An Educational Model for Linking Religious Beliefs and Practices among Secondary School Students (A Mixed-Methods Study in Isfahan Province)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Psychology Education and Counseling Department, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: In contemporary culture, the weakening connection between faith and religious practice among secondary school students highlights the need to design an effective Islamic educational model; this study aims to articulate such a model for secondary school students in Isfahan Province.

Method: This study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach with an exploratory sequential design. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through interviews with 12 experts and 84 secondary school students in Isfahan Province and analyzed using grounded theory. In the quantitative phase, 382 students were selected through multistage cluster sampling and assessed using the Stark and Glock Religiosity Questionnaire and Mabed’s Religious Belief Practice Test.

Findings: The qualitative findings indicated that engagement in religious practices results from the interaction of internal factors (heartfelt faith, the need for spirituality, and afterlife-oriented motivations) and external factors (family, school, and peers). Quantitative results showed a positive and significant relationship between dimensions of religious belief and religious practice as well as religious lifestyle (p < 0.01). Regression analysis revealed that the ritual dimension was the strongest predictor of religious practice and religious lifestyle. Path analysis indicated that religious practice had the greatest direct effect on religious lifestyle, and that religious beliefs strengthened students’ religious lifestyle both directly and indirectly through the mediating roles of experiential religious beliefs and religious practice (SRMR = 0.09).

Conclusion: The educational model linking religious belief and practice is based on the interaction of internal and external factors, in which the family, school, and participation in religious rituals play a fundamental role in strengthening beliefs and shaping students’ religious lifestyles.

Keywords

Journal of Islamic Education

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 29 December 2025

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