Digital Learning and Gamification in Islamic Religious Education: Impacts on Engagement Among Generation Z

Abstract

Islamic Religious Education in the digital era faces significant challenges in sustaining Generation Z students' engagement and motivation, who are accustomed to interactive technology, while conventional methods dominate and empirical evidence on gamification specific to PAI contexts remains limited. This study employs a library research method using a PRISMA-based Systematic Literature Review (SLR), involving identification of 1,895 articles from Scopus, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar (2020-2025), screening to exclude 1,545 irrelevant or duplicate documents, eligibility assessment of 350 full-texts, and synthesis of 30 high-quality articles meeting inclusion criteria (gamification-Islamic Religopus Education themes, empirical, peer-reviewed). Synthesis results show that gamification—through elements like points, Sharia-compliant rewards, progressive challenges, collaborative leaderboards, and achievement badges, significantly enhances Generation Z students' cognitive, affective, and behavioral engagement, deepening religious concept comprehension and internalization of Islamic values such as noble morals and discipline. This research offers unique contributions, including documentation of Islam-contextualized gamification aligned with Islamic pedagogical values, multidimensional analysis of impacts on value internalization for Generation Z, and identification of implementation barriers like low teacher digital literacy, infrastructure disparities, and over-gamification risks that undermine intrinsic motivation—areas previously underexplored systematically. Practical implications include recommendations for learning-objective-based gamification design, professional development for PAI teachers, game element personalization, and blended approach integration to promote educational equity in Indonesian schools, particularly rural ones. These findings affirm gamification as an essential innovative strategy for optimizing PAI for Generation Z in the 21st century, with suggestions for future quasi-experimental trials and AI/VR integration.