Understanding English Lecturers’ Lived Experience in Integrating Sharia Values in Islamic Higher Education

Abstract

English Language Education within Islamic higher education presents a unique intersection between global linguistic pedagogy and Sharia-based moral values. While existing studies have examined curriculum integration and value transmission, limited attention has been given to the lived experiences of educators who interpret and embody these principles in their teaching practice. The key question remains: how do English lecturers experience and construct the meaning of integrating Sharia values in their pedagogical roles? This study employs an interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) to explore the inner processes through which educators internalize and enact Islamic ethical frameworks in their daily instruction. To ensure methodological rigor, the study followed core IPA analytic procedures, including close reading, initial noting, development of emergent themes, clustering of superordinate themes, and iterative interpretation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five purposively selected English lecturers (three males and two females) from Islamic universities in Indonesia, and analyzed thematically to uncover patterns of moral reflection, spiritual engagement, and professional identity formation. The findings reveal that teaching English is perceived as a spiritual vocation grounded in ikhlas (sincerity) and ethical awareness, reflecting a harmony between global communication and faith-based responsibility. These insights highlight how pedagogical spirituality operates as a transformative space where faith and professionalism converge to shape educators’ practices and moral consciousness. The study extends current understanding of faith-oriented education by emphasizing the importance of meaning-making in pedagogical experience and offers a foundation for future comparative and longitudinal research on religiously grounded language teaching.