Leveraging Religious Capital: Teacher Agency and Curriculum Reform in Indonesian Islamic Schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31538/tijie.v6i4.2214Keywords:
Cultural Capital, Curriculum Reform, Islamic Schools, Religious Capital, Teacher AgencyAbstract
Curriculum transformation in Indonesian Islamic educational institutions (madrasahs) is essential in addressing globalization challenges and technology development. This research investigates the intersection of religious capital and teacher agency in these institutions, with the objective of understanding how Islamic values can shape curricular innovation without abandoning core Islamic educational principles. Systematic library-based research was employed to select the literature published in peer-reviewed publications from 2015 to the present using the following databases: Scopus, ERIC, IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, Google Scholar, JSTOR, ProQuest and ScienceDirect with the keywords listed to be included were, "curriculum reform," "Islamic schools," "religious capital," and "teacher agency." The results show how teachers draw on religious capital—expertise of religious text, the practice of religion, and community networks—to articulate curriculum changes in ways centering on Islamic values. The study highlights how religious capital can both enable teachers and constrain innovations. The findings offer practical implications: Policymakers must recognize religious capital's nuanced role in curriculum reform, ensuring that educational institutions meet pedagogical needs not at the expense of religious education's integrity. This interaction in the context of a wider Islamic educational setting should be unpacked in future research in order to extrapolate implications for sustainable and inclusive educational policies.
Downloads
References
Achruh, A., & Sukirman, S. (2024). An analysis of Indonesian Islamic higher education institutions in the era of globalization. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 23(9), 78-102. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.23.9.5
Afgani, M. W. (2025). Kurikulum merdeka: Apa yang salah? Tinjauan literatur terhadap kelemahan dan tantangannya. Idarah Tarbawiyah: Journal of Management in Islamic Education, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.32832/itjmie.v6i3.19634
Akrim, A., Setiawan, H. R., Selamat, S., & Ginting, N. (2022). Transformation of Islamic Education Curriculum Development Policy in the National Education System. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 17(7), 2538-2552. https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v17i7.7685
Alkouatli, C. (2018). Pedagogies in becoming muslim: Contemporary insights from islamic traditions on teaching, learning, and developing. Religions (Basel, Switzerland ), 9(11), 367. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9110367
Anshori, I. (2021). Problem-Based Learning Remodelling Using Islamic Values Integration and Sociological Research in Madrasas. International Journal of Instruction, 14(2), 421-442. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2021.14224a
Anwar, Y., & Ali, N. L. (2021). Developing a Social Critique of Hegemony of English. International Journal on Social and Education Sciences, 3(4), 732-751. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijonses.243
Apple, M. W., & Christian-Smith, L. K. (2017). The politics of the textbook. In The politics of the textbook (pp. 1-21). Routledge.
Armita, P. (2024). Al-Qur'anic Signals Regarding Community-Based Islamic Education Approaches: Analysis of the Concepts of Yad'ûna and Ya'murûna. Mier, 2(1), 33-46. https://doi.org/10.23917/mier.v2i1.4496
Ashraf, M. A., Tsegay, S. M., & Jin, N. (2021). Teaching Global Citizenship in a Muslim-Majority Country: Perspectives of Teachers From the Religious, National, and International Education Sectors in Pakistan. Religions, 12(5), 348. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12050348
Ayub, N. S., Hamzah, M. I., & Razak, K. A. (2020). The Practice of Ta’dib Leadership Among Islamic Education Teachers. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v10-i3/7352
Azra, A. (2015). Genealogy of Indonesian Islamic Education: Roles in the Modernization of Muslim Society. Heritage of Nusantara International Journal of Religious Literature and Heritage, 4(1), 85-114. https://doi.org/10.31291/hn.v4i1.63
Bittencourt, T., & Willetts, A. (2018). Negotiating the tensions: A critical study of international schools’ mission statements. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 16(4), 515-525. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2018.1512047
Bok, J. (2021). The Effect of Social Capital on Organizational Repertoires of American Protestant Missions. Social Compass, 69(1), 22-40. https://doi.org/10.1177/00377686211053209
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital (Vol. 1).
