<![CDATA[Developing teacher pedagogical competence is vital for meaningful learning experiences, yet systematic reflection in Islamic Religious Education (IRE) remains under-explored. This study examines the practical implementation of John Dewey's Five Phases of Reflection framework to upgrade the instructional quality of IRE teachers. Employing a qualitative, holistic single-case study design at SMP Negeri 3 Salatiga, empirical data were gathered from certified IRE teachers and their students through semi-structured interviews, passive classroom observations, and documentary portfolio audits mapped against Dewey’s reflective stages. The findings indicate that while the reflective process operated systematically within the academic dimension, it was unevenly applied to classroom discipline due to a lack of formal assessment metrics. Furthermore, critical perception gaps emerged between teachers and students regarding the cognitive strain of classroom noise, the instructional scaffolding required for exploratory learning, and the bottlenecking impact of baseline Quranic reading literacy on advanced subject comprehension. In conclusion, while Deweyan reflection effectively enhances pedagogical awareness, its long-term success depends heavily on deploying domain-specific tracking metrics, introducing tiered scaffolding architectures, and addressing perceptual disparities between teachers and students, thereby offering a sustainable operational model for continuing teacher professional development]]>
