Religious Moderation as a Predictor of Academic and Societal Tolerance: Perspectives of University Students in Multicultural Higher Education Moderasi Beragama sebagai Prediktor Toleransi Akademik dan Sosial: Perspektif Mahasiswa di Perguruan Tinggi Multikultural
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Abstract
Penelitian ini mengkaji hubungan antara kesadaran moderasi beragama (wasatiyyah) dan persepsi toleransi akademik serta sosial di kalangan mahasiswa di lingkungan pendidikan tinggi multikultural. Moderasi beragama—yang dipahami sebagai pendekatan seimbang dan moderat terhadap ajaran Islam yang menekankan keadilan, dialog, dan koeksistensi—telah muncul sebagai kerangka kritis untuk menumbuhkan toleransi dalam masyarakat yang beragam. Meskipun penelitian sebelumnya telah mengkaji toleransi di negara-negara Barat dan negara berpenduduk mayoritas Muslim secara terpisah, penelitian empiris yang mengoperasionalkan moderasi Islam sebagai konstruk terukur dan menilai hubungannya dengan toleransi akademik dan sosial di pendidikan tinggi Arab masih terbatas. Penelitian ini mengisi celah tersebut dengan menggunakan desain survei cross-sectional terhadap 422 mahasiswa di Uni Emirat Arab yang mewakili demografi, tingkat akademik, dan spesialisasi yang beragam. Temuan penelitian menunjukkan tingkat kesadaran moderasi beragama yang tinggi di seluruh kelompok demografis. Meskipun persepsi toleransi sosial sebagian besar konsisten di seluruh demografi, perbedaan berbasis gender muncul dalam toleransi akademik, dengan mahasiswa laki-laki melaporkan persepsi yang lebih tinggi daripada perempuan (Cohen's d = 0.21, efek kecil). Analisis korelasi menunjukkan hubungan yang kuat antara kesadaran moderasi beragama, toleransi akademik, dan toleransi sosial (r = .651 hingga .731, p < .01). Hasil regresi mengonfirmasi bahwa kesadaran moderasi beragama secara signifikan berhubungan dengan toleransi akademik (β = .651, p < .001, f² = 0.74) dan toleransi sosial (β = .731, p < .001, f² = 1.14), dengan ukuran efek besar. Uji faktor tunggal Harman menunjukkan bahwa bias metode umum bukan merupakan masalah signifikan (faktor pertama = 38.2%). Studi ini menyimpulkan bahwa penguatan kesadaran moderasi beragama melalui pendidikan berbasis nilai dapat berfungsi sebagai katalis untuk mempromosikan lingkungan akademik yang inklusif dan masyarakat multikultural yang kohesif. Temuan ini memiliki implikasi signifikan bagi kebijakan pendidikan tinggi, pedagogi antarbudaya, dan desain program pengembangan toleransi di negara-negara berpenduduk mayoritas Muslim dan konteks pluralistik.
This study examines the association between religious moderation (wasatiyyah) awareness and perceived academic and societal tolerance among university students in multicultural higher education settings. Religious moderation—understood as a balanced, moderate approach to Islamic teachings that emphasizes justice, dialogue, and coexistence—has emerged as a critical framework for fostering tolerance in diverse societies. While previous studies have examined tolerance in Western and Muslim-majority contexts separately, empirical research that operationalizes Islamic moderation as a measurable construct and assesses its association with both academic and societal tolerance in Arab higher education remains limited. This study addresses this gap by employing a cross-sectional survey design with 422 university students in the United Arab Emirates, representing diverse demographics, academic levels, and specializations. The findings reveal a high level of religious moderation awareness across all demographic groups. While societal tolerance perceptions were largely consistent across demographics, gender-based differences emerged in academic tolerance, with male students reporting higher perceptions than females (Cohen's d = 0.21, small effect). Correlation analyses demonstrated strong interrelationships among religious moderation awareness, academic tolerance, and societal tolerance (r = .651 to .731, p < .01). Regression results confirmed that religious moderation awareness is significantly associated with both academic tolerance (β = .651, p < .001, f² = 0.74) and societal tolerance (β = .731, p < .001, f² = 1.14), with large effect sizes. Harman's single-factor test indicated that common method bias was not a significant concern (first factor = 38.2%). The study concludes that strengthening religious moderation awareness through value-based education may serve as a catalyst for promoting inclusive academic environments and cohesive multicultural societies. These findings have significant implications for higher education policy, intercultural pedagogy, and the design of tolerance-development programs in Muslim-majority and pluralistic contexts.
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