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2012). Thematic analysis. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/13620-004
Brooks, M. C., Brooks, J. S., Mutohar, A., & Taufiq, I. (2020). Principals as socio-religious curators: progressive and conservative approaches in Islamic schools. Journal of Educational Administration, 58(6), 677-695. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-01-2020-0004
Bros, E., & Schechter, C. (2022). The Coherence Challenge Between Policy Makers and School Leaders: Exploring a National Pedagogical Reform. Journal of School Leadership, 32(5), 488-513. https://doi.org/10.1177/10526846211067641
Brown, C., White, R. M., & Kelly, A. (2021). Teachers as Educational Change Agents: What Do We Currently Know? Findings From a Systematic Review. Emerald Open Research, 3, 26. https://doi.org/10.35241/emeraldopenres.14385.1
Dano, G. (2024). Strengthening Outcome-Based Education: Capability Approach Perspective. Edukasiana Jurnal Inovasi Pendidikan, 3(2), 143-155. https://doi.org/10.56916/ejip.v3i2.550
Davies, S., & Rizk, J. (2017). The Three Generations of Cultural Capital Research: A Narrative Review. Review of Educational Research, 88(3), 331-365. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654317748423
Donnell, L. A., & Gettinger, M. (2015). Elementary School Teachers' Acceptability of School Reform: Contribution of Belief Congruence, Self-Efficacy, and Professional Development. Teaching and Teacher Education, 51, 47-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.06.003
Ezzani, M. D., Brooks, M. C., Yang, L., & Bloom, A. (2023). Islamic school leadership and social justice: an international review of the literature. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 26(5), 745-777. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2021.2009037
Farabi, M. A., Hasibuan, F. H., Maulana, A., & As-Sya’i, A. R. (2023). An Examination of the Values of Islamic Education and Western Secular Education: A Comparative Analysis. Al-Ishlah Jurnal Pendidikan, 15(2), 1789-1800. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v15i2.2820
Febrian, M. A. (2024). The Role of Teachers, Students and Curriculum in Classical Islamic Education. Academy of Education Journal, 15(1), 1111-1120. https://doi.org/10.47200/aoej.v15i1.2402
Gamal, M. A. (2020). Teaching Islam in an International School: A Bourdieusian Analysis. Religions, 11(7), 338. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11070338
Hadar, L. L., & Benish‐Weisman, M. (2018). Teachers’ Agency: Do Their Values Make a Difference? British Educational Research Journal, 45(1), 137-160. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3489
Halai, A., & Durrani, N. (2017). Teachers as Agents of Peace? Exploring Teacher Agency in Social Cohesion in Pakistan. Compare a Journal of Comparative and International Education, 48(4), 535-552. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2017.1322491
Halim, A. (2023). The Curriculum of Islamic Religious Education in the Whirlwind of Independent Education and Its Implementation on Learning. Progresiva Jurnal Pemikiran Dan Pendidikan Islam, 12(02), 261-274. https://doi.org/10.22219/progresiva.v12i02.29415
Halim, N., Mayuni, I., & Setiadi, S. (2023). A Perspective on the Practice of Spontaneous Translanguaging in Indonesia. 513-523. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-054-1_45
Hamami, T., & Nuryana, Z. (2022). A Holistic–integrative Approach of the Muhammadiyah Education System in Indonesia. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 78(4). https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v78i4.7607
Hanafi, Y., Taufiq, A., Saefi, M., Ikhsan, M. A., Diyana, T. N., Thoriquttyas, T., & Anam, F. K. (2021). The new identity of Indonesian Islamic boarding schools in the “new normal”: the education leadership response to COVID-19. Heliyon, 7(3). https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(21)00652-6
Hashim, R. (2007). Intellectualism in higher Islamic traditional studies: Implications for the curriculum. American Journal of Islam and Society, 24(3), 92-115.
