Analysis of Teachers 'Experiences and Perceptions of Students' Religious Identity Shaping (A Qualitative Phenomenological Study)

Introduction: Phenomenological studies generally deal with perceptions or concepts, attitudes and beliefs, feelings and emotions of individuals. In this approach, interviews can be used to extract people's experiences of phenomena. Using the phenomenological method, this study aims to know how teachers' lived experiences as experts can form a religious identity in students. Methods: The study employed a qualitative phenomenological method for analyzing the data. Participants in this study were teachers and supervisors of junior high schools in Minab. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed by the 7-step Colaizzi method. Snowball sampling was used to glean the relevant data. Semi-structured interviews with 12 teachers were conducted until the data were saturated. Results: The results of students' statements revealed several factors influencing religious identity, such as the expression of religious issues in the form of stories, the expression of personal experiences in the area of religious matters, the performance of religious practices in a practical way, the creation of excitement in religious classrooms and having questions and answers in a way to involve and enable students in expressing and receiving their responses. Conclusion: Generally, students' religious identity formation process should be traced in teachers, curriculum resources, and curriculum. If these aspects are coordinated, to a large extent, it can be said that the students' religious identity will be on the right track.