Single Mothers’ Role in Instilling Religious Values in Children: A Case Study in Nagari Jawi-Jawi Guguk in the Digital Era

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined how single mothers in Nagari Jawi-Jawi Guguk instilled the values of aqidah (faith), ibadah (worship), and akhlaq (moral character) in children aged 7 to 18 in the digital era. It also investigated the enabling and constraining conditions shaping their practices and the strategies used to sustain children’s religious education. Method: This qualitative case study involved 28 participants comprising 15 single mothers, eight children, and five teachers from Taman Pendidikan Al-Qur’an (TPA), or Qur’anic learning centres. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis. Following Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s interactive framework, the data were condensed, displayed, interpreted, and verified. Trustworthiness was supported through source and methodological triangulation across mothers, children, TPA teachers, observations, and documents. Main findings: Mothers provided religious guidance through example, habituation, advice, attention, and supervision. Aqidah and akhlaq were addressed more consistently because they could be incorporated into everyday interactions, whereas direct guidance in ibadah, particularly Qur’anic reading, was constrained by employment, limited time, and differences in religious competence. Mothers adapted by using available time purposefully, involving relatives and TPA teachers, and regulating children’s digital-device use. Their digital mediation remained primarily preventive through reminders and time restrictions. Novelty/originality: The study introduces the concept of maternally coordinated distributed religious socialization, showing that mothers retained moral authority while coordinating education across households, kinship networks, TPA institutions, and digital environments. Contribution: The findings challenge deficit-based interpretations of single motherhood and demonstrate that delegated religious instruction does not necessarily indicate maternal withdrawal. The study also supports family, community, and TPA collaboration and recommends age-responsive digital-literacy guidance combining boundaries, dialogue, shared learning, and constructive religious-media use.