Moral Reasoning of Adolescents Following the Mentorship of Islamic

Religion at University X

Vera Nova

Faculty of Psychology UIN Ar-Raniry, Banda Aceh

Keywords: Moral Reasoning, Adolescence, Islamic Mentoring Program.

Abstract: This study aims to determine the dynamics of moral reasoning in adolescents who take part in the Islamic

mentoring program at University X. This study used a qualitative case study approach involving three

subjects who had been participated in mentoring program for more than one year. The data collected by

using interview and observation. The Data coded by using thematic approach. The results shows moral

reasoning of the subjects at the level of post-conventional at the stage of orientation of social contract

legality and moral orientation with universal ethical principles. The moral reasoning of the subjects are

formed from several factors, namely religious education at home and at school, mentoring curriculum,

mentoring environment, exemplary and continuity of the mentoring program.

1 INTRODUCTION

It's no secret that youth are the main agent of nations

changing. History also records, countless numbers of

youths who carve the gold history of success.

Adolescents – as we know – Save the spirit of steel,

dynamic and revolutionary soul tendencies; the base

capital became the successor to the nation's

development relay (Anwar, 2004).

There are times when the burning spirit not

coupled with the concept of maturity and a clear

understanding of the direction and purpose of

change. The spirit tends to be less directed and

supported by institutions both families and the

environment, caused so many adolescents are weak

in morality and vulnerable to demoralized floods

such as brawl, drugs, free sex, Consumerism,

hedonism and so on (Rusmiyati, 2003).

Meanwhile in the future, there are a lot more

challenges to be faced. On of them is the challenge

to recover the nation from the chaos that is

happening knowadays. In the other hand, the

challenge were born from a global situation that

developed at this time and in the Future

(Budiningsih, 2004).

Indonesian people who are increasingly facing

multi-crisis conditions, desperately need the

potential generation of young and strong personality

and have sublime character (which has been

forgotten by many people), to bring Indonesia out

of this multidimensional crisis. Because the youth

quality is a reflection of the nation's future. A nation

that failed to build his youth (morality and its

capabilities) would be a nation that failed in the

future (Widiyantoro, 2003).

The hope and demand to adolescence sometimes

adds the burdens and problems tehat already exist in

their age. This is because adolescence is a time of

the transition from childhood to adulthood, so this

period is often referred to as "overlapping" and

transition between being children or becoming

adults. At this period, adolescence often become

confused, when on the one hand parents and the

environment require them to be more mature.

Meanwhile at the same time, they are also still

considered and treated like children, not free to

choose and define their own attitudes (Hurlock,

1980).

Adolescence is also referred to the "Storm and

Sress" period, where adolescent emotions become

unstable, labil, stormy and pressured, resulting from

changes in themselves, both physically and

psychologically, while adjusting changing in their

new role as children who become adults (MÖnks,

1984).

Stress and conflict also occur throughout

adolescence. This is because all problems they faced

are largely resolved by parents when their are in the

childhood period. Most of parents, teachers, and

Nova, V.

Moral Reasoning of Adolescents Following the Mentorship of Islamic Religion at University X.

DOI: 10.5220/0009444202230229

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Psychology (ICPsy 2019), pages 223-229

ISBN: 978-989-758-448-0

223

other adults have less experience in overcoming the

roblems that faced by adolescence. This situation is

exacerbated by the stubborn nature of adolescents,

where they feel they can be self-reliant and want to

overcome their own problems, so that they refuse the

actual help they need from parents, teachers, and

other adults (Hurlock, 1980).

Havighurst also said that one of the important

developmental tasks that adolescence have to master

is to learn what the group expected from them and

then adjusted their behavior to fit the social

expectations without being tutored, supervised,

encouraged and threatened as a child (Hurlock,

1980).

The condition is exacerbated with the

increasingly "devastating" moral crisis attacking

Indonesian adolescence. Various cases of adolescent

moral deviations are increasingly marbling. Then the

question arises, is there a solution? What can be

done to overcome the various moral damages that

occur in the generation of the nation's successors?

Sianawati (1992) said that, the concept of moral

is usually based on religious education, whether

from parents, teachers, or other adult around the

environments. But ironically, in the present day, we

find the moral coaching in the core institution

(family) becoming degraded. Parents are getting

busy with working and sometimes forget the role

and function of moral education in the family.

The lack of moral education also occurs in

institutions such as school, community which are

also expected to be supporting system in educating

adolescence. Although there have been moral

lessons in the school such as Pancasila Moral

education and Islamic religious education, but still

not able to develop the ability of adolescence "Moral

reasoning". This is because the moral learning

methods in the school still tend to rely on the

unidirectional teaching Method (monologues) so as

to give students the opportunity to "test" the truth.

