<![CDATA[The development of MI/SD students in the digital era requires the adjustment of learning strategies that align with students’ cognitive, affective, and psychomotor characteristics. However, the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum still faces challenges in accommodating the diversity of these characteristics, particularly in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) learning. This study is based on the argument that the alignment between learning strategies and students’ developmental stages influences the effectiveness of PAI learning. This research employs a qualitative approach using a library research method. Data were obtained from various relevant literature sources and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldana, which includes data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that MI/SD students are in the concrete operational stage, characterized by being active, social, and requiring direct learning experiences. Consequently, PAI learning should be designed to be concrete, interactive, collaborative, and value- and experience-based. Furthermore, the flexibility of the Merdeka Curriculum enables the implementation of differentiated learning that is adaptive to students’ needs. Therefore, integrating an understanding of student development with appropriate learning strategies is key to improving the quality of PAI learning. ABSTRAK Perkembangan peserta didik MI/SD di era digital menuntut penyesuaian strategi pembelajaran yang selaras dengan karakteristik kognitif, afektif, dan psikomotorik siswa. Namun, implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka masih menghadapi kendala dalam mengakomodasi keberagaman karakteristik tersebut, khususnya dalam pembelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam (PAI). Penelitian ini didasarkan pada argumentasi bahwa kesesuaian antara strategi pembelajaran dan tahap perkembangan peserta didik berpengaruh terhadap efektivitas pembelajaran PAI. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan jenis studi kepustakaan (library research). Data diperoleh dari berbagai literatur relevan dan dianalisis menggunakan model interaktif Miles, Huberman, dan Saldana melalui tahapan kondensasi data, penyajian data, serta penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa peserta didik MI/SD berada pada tahap operasional konkret dengan karakteristik aktif, sosial, dan membutuhkan pengalaman belajar langsung. Implikasinya, pembelajaran PAI perlu dirancang secara konkret, interaktif, kolaboratif, serta berbasis nilai dan pengalaman. Selain itu, fleksibilitas dalam Kurikulum Merdeka memungkinkan penerapan pembelajaran diferensiatif yang adaptif terhadap kebutuhan peserta didik. Dengan demikian, integrasi pemahaman perkembangan peserta didik dengan strategi pembelajaran yang tepat menjadi kunci dalam meningkatkan kualitas pembelajaran PAI. ]]>