Hayadin, H., Mastiyah, I., Muntafa, F., & zada, H. (2019). Inclusivism of Religious Education Teachers in Indonesia. Analisa Journal of Social Science and Religion, 4(01), 119-140. https://doi.org/10.18784/analisa.v4i01.791
Hayadin, H., Qowaid, Q., Hanun, F., Ma’rifataini, L. d., Habibullah, A., Suprapto, S., Muhibah, S., Suhardin, S., & Supriyadi, S. (2020). Maintaining Student’s Tolerance Character Through Religious Education: A Case Study at the 2nd Senior High School in Palangka Raya City. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.8-10-2019.2294519
Hefner, R. W. (2008). Making modern Muslims: the politics of Islamic education in Southeast Asia. University of Hawaii Press.
Hosaini, H., Ni’am, S., & Khamami, A. R. (2024). Navigating Islamic Education for National Character Development: Addressing Stagnation in Indonesia's Post-Conservative Turn Era. Intelektual: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Studi Keislaman, 14(1), 57-78. https://doi.org/10.33367/ji.v14i1.5221
Hossain, M., & Fatema, K. (2022). Diglossia as a Symbolic Capital in Bangladesh: A Bourdieun Analysis. Journal Corner of Education Linguistics and Literature, 2(2), 81-94. https://doi.org/10.54012/jcell.v2i2.71
Husaeni, M. F. (2023). Critical Literature Review on Moral Education System in Indonesia: How Islamic Education and Pancasila Education Monopolize Morality in Schools. Muslim Education Review, 2(1), 65-98. https://doi.org/10.56529/mer.v2i1.163
Husni, M., Wibowo, D. R., & Lubis, M. A. (2023). Merdeka Curriculum Based EBA Learning Model in Elementary Schools. Al Ibtida: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru MI, 10(2), 275-287. https://doi.org/10.24235/al.ibtida.snj.v10i2.15069
Hussin, M. Y. M., Muhammad, F., Razak, A. A., & Awang, S. A. (2024). Islamic religious school as an alternative education institution in the global era: A bibliometric and thematic analysis. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 23(9), 560-591. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.23.9.28
Ibrahim, B. (2019). Madrasah Transformation Into Modern Educational Institutions During the New Order. Istawa Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 4(2), 196. https://doi.org/10.24269/ijpi.v4i2.2006
Idris, M. (2024). Strengthening Religious Tolerance With Islamic Views in the Era of Diversity in Indonesia. WSiSS, 2(02), 106-113. https://doi.org/10.58812/wsiss.v2i02.839
Indraswati, D., Hafidzi, A., & Amaly, N. (2021). Towards Deradicalization of Indonesian Communities: The Need for a Balanced Education System Between Religion and the State in Several Islamic Boarding Schools in South Kalimantan. Asketik, 5(1), 15-22. https://doi.org/10.30762/ask.v5i1.2470
Jaenullah, J., Utama, F., & Setiawan, D. (2022). Resilience Model of the Traditional Islamic Boarding School Education System in Shaping the Morals of Student in the Midst of Modernizing Education. Jurnal Kependidikan Jurnal Hasil Penelitian Dan Kajian Kepustakaan Di Bidang Pendidikan Pengajaran Dan Pembelajaran, 8(4), 931. https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v8i4.6013
Kasmawati, K., Herlian, H., Adam, A., Deluma, R. Y., Abubakar, A., & Muliyani, M. (2023). Transformation of Islamic Education: Fostering Exemplary Character Through Integrated Curriculum in Islamic Elementary Schools. JLMP-Edu, 1(2), 33-40. https://doi.org/10.51454/jlmpedu.v1i2.427
Laksana, B. K., & Wood, B. E. (2019). Navigating religious diversity: Exploring young people’s lived religious citizenship in Indonesia. Journal of Youth Studies, 22(6), 807-823. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2018.1545998
Latif, D. (2019). Considering religious education in context: politics, reform and debates among Turkish Cypriots. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 40(1), 64-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2018.1472998
Lestari, D. P., & Fauzi, A. M. (2021). Muhammadiyah’s Contribution to Education in Indonesia and Its Influence on People’s Social Life. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.211223.144
Levtzion, N., & Pouwels, R. L. (2000). The history of Islam in Africa. Ohio University Press.
