on Indonesian EFL class, it was discovered that 
teachers emphasized tolerance and understanding in reflective essays and interviews, using these 
values to expand students' vocabulary and enhance their English writing abilities. Likewise, ’Aini & 
Zamroji (2025) say that Islamic Religious Education must incorporate religious moderation principles 
in order to develop pupils into inclusive, moderate people with a well-rounded religious viewpoint. It 
fosters a nonviolent classroom atmosphere. The results align with earlier research conducted by Sabri 
et al. (2022), the integration of religious moderation in EFL classrooms can be effectively achieved 
through group discussions. Group discussion was used in one research to help students develop 
tolerance and respect for one another while studying Islamic ethics, or Akidah Akhlak.  

The implementation of religious moderation values in students’ EFL writing demonstrates a 
nuanced and multidimensional impact. Research has repeatedly shown that adding values like 
harmony, tolerance, and respect to EFL writing not only expands vocabulary but also encourages 
critical thinking and a broader understanding of cultural differences. The implementation of religious 
moderation in writing exercises supports a more comprehensive educational experience, in line with 
earlier research that highlighted the contribution of human values to improving moral and intellectual 
development. According to new research as well as previous research, incorporating religious 
moderation values and collaborative writing not only improves language proficiency but also fosters 
a tolerant, balanced perspective. Therefore, the data indicate that implementing religious moderation 
into EFL writing greatly enhances the development of inclusive, peaceful social attitudes as well as 
language proficiency. 

4. Conclusion 

Considering the discussion above, it becomes evident that implementing religious moderation 
values in students’ EFL writing offers a special chance to promote linguistic proficiency and 
sociocultural awareness. Implementing these values encourages students to promote the respect for 
diversity, tolerance, and critical thinking. Students can express their opinions while discussing about 
Lampung local wisdom. By fostering a more balanced perspective, this strategy assists students’ 
tolerance. Moreover, beyond fostering greater writing abilities, these techniques help produce a 
generation of students more capable of navigating the world's diversity in a balanced and inclusive 
manner. 

In addition, religious moderation values effect EFL writers in two ways. For Instance, students' 
ability to think critically and be sensitive to cultural differences is improved, which makes it easier for 
them to function in cross-cultural and international settings. Second, students are more likely to 



22 English Language Teaching Educational Journal   ISSN 2621-6485 

 Vol. 8, No. 1, April 2025, pp. xx-xx 

 Puspita & Aryanika (Unleashing the power of instruction: Internalizing religious moderation values) 

acquire a fair, sympathetic, and non-judgmental tone in their writing when ideals like respect for 
different viewpoints are modelled for them. This all-encompassing approach to language learning not 
only helps students write better but also develops their character, preparing them to be responsible 
global citizens who appreciate communication and understanding amongst people. In summary, 
implementing religious moderation values to EFL writing fosters intercultural competency and ethical 
communication. Those two traits are crucial in the connected world of today. It also improves 
language proficiency. 

Acknowledgment  

The researchers encompass sincere appreciation to DIPA in Ministry of Religious Affairs for the 
research grants provided. The sincere gratefulness is reserved for the reviewer for their valuable 
comments, support, and guidance. Their time and kind input meaningfully contributed to enhancing 
this research to its fullest potential. Moreover, warm appreciations extended to the participants, whose 
dedicated efforts and energy were influential in the success of this research. Their gracious assistance 
allowed the research to be successfully finished. 

Declarations  

Author contribution  : In this research, there are two researchers, Nurul Puspita and 

Septa Aryanika. Nurul is responsible for data collection, 

manuscript writing, and proofreading. Meanwhile, Septa is 

responsible for data analysis and revising the final manuscript. 

Funding statement  : The research is funded by DIPA in Ministry of Religious 

Affairs.  

Conflict of interest  

Ethics declaration  

: 

: 

The authors declare no conflict of interest.  

As authors, we declare that the research used to write this work 

was ethical, compliant with university policies, and that we 

have authorization from the appropriate institutions to gather 

the necessary data. We stand by English Language Teaching 

Education Journal (ELTEJ) in upholding the highest moral 

standards in our personal lives and acting honorably in all of 

our professional activities. 

Additional information  : No additional information is available for this paper.  

 

 

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	1. Introduction
	2. Method
	2.1 Participants

	2.2 Instruments
	2.4 Data Analysis

	3. Findings and Discussion
	3.1. Themes 1: Students’ experiences of implementing religious moderation values in students’ EFL writing.
	3.2. Themes 2: Students’ reflection on the impact of implementing religious moderation values in students’ EFL writing.

	4. Conclusion
	Acknowledgment
	Declarations


