Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the factors influencing students’ motivation and understanding of Islamic religious education in urban and rural areas of West Sumatra, Indonesia. The methodology used in the study is mixed-methods, involving the collection of data in quantitative and qualitative ways. The quantitative data from 200 students revealed that rural students exhibited significantly higher levels of motivation and understanding than their urban counterparts. Qualitative data from interviews and observations highlighted the influence of community and family support, school environment, teaching methods, and personal interest in shaping educational outcomes. Rural areas benefited from strong community involvement, smaller class sizes, interactive teaching approaches, and higher intrinsic motivation among students. In contrast, urban students faced challenges such as limited family support, larger class sizes, formal teaching methods, and a greater emphasis on extrinsic motivators. The findings underscore the importance of tailored strategies, such as fostering community involvement in rural areas and adopting interactive teaching methods in urban schools, to enhance motivation and understanding in Islamic religious education, considering urban and rural communities’ unique contexts and needs. To deepen these insights, theoretical frameworks, including self-determination, ecological systems, and sociocultural theories, are employed to interpret the results and provide educational practices and policy recommendations.