Though the process of sincerity of the situation and

the "testing" of truth is a process toward the

achievement of moral maturity and stimulated the

development of moral reasoning (Nashori, 1995).

Therefore, the better approach of moral education is

supposed to be done by emphasizing the

improvement of moral reasoning, not only the

knowledge itself.

Many countries have developed moral education

techniques that lead to increasing moral reasoning,

including moral discussions, moral training, and

moral simulations. Colby, Erits, and Kohlberg

(1974) reveal that moral discussions play a role in

stimulating increased moral reasoning.

In modern psychological terminology, moral

stimulation is a form of inter-individual activity that

combines elements of play and discussion, where

activities that have an element of the game are

always preferred (Nashori, 1995). Paul Suparno et al

(2002) presents four models of moral learning

delivery, namely; (1) Models as individual subjects,

(2) models integrated in all fields of study, (3)

models outside the teaching, and (4) combined

models.

The models outside of teaching can be done

through activities beyond teaching. This Model

prioritizes processing and moral planting through an

activity to discuss and analyze life's values. Students

deepen moral values through concrete experiences,

so that the moral values are embedded and

biodegraded in their lives. But if the implementation

of this kind of activity is only done once a year or

twice, then it is lacking optimal results. Such moral

learning must be routinely or intensively held

(Budiningsih, 2004).

In line with the opinion above, Paul Suparno et al

(2002) stated that another effective approach to

increase moral reasoning process is a model outside

the teaching, and then in this case there is a method

of coaching/education that meets the criteria, namely

Mentoring Islam. Widiyantoro (2003) says that there

are 3 main reasons explaining the importance of

mentoring Islam for adolescence are effective,

massif, and strategic.

So that the moral learning system and the

development process of moral reasoning with the

mentoring system can be used as an alternative

coaching for adolescence, because in the system

there are important elements of education, such as

curriculum (Manhaj), role model of the coach

(Uswah), good Environment (Bi'ah), and the

sustainability of the coaching process (istimroriyah).

These four elements are expected to assist and

increase the moral development process of the

adolescence.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Moral Reasoning

The moral development according to Kohlberg

evolved through certain stages. This stage of moral

reasoning is one of the factors that contribute to

determining one's moral behavior. Based on

empirical research conducted by Kohlberg in 1969,

he formulated the developmental stages of moral

reasoning, as follows (Papalia 2001):

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2.1.1 Pre-Conventional level

At this level, the child is aware of the cultural rules

and to the cultural expressions of good bad, right

wrong. But this is merely interpreted in terms of

physical consequences or the enjoyment of deeds

(punishment, gain, exchange, and goodness/external

control). This level can be divided into two phases:

Stage 1. The orientation of obedience and

punishment. The physical consequences of a deed

determine the good of the deed, regardless of the

meaning and value of the human being of the

consequence. The child is obedient to the law and

the rules solely for wanting to avoid punishment and

submit to power without the introduction of them.

Phase 2. The Relativistic vs Instrumental

orientation. The right deeds are deeds that are a way

or a tool to satisfy their own needs and sometimes

also the needs of others. Children are obedient to the

rules with the consequences that they will get a reply

like the deeds they do, if he gives good to others,

then one will give the good also for him, and vice

versa.

2.1.2 Conventional level

At this level the child only obeyed the hopes of

family, group or nation. The child sees that it is of

value to them self, without heed to the immediate

and real consequences. This level has two stages:

Stage 3. The Orientation of the agreement

between the personal self vs orientation. Good

behavior is a pleasant behavior and helps others as

well as those approved by them. At this stage the

child learns how to be Obey and follow to the

situation around them and follows the behavior of

the majority of the people around and the behaviors

deemed “natural”.

Stage 4: The Orientation of social attention and

conscience. Good behavior is solely to do its own

obligation, respect the authority and maintain the

existing social order, as something of value in them

self.

2.1.3 Post-Conventional level

At this level there is a clear effort to formulate the

values and moral principles that have the validity

and workable, regardless of the authority of the

group or the person adhering to those principles and

apart from the identification of Individual with the

group. Behavioral control is internal, where good

and bad standards are based on reasoning. It is the

highest level in the moral reasoning phase. There are

two stages at this level:

Stage 5. The orientation of social contract

legality. Good deeds tend to be formulated in a

framework of rights that have been critically tested

and agreed upon by the whole community. There is

a moral contract between individuals and the public

about the rights and obligations of individuals, and

democratically receive punishment when he violates

a contract. There is a clear awareness of the

relativity of value and personal opinions tailored to

the value.

Stage 6. The Moral Orientation with universal

ethical principles. Someone does something that he

thinks is right regardless of the prohibitions or

opinions of others. The right is determined by an

inner voice decision, in accordance with self-

selected ethical principles and that refers to the

comprehensively logical, universality, and logical

consistency. They did something with the internal

standards of good and bad they believed, and they

would punish themselves for wrongdoing. Rules in

society are subjective.

