Gaps and Prospects in Contemporary Islamic Education I
Complexities of Teaching Islam
The issue of Islamic education curriculums and pedagogy has gathered a significant amount of attention in recent months. The susceptibility of some young Muslim men and women to modern violent religious ideologies has raised important questions about the role and responsibility of religious curricula in driving this trend. Tabah Futures Initiative convened an expert panel of specialists in Islamic education to explore these issues as part of its program on prospecting trends in religious discourse. The “Gaps and Prospects in Contemporary Islamic Education” series of posts presents a summary of the key points from the panel presentations and discussions.
Dr. Nadeem Memon is Director of Education at Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group where he develops educational solutions that improve the quality of teaching and learning in Gulf Region schools, including Arabic and Islamic Studies education. Dr. Memon discussed some of the challenges associated with Islamic education in the present context and how Islamic education has been implemented in the UAE primary school system.
There is a tendency in Western public, political, and media discourse to associate issues relating to Islamic education with broader problems in society, such as violence, extremism, and conservative religious practice. Often it may be assumed that Islamic education and schools are incubators for these issues, however, that usually is not the case. Because there are some controversies surrounding Islamic education, the teaching of Islam has become a contested space and a range of views have entered the debate. Some argue for or against non-Muslim academics teaching Islamic studies, some believe that a Muslim with academic training is unable to teach Islamic studies objectively, and some question whether objectivity is necessary when teaching theology.
Furthermore, teaching Islam has become a contested space due to concerns that the teaching of religion in schools can be dogmatic. Fears that religion may be taught with the intent of proselytisation must be understood more broadly. All forms of teaching, across multiple subject areas, could potentially be dogmatic. The potential to present knowledge dogmatically is not exclusive to religious studies.
Pedagogical traditionalism is a prevailing approach to education in the contemporary context. Pedagogical traditionalism is characterised by a strong emphasis on standardised testing and measurement. Though this is a trend that can be seen in Islamic schools in western countries, it is also present within the UAE and other Muslim countries. As a result, we see the adoption of practices that are commonly associated with western approaches to schooling within Islamic educational spaces. These educational practices are underscored by constructivist approaches to education, namely, student centred learning.
Aspects of student centred learning may be inappropriate for Islamic education because, in essence, students are expected to guide the educational process by asking the questions, and at times coming up with the answers. This can be problematic in the realm of Islamic studies for a number of reasons. The Islamic tradition stems from some integral constants (absolutes) that are at the root of an Islamic conception of life. They do not allow for relativistic interpretations or ‘multiple truths’. Similarly, western “critical thinking” models can also be a contentious issue in Islamic studies education because they are founded on fundamentally different notions of the world. However, native Islamic traditions of critical thinking are just as rigorous and offer a solution that is more familiar to the cultural context of the faith and appreciative of its faith-based foundations.
Despite this, examples exist of Islamic education programs that have integrated aspects of western educational models in positive ways. This includes the shifting Islamic education programs towards application-based learning. Application-based learning attempts to integrate Islam across the curriculum in various subjects, thus demonstrating the relevance of Islam in various spheres. This synthesis of approaches, which can be thought of as “Muslim American pedagogy”, calls for implementing the principles of an Islamic-based education while employing alternative pedagogical frameworks and ways of thinking that are current and relevant. In other words, a Musilm American pedagogy tries to find a balance between the Islamic tradition and the contemporary context.
Examples of how Islamic education programs have attempted to become application-based and cross-curricular include incorporating character education, community activism and community service, and civic engagement courses into Islamic curricula. Increasingly in Islamic studies programs, particularly in the UAE, we are seeing attempts to make Islamic education a lived experienced that is practiced and applicable in one’s daily life and interactions with society. These programs are attempting to make Islamic studies more values-based and integrated across the curriculum in what may be termed an ‘applied Islam approach’
Looking forward, Islamic education faces challenges, particularly understanding and unpacking the ‘Why’, ‘What’, and ‘How’ of Islamic education.
The ‘Why’ relates to the vision, and defines the character and identity of an Islamic education program. This varies across contexts. For example, the vision of Islamic education in the UAE, according to the Ministry of Education, is to promote moderate values of Islam.
The ‘What’ of Islamic education relates to the content of an Islamic education curriculum. There tends to be an over emphasis on curriculum in several Islamic education programs, including in the UAE. This entails unending efforts to revise, examine, and analyse the curriculum. Yet, the efficacy of an Islamic education program can only be gauged after it has been implemented, tried and tested over a few years. If Islamic educational curricula are being constantly revised and changed, a situation is created over the long term where students lose out on their education.
Finally, the ‘How’ of Islamic education refers to finding ways of improving the effectiveness of Islamic education programs. The most pragmatic way of improving Islamic education programs is through a commitment towards teacher training and preparation, as well as teaching that is geared towards achieving pre-determined educational objectives. This is an area that is under-resourced and often neglected in most Islamic education programs, thereby having a negative effect on the quality of education that students receive. The improvement of Islamic education must be a multi-pronged approach that considers curriculum and teacher support needs equally.