Mahdali, F., Acetylena, S., & Husni, M. (2022). Curriculum Development Design of Elementary-Based Islamic Boarding School. Al-Ishlah Jurnal Pendidikan, 14(4), 6443-6456. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v14i4.2108
Miller, J. P. (2019). The holistic curriculum. University of Toronto press.
Nirzalin, N., & Febriandi, Y. (2020). Teungku Dayah Agency and Religious Social Capital on Drug Eradication in Aceh, Indonesia. Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Dan Ilmu Politik, 23(3), 210. https://doi.org/10.22146/jsp.51061
Niyozov, S., & Memon, N. (2011). Islamic education and Islamization: Evolution of themes, continuities and new directions. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 31(1), 5-30. https://doi.org/10.1080/13602004.2011.556886
Nurhayati, S., & Andriani, A. (2021). Integrated Islamic Curriculum Development in Thematic Learning Against the Formation of Students' Critical Attitude in Islamic Elementary Schools. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.19-7-2021.2312670
Osmonova, D. (2024). Interaction of Politics and Religion as a Factor in Shaping the Religious Culture of Kyrgyzstan’s Youth. Pharos Journal of Theology(105(3)). https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.105.39
Pohl, F. (2006). Islamic education and civil society: Reflections on the pesantren tradition in contemporary Indonesia. Comparative Education Review, 50(3), 389-409. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/503882?journalCode=cer
Porter, J. S. (2023). Forming Public Moral Education: The Religious Sources of Secular Moral Formation in Common Core State Standards Curricula. The Catholic University of America. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2813512317?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true&sourcetype=Dissertations%20&%20Theses
Rahman, F., Mala, F., & Dianta, D. (2022). Analysing the Potential of Pesantren as an Agent of Inter-Religious Harmony. Religió Jurnal Studi Agama-Agama, 12(2), 193-210. https://doi.org/10.15642/religio.v12i2.2044
Rahman, M. M., Johan, M., Selim, S. M. M., Singh, M. K. M., & Shahed, F. H. (2019). Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices of Implementing Secondary English Curriculum Reform in Bangladesh: A Phenomenological Study. The Journal of Asiatefl, 16(2), 591-607. https://doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2019.16.2.10.591
Saeed, N. (2022). Impact of Constructive Pedagogy on Students Academic Achievements at Secondary School Level in Kotli AJ&K. Journal of Development and Social Sciences, 3(IV). https://doi.org/10.47205/jdss.2022(3-iv)07
Şahin, A. (2018). Critical Issues in Islamic Education Studies: Rethinking Islamic and Western Liberal Secular Values of Education. Religions, 9(11), 335. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9110335
Said, S. M., Sharif, S., & Abdullah, M. K. J. (2023). Unveiling the Excellent Leadership Qualities and Practices of Principals in Islamic Schools: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(9), 43-61. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.9.3
Sarkissian, A. (2015). The varieties of religious repression: Why governments restrict religion. Oxford University Press.
Schleicher, A. (2018). World class. OECD Publishing, Paris.
