Reframing Islamic Education through Contextualized Pedagogy: A Comparative Study of Indonesian and Saudi Secondary Schools
This study examines how Islamic Religious Education is reframed through contextualized pedagogy in two different socio-cultural settings: SMAN 1 Pronojiwo in Indonesia and Al-Almas International High School in Hail, Saudi Arabia. Although previous studies have explored Islamic education and multicultural pedagogy, comparative research has yet to examine how contextual factors shape the enactment of Islamic values in educational practice. This study employed a qualitative comparative multiple-case study involving 18 participants, including teachers, school administrators, and students. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, and were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings reveal that contextualized pedagogy serves as a key mechanism linking Islamic teachings with students’ lived experiences. In Indonesia, pedagogical practices were grounded in community-based values and social interaction, while in Saudi Arabia, they were enacted through ethical reasoning, structured dialogue, and institutional guidance. Across both contexts, dialogical learning emerged as the primary process fostering multicultural citizenship, ethical awareness, and civic responsibility. The novelty of this study lies in proposing Contextualized Pedagogy as a conceptual framework explaining how socio-cultural realities and educational practices mediate Islamic values. The study contributes to Islamic educational theory and comparative education by highlighting the central role of pedagogy in shaping inclusive educational outcomes.
Downloads
References
Abdul-Jabbar, W. K., & Makki, Y. (2024). Integrating intercultural philosophy into the high school curriculum: Toward a deliberative pedagogy of tadabbur in diasporic Muslim education. Religions, 15(2), Article 189. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15020189
Alsuhaymi, A. O., & Atallah, F. A. (2025). The role of ritual prayer (ṣalāh) in self-purification and identity formation: An Islamic educational perspective. Religions, 16(11), Article 1347. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16111347
Amin, H. (2024). Value-based frameworks and peace education in faith-neutral, faith-based and faith-inspired schools in Islamabad: A comparative analysis. Journal of Peace Education, 21(1), 54–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/17400201.2023.2289655
Badri, L. S., & Malik, A. A. (2024). Implementation of Islamic education values in building students' religious character through an affective approach based on the Qur'an. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 21(1), 217–233. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpai.v21i1.7260
Bahri, R., Rofiqi, R., Kusaeri, & Rusydiyah, E. F. (2025). Religious moderation education: A comparative study of Islamic approaches in Indonesia and Malaysia with implications for faith-based education. International Studies in Catholic Education, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/19422539.2025.2519727
Banks, J. A. (2022). Diversity, group identity, and citizenship education in a global age. Educational Researcher, 51(2), 95–104. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X08317501
Bosio, E. (2023). Global citizenship education as a reflexive dialogic pedagogy. Citizenship Teaching & Learning, 18(2), 177–194. https://doi.org/10.1386/ctl_00119_1
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. Sage.
Chen, M. K., Hsueh, C. M., Chiang, W. W., Chiu, K. I., & Shih, Y. H. (2025). Paulo Freire's dialogic pedagogy and the democratization of pedagogy in Taiwan's higher education: Challenges and possibilities. Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology, 9(5), 1264–1273. https://doi.org/10.55214/25768484.v9i5.7134
Christolouka, I., & Verdis, A. (2025). Mapping context through methodology: A framework for context-sensitive educational research. Learning in Context, 2(1–2), Article 100010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lecon.2025.100010
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2023). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (5th ed.). Sage.
