PERSEPSI ANAK TERHADAP KONSEP SIKSA DAN PAHALA: STUDI FENOMENOLOGI TENTANG KETAKUTAN RELIGIUS PADA ANAK USIA SEKOLAH DASAR FASE AWAL

Abstract

The introduction of transcendental concepts such as torment (siksa) and reward (pahala) is often provided early in religious education. However, for early elementary school children (ages 6–8) who are in the concrete operational stage of cognitive development, these abstract concepts are often internalized literally, potentially triggering religious fear. This study aims to explore in depth how early elementary school children interpret the concepts of torment and reward, as well as to understand the manifestations of religious fear in their daily lived experiences. This qualitative research employed a phenomenological study design and was conducted in January 2026 during community service activities (Kuliah Kerja Nyata/KKN). The research location was in class 2B of SDN 2 Pasanggrahan, Tegalwaru District, Purwakarta Regency. The research participants involved 16 active students who were stimulated using a proactive-interactive technique (a deception method based on individual experience storytelling in front of the class). Data were collected through participant observation, field notes, and semi-structured interviews, then analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The findings revealed three main themes: (1) Literal Concretization and Moral Categorization, where children associated minor daily transgressions (such as taking a friend's belongings without permission) directly with visualizations of physical punishment (torment); (2) Emotional Reflection Space (Deep Talk), showing that child-friendly interactive methods successfully unraveled the moral anxiety that children had been harboring; and (3) The Dilemma of Religious Fear, where the memory of torment served a dual function as both a behavioral control mechanism and a trigger for psychological anxiety in their daily lives. Religious fear among second-grade elementary school children in rural areas is highly visual, rigid, and centered on physical impact. This study recommends the importance of reconstructing religious pedagogy to emphasize more on the aspect of compassion (attachment to God) rather than a neurotic approach that frightens children.