Conceptual Reconstruction of Spiritual Intelligence as a Holistic Foundation for Student Character Development

Student character development continues to face challenges due to the persistent dominance of cognitively oriented learning practices, highlighting the need for a holistic approach that incorporates moral, affective, and spiritual dimensions. This study aimed to reconstruct the concept of spiritual intelligence as a holistic foundation for student character development by integrating perspectives from educational psychology and Islamic religious education. A qualitative library research method was employed. Data were obtained from scholarly articles published between 2018 and 2026 and selected based on predetermined inclusion criteria, resulting in 20 relevant articles. Qualitative content analysis was conducted through data reduction, categorization, interpretation, and thematic synthesis. The findings indicate that spiritual intelligence functions as an internal mechanism for character development through self-awareness, reflection, self-regulation, value internalization, and the formation of meaningful learning experiences. The integration of spiritual intelligence with educational psychology and Islamic religious education supports holistic character development by connecting cognitive, affective, moral, and spiritual dimensions. This study proposes a conceptual reconstruction that positions spiritual intelligence as a fundamental holistic foundation for character development, extending previous studies that have generally considered it a supporting factor. The findings provide theoretical contributions to character education and practical implications for developing educational policies and learning practices that systematically strengthen students’ spiritual intelligence.