Cuciniello, A. (2024). The Abu Dhabi document: A potential cornerstone for Islamic-Christian dialogue in Italian educational contexts. Religions, 15(1), Article 112. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15010112
Dasopang, M. D., Adam, H. B. H., & Nasution, I. F. A. (2022). Integration of religion and culture in Muslim minority communities through Islamic education. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 8(2), 221–238. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v8i2.19445
El Omari, D. (2024). The importance of interreligious Quranic hermeneutics for a gender-sensitive reading of the Qur'an. Religions, 15(12), Article 1521. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121521
Falaqi, M. R., Ritonga, A. W., Mufid, M., Hamid, M. A., Maulidi, Hidayat, S., ... & Handoyo, F. (2025). Transformation of Islamic education curriculum based on the thoughts of three educational philosophers: A systematic literature review. British Journal of Religious Education, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2025.2521384
Fathurrochman, I., Asnawan, Monita, D., & Hasan, M. F. (2025). Integration of local wisdom in elementary school local content curriculum: A study in rural areas of Indonesia. The Curriculum Journal. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.70029
Hiba, B., & El Khalifi, A. (2025). Mapping the onto-epistemic frontiers between critical pedagogy and Islamic pedagogy: Is a trading zone achievable? Pedagogy, Culture & Society, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2025.2602595
Hossain, M. I. (2024). Global citizens, civic responsibility, and intercultural communication in a rapidly globalising multicultural world: Community revitalisation and reflective practice. Ethnopolitics, 23(5), 487–514. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449057.2023.2216982
Ishaq, M., & Dayati, U. (2024). Character education through philosophical values in traditional Islamic boarding schools. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 45(1), 31–42. https://doi.org/10.34044/j.kjss.2024.45.1.04
Jeniva, I., & Tanyid, M. (2025). The framework of religious moderation: A socio-theological study on the role of religion and culture from Indonesia's perspective. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 11, Article 101271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.101271
Karwadi, Bin Zakaria, A. R., Setiyawan, A., & Ferdi Hasan, M. (2025). Integration of critical pedagogy in Islamic education: A case study of pre-service teacher training. British Journal of Religious Education, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2025.2560905
Khosronejad, M., Weber, L., & Ryan, M. (2023). Teacher learning as a polyphonic endeavor: A context-sensitive model of teacher professional development. Teachers and Teaching, 29(7–8), 908–923. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2023.2215709
Kosim, M., Muqoddam, F., Mubarok, F., & Laila, N. Q. (2023). The dynamics of Islamic education policies in Indonesia. Cogent Education, 10(1), Article 2172930. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2172930
Lahmar, F. (2020). Islamic education: An Islamic wisdom-based cultural environment in a Western context. Religions, 11(8), Article 409. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11080409
Lestari, P. A. (2024). Educating for tolerance: Multicultural approaches in Islamic religious education. Sinergi International Journal of Islamic Studies, 2(2), Article 602. https://doi.org/10.61194/ijis.v2i2.602
Mardatillah, F., Muchlinarwati, M., & Abdurrahman, D. (2025). Integrating Islamic educational values in higher education: A framework for social cohesion and peacebuilding in Aceh. Journal of Peacebuilding & Development, 20(2), 150–170. https://doi.org/10.1177/15423166251342683
Mariyono, D. (2024). Multicultural values: Meeting point of two forces in developing Islamic education. Quality Education for All, 1(1), 46–69. https://doi.org/10.1108/QEA-02-2024-0018
Muis, A. (2026). Incorporating religious moderation values into the Islamic religious education curriculum in secondary education: A systematic review of goals, experiences, methods, and evaluation. British Journal of Religious Education, 48(2), 248–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2025.2598619
Mujiburrahman, M., Zulfikar, T., Ibrahim, I., & Zulfatmi, Z. (2025). Academic discourses on the cognitive revolution and the repositioning of Islamic education in the era of neurosciences. Jurnal Ilmiah Islam Futura, 25(2), 305–330. https://doi.org/10.22373/jiif.v25i2.25997