2.2 Adolescence

Elizabeth B. Hurlock (1980) divides the age range of

adolescents into several parts, which are early

adolescents: ages between 13/14 years and 17 years

old, and late adolescents: age 17 years old to 21

years old. It is thus apparent that the age range of

adolescents according to Hurlock is age 13 – 21.

While the United Nations itself sets the age of 15 –

24 years as youth age in the course of their decision

to establish the year 1985 as the International Youth

Year (Sanderowitz & Paxman; Haneefah, in

Sarwono 2003).

Based on the above opinion, the researcher took

the limit on the range of teenagers for this study

between 17 – 22 years of age, or the late adolescence

according to Hurlock.

In the psychosocial development theory, in the

"Identity vs Role confusion" phase of Erikson,

where the adolescence were in the quest for identity

and confused about the direction of self-identity that

he wanted to achieve. In the search process of his

identity, teenagers experience "identity crisis" or

commonly called ego identity problems in

Adolescents (MÖnks, 1984).

Adolescence is also referred to as the "Storm and

Stress" period, where adolescent emotions become

unstable, labile, stormy and pressured, resulting

from changes in themselves, both physically and

psychologically, while adjusting to The changing

environment, and the change of their new role as

adult children (MÖnks, 1984).

Moral Reasoning of Adolescents Following the Mentorship of Islamic Religion at University X

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The developmental tasks in adolescence

according to Havighurs are:

 Achieve new relationships that are more

mature with peers both male and female;

 Achieve the social roles of men and women.

 Accept his physical state and use his body

creatively;

 Expect and achieve responsible social

behaviour;

 Achieve emotional independence from parents

and other adult people;

 Preparing family marriage;

 Acquire a device of value and ethical system as

a grip to behave-developing ideology (Papalia,

2001).

Carballo (in Sarwono, 2003) says in the age

limitation of teenagers above, there are 6

adjustments he must do, namely:

 To receive and integrate body growth in his

personality;

 To determine its sexual role and function that is

adequate in the culture in which it resides;

 Attain maturity with self-reliance, confidence,

and the ability to confront life;

 Reach the position received by the community;

 Develop a conscience, responsibility, morality

and values that are appropriate to the

environment and culture;

 Solving real problems in their own experience

and in relation to the environment.

2.3 Mentoring Islam

2.3.1 Definition of Mentoring

Mentoring is a pattern of self-development that

continues to evolve over time. In the years 1970 to

1980, mentoring was a process only given to the

career-saving process. But as time goes on,

mentoring to date is also applied in the world of

Education (Ingrid, 2005).

Mentoring is a guidance given through

demonstrations, instruction, challenges and

encouragement on a regular basis over a period of

time. Mentoring is usually done by older individuals

to improve their competence as well as younger

individual characters. During this process, the

Pementor and mentee developed a bond of mutual

commitment involving emotional character and

tinged with respect and loyalty (Santrock, 2007).

The essence of the mentoring process is establishing

interpersonal relationships that relate to the context

of a particular job or skill (Belle & Rose, 2007).

2.3.2 The Notion of Mentoring Islam

Satria (2010) said that the mentoring of Islamic

religion is an effective method of Islamic education

done for college students. In Islam, the term

mentoring Islam is better known by the term

Halaqah or Usroh. A term related to Islamic

education and teaching. Mentoring consists of a

small group of individuals who routinely examine

the teachings of Islam. The number of participants in

the small group ranged from 3-12 people. They

studied Islam with a specific curriculum. Usually the

curriculum is derived from the institution that

oversees the mentoring.

Widiyantoro (2003) said that the Islamic

Mentoring. Mentoring Islam is a study group with a

maximum number of 12 people (limited group), with

a relatively permanent membership within a certain

period of time. This limited amount will facilitate

the intensive delivery of materials, behaviour

supervision, and development of participants.

There are 3 components that influence the course

of the mentoring process, namely:

1. Mentor. The mentor is a person who is

appointed as a coach in the process of

mentoring. Normally, the mentor is a class or

senior elder of a level that has participated in

the training and selection of the developer at

the previous campus level (Ridwansyah, 2008).

2. Curriculum. Collection and order of material to

be conveyed to the mentoring Group (mentee)

periodically. Usually the curriculum comes

from an organization that oversees mentoring

such as through an institution in each college

(Satria, 2010).

3. Mentee, is a mentoring participant or better

known by the term Mentee is a group of

individuals who get the mentoring treatment

from the mentor in the amount ranging

between 3-12 people (Satria, 2010).

