Teaching English at Indonesian Islamic Higher Education: An Epistemological Perspective
Keywords:
Epistemology, ELT, Islamic Higher Education
Abstract
English Language Teaching (ELT) practices are strongly underpinned by an epistemological view. Different beliefs on what constitute as sources of knowledge and methods of knowledge acquisition bring about different instructional implications. The case is true within the context of ELT at Indonesian Islamic higher education where the desired goals of the English teaching are not only for mastering language skills and pedagogy but also for strengthening Islamic faith and nurturing virtuous action. This research, therefore, aims to provide a description of how the decision makers and ELT practitioners at the Islamic higher education view the Islamic epistemology conceptually and practically. It addresses an attitude toward the epistemological contestation between Islam and West, as well as the strategies of integrating Islamic epistemology into English language instruction. A case study with a qualitative technique of data collection was conducted. Four decision makers, with a formal educational background of Islamic epistemology, and three ELT practitioners were involved as the research participants. The findings show that: First, ELT has its roots in Quranic revelation and prophetic tradition. Second, the Islamic epistemology and the Western epistemology ought to be interconnected rather than to be put within a contestation framework. Third, the Islamic epistemology should be integrated, explicitly or implicitly, into the curriculum, teaching materials, classroom scenario, assessment, academic atmosphere, and research policy. It is recommended that ELT practitioners responsibly explore the notion of Qur'an as the basis of linguistics and language pedagogy, and creatively accommodate the issues of locality and particularity into their instructional activities.References
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Astaneh, M. F. (2017). Epistemological Inquiry into Knowledge and Information as Two Key Concepts (with Emphasis on the Role of Context). Iranian Journal of Information Processing Management, 32(2), 297–317.
Barni, M., & Mahdany, D. (2017). Al Ghaz āli’s Thoughts on Islamic Education Curriculum. Dinamika Ilmu, 17(2), 251–260.
Brown, J. D. (2012). EIL Curriculum Development. In Alsagoff, L., et.al., (Eds.), Principles and Practices for Teaching English as an International Language. New York: Routledge.
Bustami, H. (2006). Digest Islam and Build Up Your English. Padang: Andalas University Press.
Creswell, J. W. (2015). Educational Research (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Darwis, D. (2012). English for Islamic Studies. Jakarta: Kerjasama antara PT RajaGrafindo Persada dengan Badan Penerbitan IAIN Walisongo Press.
Diallo, I. (2012). The Interface between Islamic and Western Pedagogies and Epistemologies: Features and Divergences. International Journal of Pedagogies and Learning, 7(3).
Gall, M.D., Gall, J.P., & Borg, W. . (2007). Educational Research: An introduction (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Ghofur, A. (2016). Konstruksi Epistemologi Pendidikan Islam (Studi atas Pemikiran Kependidikan Prof. H.M. Arifin, M. Ed). Potensi: Jurnal Kependidikan Islam, 2(2), 239–254.
Göçer, A. (2014). The Assessment of Turkish Written Examination Questions Based on the Text in Accordance with the Barrett’s Taxonomy. International Journal of Languages’ Education and Teaching, 3.
Halstead, J. M. (2004). An Islamic Concept of Education. Comparative Education, 40(4).
Hawasi, H. (2015). Epistemology And The Problem Of Cultural Hybridity In Muhammad Iqbal’s Thought. Kanz Philosophia : A Journal for Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism, 5(2), 99–113. https://doi.org/10.20871/kpjipm.v5i2.137
Hery, M. (2008). Epistemologi Pendidikan Islam: Melacak Metodologi Perguruan Tinggi Islam Klasik. Insania, 13(3).
Holy-Quran-English.pdf. (n.d.).
Kasule, O. H. (2008). Towards Islamic Epistemology And Islamic Curricula, (May), 1–11.
Kumaravadivelu, B. (2012). Individual Identity, Cultural Globalization, and Teaching English as an International Language: The Case for an Epistemic Break. In Alsagoff, L., et.al., (Eds.), Principles and Practices for Teaching English as an International Language. New York: Routledge.
Mudzakir. (2016). Peran Epistemologi Ilmu Pengetahuan dalam Membangun Peradaban. Kalimah: Jurnal Studi Agama-Agama Dan Pemikiran Islam, 14(51).
Pohl, M. (2000). Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn: Models and Strategies to Develop a Classroom Culture of Thinking. Victoria: Hawker Bronlow Education.
Posner, G. J. (2004). Analyzing the Curriculum (Third Edition). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Qomar, M. (2012). Fajar Baru Islam Indonesia?: Kajian Komprehensif atas Arah Sejarah dan Dinamaika Intelektual Islam Nusantara. Bandung: PT Mizan Pustaka.
Richards, J. C. (2001). Curriculum Development in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sa’adi. (2011). A Survey on the Development of Islamic Higher Education in Indonesia: An Epistemological Review. Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies, 1(1).
Shah, M.I.A., Muhamad, A.J., & Ismail, S. M. (2012). Design, Formulation, and Implementation of an English Language Curriculum from Islamic Perspective. Journal of Islam in Asia, 9(2).
Syah, M. (2009). Islamic English: A Competency-Based Reading and Self-study Reference. Bandung: PT Remaja Rosdayakarya.
Zainuddin, M. (2011). Paradigma Pendididikan Holistik. Ulumuna, XV(1).
Published
2018-06-27
How to Cite
Irwansyah, D. (2018). Teaching English at Indonesian Islamic Higher Education: An Epistemological Perspective. Dinamika Ilmu, 18(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.21093/di.v18i1.1120
Section
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