Murtiningsih, S., & Sujito, A. (2026). Reimagining the future of education: Inclusive pedagogies, critical intergenerational justice, and technological disruption. Policy Futures in Education, 24(3), 484–504. https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103251341406
Pageh, I., Mudana, I. W., & Margi, I. K. (2025). Sustaining the integration of local wisdom into school life: A case study and bibliometric approach. International Journal of Sustainable Development & Planning, 20(11). https://doi.org/10.18280/ijsdp.201129
Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 533–544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y
Parker, M. A., Walser, T. M., & Dighe, S. (2024). Academic program development: A collaborative and context-sensitive approach. Discover Education, 3(1), Article 272. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00377-3
Patimah, S., Badarussyamsi, B., & Mahluddin, M. (2022). Learning Islamic religious education with multicultural insights. Journal of Educational Research, 1(1), 101–122. https://doi.org/10.56436/jer.v1i1.24
Putkonen, N., & Poulter, S. (2023). Balancing differences through highlighting the common: Religious education teachers’ perceptions of the diversity of Islam in Islamic religious education in Finnish state schools. Religions, 14(8), Article 1069. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14081069
Rahmawati, E. N., Sutrisno, C., & Fianisa, R. (2024). Multicultural education based on local wisdom through tradition. Jurnal Civics: Media Kajian Kewarganegaraan, 21(2), 311–320. https://doi.org/10.21831/jc.v21i2.76678
Ramli, R., Razali, R., Gadeng, A. N., Diana, N., & Hariadi, J. (2025). Integrating local knowledge into higher education: A qualitative study of curriculum innovation in Aceh, Indonesia. Education Sciences, 15(9), Article 1214. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15091214
Riaz, M., Baloch, F., Siddiqui, M., Ejaz, R., & Bashir, M. (2023). The role of Islamic education in promoting peace and tolerance. Al-Qanṭara, 9(4), 308–327.
Rohman, A., Meraj, G., Isna, A., Taruna, M. M., Rachmadhani, A., Atmanto, N. E., & Nasikhin, N. (2024). Challenges in Islamic education curriculum development: A comparative study of Indonesia, Pakistan, and India. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 23(6), 504–523. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.23.6.23
Rushami Zien, N. H., Abu Bakar, N. A., & Saad, R. (2024). Learning beyond borders: Lifelong learning and learning culture in Islamic institutions in the pursuit of quality education. Quality Education for All, 1(2), 80–93. https://doi.org/10.1108/QEA-01-2024-0010
Shaw, M. (2023). Worldview literacy as intercultural citizenship education: A framework for critical, reflexive engagement in plural democracy. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 18(2), 197–213. https://doi.org/10.1177/17461979211062125
Sijamhodžić-Nadarević, D. (2023). Contribution of Islamic religious education to intercultural values in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Religions, 14(4), Article 453. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14040453
Stake, R. E. (2023). The art of case study research (Updated ed.). Sage.
Thoha, A. F. K., Mayudi, G., Handriana, T., Qisom, S., & Ekowati, D. (2025). Ethical leadership in religious institutions: Fostering social cohesion in a multicultural Indonesian community. International Journal of Ethics and Systems. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOES-11-2024-0368
Toosi, J. F., & Jamil, A. I. (2021). Multi-religious education from the perspective of Islamic teachings. Afkar: Jurnal Akidah dan Pemikiran Islam, 23(1), 279–308. https://doi.org/10.22452/afkar.vol23no1.8
Tracy, S. J. (2023). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact (3rd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Tuna, M. H. (2024). Fundamentals of a pluralism-fostering Islamic religious education: Navigating cultural and religious dimensions of plurality. Religious Education, 119(4), 321–337. https://doi.org/10.1080/00344087.2024.2384690
Wardi, M., Fithriyyah, M. U., Fathorrahman, Z., Hidayat, T., Ismail, I., & Supandi, S. (2023). Implementation of religious moderation values through strengthening diversity tolerance in madrasah. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 9(2), 241–254. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v9i2.27952
Yin, R. K. (2023). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (7th ed.). Sage.
Downloads
Section
Copyright (c) 2026 Khoirul Anam, Muzayyanah Sa’diyah, Ahmad Wara’, Ahmad Hafidz Lubis
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