3 RESEARCH METHOD

The study used a qualitative research methodology

for case studies using observation methods and

interviews for data collection. The subjects of the

study were two students of the faculty of Psychology

University of X in the city of Medan who were 20

years old and already participated in a mentoring

program for more than 1 year. Data analysis using

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thematic analysis, where researchers seek to

understand specific domains according to the focus

of the problem or research objectives. Each domain

is deeply understood, and divided into sub-domains,

and from the sub-domain it's broken down into more

specialized sections until no more data is left, the

alias is exhausted (exhausted).

4 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Kohlberg (1969) which mentions moral reasoning is

a reason used in assessing good or bad behavior, so

it is apparent that the reason is a reflection of one's

moral structure. Kohlberg also said that interactions

with social environments have an important role in

the development of moral reasoning. In such

interactions, one learns to take more complex socio-

moral values. The education system of mentoring

Islam can be used as an alternative coaching and

education to develop moral reasoning of adolescents.

It is because in the system of mentoring Islam itself

there are important elements of education. There are

four important elements that can form the personal

qualities of a student (mentee), namely:

1. Curriculum. A neat and systematic curriculum

that contains the whole concepts sourced from

the Qur'an and the Sunnah of Rasulullah raises

its consciousness as a human and the self-

esteem as Muslims. The teaching process

conveyed in mentoring leads to the

understanding of the Muslim (universal),

complete and perfect and this is a role in the

success of the Islamic Mentoring program at

the Faculty of Psychology of the University of

2. The example. In the process of mentoring, the

aspect of the transparency becomes very

important to make the students (mentee)

directly digest Islam from the educator's

behavior, because the emphasis here is real

charity, not just a lot of knowledge about

Islam. One of the reasons that causes of the

existing education system now fails is because

educators are not able to total an example.

They just talk, but are unable to apply it, either

for the personal or the nearby environment.

3. Good environment. The participants,

coaches/mentors and alumni mentoring usually

always try to realize Islamic values by forming

a community and identity that reflects the

Islamic atmosphere. All part of the dress style,

the way to interacted with others; the attributes

used are sought sterile from the values of

ignorance. Although, they still mingle with the

environment. Borrowed the term Sayheed

Qutb, a scholar from Egypt, the adolescence

keep mingles but has the privilege of being a

Muslim.

4. Sustainability coaching. The development of

the younger generation through the Islamic

Mentoring program is conducted in a relatively

long period (sustainability). The longer the

mentoring period, the more age and the change

in status of teenagers to maturity phase will

increasingly be personal and improve the moral

reasoning quality of a mentoring participant

continuously.

The results show that there is a process of moral

reasoning that develops and grows better and more

mature after the respondents follow the process of

mentoring the education of Islam. This is because

their interactions with the environment and the

mentoring education system have added to their

knowledge and a reference to choosing a good

attitude and behavior for them. Mentoring also felt

the respondent could become their controller, so it

could make them better by feeling the supervision of

the God who knows all that is happening in the

heavens and on earth.

The interviews and observations have also been

found that there is a change in character and

personality after they have participated in mentoring,

especially in appearance, attitude, and decision-

making process of issues and problems Faced in

daily life. Both respondents stated that they became

better than before following mentoring in terms of

attitudes, behaviors and mindsets in addressing a

condition that occurred around it, including in

addressing and filtration of various crisis situations

increasingly moral in Indonesia. Dynamics of moral

reasoning student Faculty of Psychology.

Moral Reasoning of Adolescents Following the Mentorship of Islamic Religion at University X

227

Figure 2: Tree Diagram Issues Dynamics of description of student moral reasoning Faculty of Psychology University X.

5 CONCLUSION

Parental support for children in following mentoring

is felt very important because parents are the

primary responsibility in educating the moral and

behavior of children. Parents who consider that

mentoring activities are positive activities and bring

positive changes in their children will likely provide

support for the mentees especially in the habituation

of good behavior.

In addition, interactions that occur in the process

of mentoring are not merely formal interactions such

as in the lessons of Islamic religion in schools. In the

process of mentoring also occurs emotional

proximity, among mentoring participants and also

with the pementor, so that the attachment gives birth

to a strong sense of brotherhood, mutual care, and a

considerable tolerance between fellow Such

mentoring components so that mentee is more

motivated to be a better personal teenager and

initiate a change of behaviour than themselves after

following the mentoring of Islamic religion.

The moral education system in the present, such

as the Pancasila Moral education and Islamic

religious education is felt not yet effective enough to

change their moral reasoning process and behavior.

This is because the moral lessons in the school only

emphasize the cognitive aspect alone, in the sense,

as long as it can answer the test question, the

student's value will be high, even if the value is

obtained in a way that is less or not even Immoral.

In addition, the moral lessons taught in

school today, yet, are able to change the behavior of

teenagers for the better. The absence of personality

formation processes, only transfer of value, without

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exemplary and habitual, and conducive environment

such as those in the mentoring process.

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