STRATEGI DAN TANTANGAN IBU SINGLE PARENT DALAM MENERAPKAN PENDIDIKAN AGAMA PADA ANAK

Abstract

This study examines the strategies and challenges faced by single mothers in implementing religious education for children in Tirtanadi Village, Labuhan Haji District, East Lombok Regency. The study used a qualitative approach with a descriptive case-study orientation. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews, observation, and documentation involving 10 informants consisting of single mothers as primary informants and close relatives as additional informants. Data validity was strengthened through source, technique, and time triangulation, while analysis involved data collection, reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that single mothers use two main strategies: enrolling children in Taman Pendidikan Al-Qur'an (TPQ) and, for families with sufficient financial capacity, sending children to Islamic boarding schools. TPQ is considered practical because mothers have limited time for direct instruction and some feel that their own religious knowledge is insufficient. Islamic boarding schools are chosen to provide more intensive religious learning and supervision when mothers cannot closely monitor children at home. The main challenges are children's preference for gadgets and limited parent-child interaction caused by mothers' dual responsibilities as breadwinners and caregivers. The study indicates that religious education in single-parent families is shaped by the interaction between economic demands, time availability, institutional support, and children's digital environment.