Ethics of Interaction Between Ustadz and Santri at the Nashriyah NW Sekunyit Islamic Boarding School

Abstract

The interaction between teachers (ustadz) and students (santri) within Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) constitutes an educational relationship that transcends the mere transmission of knowledge, serving fundamentally as a locus for character formation and moral development. This study aims to analyze the forms of interaction ethics between ustadz and santri, alongside the factors influencing their implementation, at Pondok Pesantren Nashriyah NW Sekunyit, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, research subjects comprising school administrators, male teachers, female teachers, and students were selected via purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and documentary analysis, subsequently analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s interactive model, and validated through source, technique, and temporal triangulation. The findings indicate that teacher student interaction ethics manifest across five primary dimensions: exchanges of greetings and courteous conduct, the use of refined language, expressions of deference (ta'dzim), compliance with institutional rules and seeking permission, and adherence to modest dress codes alongside gender-segregated interaction boundaries. The implementation of these ethics is facilitated by institutional pesantren culture, pedagogical role modeling, and religious comprehension, yet challenged by diverse familial backgrounds, social media exposure, and variations in student character. The novelty of this research lies in its specific mapping of interaction ethics within a localized Lombok pesantren that integrates tahfidz (Quranic memorization) with classical Islamic texts (kitab kuning), demonstrating that ethical formation operates predominantly through habituation and social modeling rather than mere adherence to codified regulations. These insights underscore the necessity of enhancing pedagogical role modeling and digital literacy among students as sustainable strategies for character education.