Integration Of Critical Thinking and Qur'anic Literacy: A Case Study In Modern Islamic Boarding School Curriculum Development

Limay Lina Afifatin

doi:10.58765/sei.v1i1.461

Authors

Limay Lina Afifatin Alif Muhammad Imam Syafi’i Institute, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58765/sei.v1i1.461

Keywords:

Critical thinking , Qur'anic literacy , Curriculum development, Islamic boarding schools

Abstract

This study examines the institutional integration of Qur'anic hermeneutics (tafsir methodology) with contemporary critical thinking frameworks within Islamic boarding school (madrasah) curriculum architecture. Responding to the pedagogical imperative of balancing scriptural preservation with analytical inquiry, modern Islamic institutions must navigate complex epistemological tensions between textual authority (naql) and rational investigation (aql). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 curriculum specialists, Islamic scholars (ulama), and critical thinking instructors, supplemented by curriculum document analysis and classroom observations across tafsir and critical reasoning modules. Findings reveal that the operationalization of Three-Dimensional Qur'anic Analysis (TDQA)—integrating linguistic analysis (lugawi), jurisprudential application (fiqhi), and contemporary contextual engagement (muasir)—significantly enhances student capacity for hermeneutical reasoning while maintaining textual fidelity. This study introduces the Islamic Critical Thinking Model (ICTM), which embeds Revelation-Reason Integration (RRI) as a foundational epistemological principle. At the curriculum governance level, institutions operationalize a dual-framework validation system that aligns contemporary learning outcomes with Islamic scholarly traditions (taqalid). Empirically, student performance data demonstrate a 42% increase in sophisticated analytical reasoning scores following TDQA implementation. Ultimately, this research provides institutional leaders and curriculum developers with a theoretically grounded, empirically validated framework for cultivating critical Islamic scholarship in 21st-century boarding school environments.

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