The Challenge of Curriculum Integration for Islamic Universities: Setting the Principles of Curriculum Integration

Abstract

The Muslim world has witnessed remarkable developments in its educational system in the last four decades. Such developments include the founding of schools, establishment of universities, publication of journals, and organization of conferences and production of books, for the purpose of Islamization. It is obvious that knowledge is central to all these Islamizing initiatives as its integration is fundamental to the entire process of Islamization. Consequently, there are contributors to the curriculum integration level of Islamization by Muslim scholars across the world who have attempted to Islamize knowledge in their various areas. However, there is little attention to the professional requirements for integration of knowledge for Islamization especially at the university level. That informed the question, whose job is it to integrate the curriculum for Islamic universities? The purpose of this paper is to address this question. Utilizing a combination of the analytical method and creative synthesis, this paper is grounded in the scholarship of pragmatist philosophical foundations of the curriculum. It is hoped to provide guiding principles to the practice of integrating knowledge for Islamization. Such principles for curriculum development for Islamic universities, may also curb the growing trend of curriculum integration without the requisite professional curriculum-making considerations, portraying the Islamization of Knowledge (IOK) project as unsystematic.

An Eclectic Approach to Islamization of Knowledge: Models and Perspectives

“…For instance, the International Board of Educational Research, IBERR, despite its efforts and accumulated practical experiences over decades admits, as cited the difficulty of establishing a real Islamic school. In Nigeria in particular, there have been various attempts that have not been well successful (Fahm, 2014;Rufai, 2016). In many so-called Islamic schools in Nigeria, Arabic language and Islamic studies (they call it IRK) are introduced as mere subjects of study on the school time table, despite its complex nature.…”

Teaching Hadith Subjects through E-Learning Methods: Prospects and Challenges

“…On the other hand, Shihab A. Hameed in his study highlights ethical and moral challenges in e-learning based Education. (Rufai, 2016). According to Musbah & Muhammad, (2013) Unethical behaviours can be categorized into four academic dishonesty which are cheating in tests, seeking outside help, plagiarism and electronic cheating.…”

Al-Qur’an-Based Paradigm in Science Integration at The Al-Qur’an Science University, Indonesia

“…This is in order to create a contemporary Islamic science as a counter to modern Western science (Soleh 2017). The idea of Islamisation of science from al-Attas and al-Faruqi was then implemented in the form of the establishment of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), which was followed by the International Islamic University of Islamabad (IIUI) (Hashim & Ssekamanya 2014;Rufai 2016). However, the above theory of integration of science and religion is not absolutely practised in Islamic universities in Indonesia.…”

“…In addition, there are also parties who integrate knowledge by means of re-actualisation, reinterpretation, reformulation, contextualisation, and transformation without laying down the methodological framework and approach. The scientific integration model implemented at the IIUM and the IIUI is also considered to have a missing link at the core of the project, namely knowledge (Hussien, Mamat & Ssekamanya 2019;Rufai 2016). The great ideals of the project are practically difficult to implement in courses, research, and knowledge production.…”