<![CDATA[Pendidikan Agama Islam (PAI) memiliki peran strategis dalam membentuk keimanan, akhlak, dan karakter peserta didik. Namun, praktik pembelajaran PAI di banyak sekolah masih bercorak konvensional, berpusat pada guru, dan menekankan hafalan, sehingga kurang membekali peserta didik dengan kemampuan berpikir kritis dan kemampuan mengaitkan nilai-nilai keislaman dengan persoalan kehidupan nyata. Problem Based Learning (PBL) ditawarkan sebagai alternatif strategi pembelajaran yang menempatkan masalah kontekstual sebagai titik tolak proses belajar. Artikel ini bertujuan mengkaji secara komprehensif konsep, karakteristik, sintaks, manfaat, serta tantangan penerapan PBL dalam pembelajaran PAI melalui pendekatan penelitian kepustakaan (library research). Sumber kajian berasal dari lima artikel jurnal nasional terbitan tahun 2023-2025 yang membahas penerapan PBL pada pembelajaran PAI di jenjang sekolah dasar dan menengah. Data dianalisis secara tematik dan komparatif untuk menemukan pola kesamaan dan perbedaan temuan antarstudi. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahwa penerapan PBL dalam PAI secara konsisten terbukti meningkatkan hasil belajar, keaktifan, kemampuan berpikir kritis, serta internalisasi nilai-nilai keislaman peserta didik. Penerapannya umumnya mengikuti lima fase yang dikemukakan Arends, yaitu orientasi pada masalah, mengorganisasikan peserta didik, membimbing penyelidikan individu maupun kelompok, mengembangkan dan menyajikan hasil karya, serta menganalisis dan mengevaluasi proses pemecahan masalah. Meski demikian, implementasi PBL menghadapi sejumlah tantangan, seperti keterbatasan waktu, kesiapan guru dalam merancang skenario masalah autentik, keragaman karakteristik peserta didik, dan keterbatasan sarana prasarana. Kajian ini diharapkan menjadi rujukan akademik bagi pendidik dan peneliti dalam mengembangkan strategi pembelajaran PAI yang lebih kontekstual dan bermakna.Kata Kunci: Problem Based Learning, Pendidikan Agama Islam, Strategi Pembelajaran, Hasil Belajar, Berpikir Kritis AbstractIslamic Religious Education (PAI) plays a strategic role in shaping students' faith, morals, and character. However, the practice of PAI learning in many schools remains conventional, teacher-centered, and memorization-oriented, leaving students underprepared in critical thinking and in connecting Islamic values with real-life problems. Problem Based Learning (PBL) is offered as an alternative learning strategy that places contextual problems as the starting point of the learning process. This article aims to comprehensively examine the concept, characteristics, syntax, benefits, and challenges of implementing PBL in PAI learning through a library research approach. The sources of this study consist of five national journal articles published between 2023 and 2025 that discuss the application of PBL in PAI learning at the elementary and secondary school levels. Data were analyzed thematically and comparatively to identify patterns of similarity and difference among the findings. The results show that the implementation of PBL in PAI consistently improves learning outcomes, student engagement, critical thinking skills, and the internalization of Islamic values. Its implementation generally follows the five phases proposed by Arends: orienting students to the problem, organizing students for study, guiding individual and group investigation, developing and presenting artifacts, and analyzing and evaluating the problem-solving process. Nevertheless, the implementation of PBL faces several challenges, such as limited instructional time, teachers' readiness in designing authentic problem scenarios, the diverse characteristics of students, and inadequate facilities. This study is expected to serve as an academic reference for educators and researchers in developing more contextual and meaningful PAI learning strategies.Keywords: Problem Based Learning, Islamic Religious Education, Learning Strategy, Learning Outcomes, Critical Thinking]]>
