Representations of Islamic Religious Education Processes in Faozan Rizal’s Lafran and Their Conceptual Relevance to University Students’ Character Education

Abstract

Purpose of the study: This study examines how faith, worship, and moral conduct are communicated through educational interactions in Faozan Rizal’s Lafran and considers their conceptual relevance to university students’ character education. It focuses on participants, educational strategies, and represented responses rather than assessing changes in viewers’ attitudes or behaviour. Method: A qualitative descriptive design was employed using Krippendorff’s content analysis framework. The film constituted the analytical corpus, with interactions selected purposively according to their educational content. Repeated viewing, timecoded recording, transcription, and theoretical interpretation supported the analysis. Three primary value categories organised the findings, while narrative context informed the interpretation of overlapping meanings. Main findings: The analysis identified 14 interactions: four concerned faith, six worship, and four moral conduct. Educational strategies included explanation, questioning, clarification, correction, practical guidance, assistance, and public communication. Some interactions depicted immediate behavioural responses, whereas others left responses unshown or disagreements unresolved. Contrasts between expressed religious commitments and observable actions highlighted the need to distinguish educational messages from demonstrated learning. Connections across the categories indicated that faith, worship, and moral conduct were interrelated rather than separate. Novelty and originality: The study’s originality lies in its interaction-focused examination of who communicates values, to whom, through which strategies, and with what observable response. This perspective complements analyses centred on identifying values or interpreting narrative structures, while preserving distinctions between depicted evidence and inferred educational significance. Contributions: The study contributes an account of cinematic educational encounters and a basis for guided reflection on religious responsibility, ethical judgement, disagreement, and leadership. Its implications remain conceptual because a single film and a limited set of interactions cannot establish audience effects. Further research should strengthen coding transparency and investigate interpretations across audiences.