Sen, A. (2017). Citizenship Education between Secular and Religious Nationalism: A Case of Curriculum Reform in Turkey 1995-2012 UCL (University College London)]. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10028734
Setyaningsih, R., Mulyani, S., Irawati, I., Kuswanti, A., & Ismaeil, N. (2025). Strategies and Challenges of Implementing the Merdeka Curriculum in Senior High Schools. Journal of Islamic Education Students (Jies), 5(1), 188-198. https://doi.org/10.31958/jies.v5i1.15061
Shilon, S. G. (2024). School Leaders as Boundary Spanners: Shared Sense-Making Processes for Personalized Learning within a National Curriculum Reform Implementation. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1006322
Stillman, J., & Anderson, L. (2017). Teaching for equity in complex times: Negotiating standards in a high-performing bilingual school. Teachers College Press.
Suherman, A., Jamilah, J., Maskur, M., Hermanto, O., Maulana, A., & Mulyana, W. (2021). Building the Character of Pancasila Students Through the Independent Curriculum. Indonesian Journal of Community Empowerment (Ijce), 2(02), 46-54. https://doi.org/10.35899/ijce.v2i02.437
Sullivan, A. C. (2001). Cultural Capital and Educational Attainment. Sociology, 35(04), 893-912. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0038038501008938
Supratno, H., Subandiyah, H., & Raharjo, R. P. (2018). Character Education in Islamic Boarding School as a Medium to Prevent Student Radicalism. https://doi.org/10.2991/soshec-18.2018.86
Tan, C. (2014). Educative tradition and Islamic schools in Indonesia. Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies. https://doi.org/10.5617/jais.4638
Tindowen, D. J. (2019). Influence of Empowerment on Teachers’ Organizational Behaviors. European Journal of Educational Research, volume-8-2019(volume8-issue2.html), 617-631. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.8.2.617
Tisdell, E. J. (2003). Exploring spirituality and culture in adult and higher education. John Wiley & Sons.
Triantoro, M., Santoso, E., Erawanto, U., & Rahayu, D. A. (2023). Analyzing the Socio-political Dynamics and Curriculum Challenges in Indonesian Islamic Schools: A Comprehensive Study on Education Management for Sustainable Development. International Journal of Teaching and Learning, 1(4), 426-443. http://injotel.org/index.php/12/article/view/37
Tucker, O. G., & Powell, S. R. (2021). Values, Agency, and Identity in a Music Teacher Education Program. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 31(1), 23-38. https://doi.org/10.1177/10570837211030520
Verter, B. (2003). Spiritual Capital: Theorizing Religion With Bourdieu Against Bourdieu. Sociological Theory, 21(2), 150-174. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9558.00182
Warapsari, L. B., Mustofa, T. A., & Jinan, M. (2023). Integration of Islamic Religious Education and General Science at SMA IT Nur Hidayah Sukoharjo. 490-498. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-102-9_44
Wright, A., & Wright, E. (2024). Religious education and worldview theory. British Journal of Religious Education, 46(1), 4-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2023.2252190
Yahyani, W. A., Kurnianto, R., & Ariyanto, A. (2020). The Role of Integrated Schools in Improving Islamic Education in Muslim Minority Areas of Cambodia. Al-Hayat Journal of Islamic Education, 4(2), 163. https://doi.org/10.35723/ajie.v4i2.123
Yakavets, N., Winter, L., Malone, K., Zhontayeva, Z., & Khamidulina, Z. (2022). Educational Reform and Teachers’ Agency in Reconstructing Pedagogical Practices in Kazakhstan. Journal of Educational Change, 24(4), 727-757. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-022-09463-5
Zine, J. (2008). Canadian Islamic schools: Unravelling the politics of faith, gender, knowledge, and identity. University of Toronto Press.
Zulfikar, T. (2018). The Making of Indonesian Education: An Overview on Empowering Indonesian Teachers. Journal of Indonesian Social Sciences and Humanities, 2, 13-39. https://doi.org/10.14203/jissh.v2i0.19
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Eka Rizki Amalia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Tafkir: Interdisciplinary Journal of Islamic Education is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://pasca.jurnalikhac.ac.id/index.php/tijie/index.
