Adab as an Operational Pedagogical Principle: Intercultural Alignment in Arabic Language Teaching at a Tahfīẓ Pesantren in West Java, Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21093/di.v26i1.12670Keywords:
Arabic Teaching; Tahfīẓ Pesantren; Adab-Based Education; Classroom Practices; Intercultural EducationAbstract
Adab, the Islamic ethical orientation governing the conduct of knowledge, functions as an operational pedagogical principle shaping Arabic language teaching in a tahfīẓ pesantren in West Java, Indonesia. Using a qualitative case study design, the research was conducted at a purposively selected institution in which Qur’anic memorization constitutes the primary educational commitment. Participants included one institutional leader, two Arabic language teachers, and fourteen students distributed across junior and senior learning groups. Data were generated through 12 structured classroom observation sessions, semi-structured individual interviews, and institutional document analysis; thematic analysis, following Braun & Clarke’s (2006) six-phase procedure, yielded three analytical themes mapped directly to the three research questions. The findings demonstrate that Adab is not merely a background value but is explicitly invoked as a principle governing real-time instructional decisions, including lesson scope, pacing calibration, and the management of cognitive demands relative to students’ memorization responsibilities. At the junior level, Adab-oriented restraint manifests through visual scaffolding, tikrār (repetition-based memorization practice), and intensive teacher mediation; at the senior level, it shapes the integration of classical grammatical traditions with analytical textual interpretation. Framed through intercultural education theory (Bennett, 1993, 2017; Byram, 1997, 2021; Holliday, 2011; Kramsch, 1993, 2021), these instructional adaptations are theorized as intercultural pedagogical alignment — teachers’ principled, culturally informed negotiation between communicative language pedagogies and the institution's memorization-centered learning culture. Three specific contributions are advanced: (1) an empirical account of Adab as documentable classroom-level practice rather than abstract norm; (2) the concept of intercultural pedagogical alignment as a new analytical category for value-oriented educational settings; and (3) a reinterpretation of the absence of Arabic immersion environments as a cognitively rational, ethically grounded institutional choice.
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References
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Yoyo. (2023). CULTURAL PERCEPTIONS OF SANTRI ON ARABIC LANGUAGE LEARNING. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 9(2), 187–198. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v9i2.24103
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Baharun, S., Solehudin, M., & ... (2025). The I’rab Method of Habib Hasan Baharun: Impact on Arabic Grammar Instruction. Al-Muhawaroh: Jurnal …, (Query date: 2025-06-11 19:45:40). https://ejournal.uiidalwa.ac.id/index.php/almuhawaroh/article/view/2636
Bateman, J. A. (2014). Text and Image: A critical introduction to the visual/verbal divide (1st edn). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315773971
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Canale, G. (2022). Multimodality, Ethnography and the English Language Teaching Textbook: Negotiating Heteronormativity in Visual Representations. Cultural Knowledge and Values in English Language Teaching Materials Multimodal Representations and Stakeholders, (Query date: 2025-12-25 17:59:04), 163–181. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1935-0_9
Chang, P. (2022). Text-image complementarity and genre in English as foreign language textbooks. Semiotica, 2022(244), 53–80. https://doi.org/10.1515/sem-2020-0103
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2017). Research Methods in Education (8th edn). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315456539
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018a). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design (4th edn).
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018b). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design (4th edn).
Denzin, N. K. (2012). Triangulation 2.0 <sup/>. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 6(2), 80–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689812437186
Ellis, R. (Ed.). (2009). Implicit and explicit knowledge in second language learning, testing and teaching. Multilingual Matters.
Encung, E., & Rusydi, I. (2026). Implementation of Philosophy of Religion Principles In Islamic Education of Islamic Boarding School. Tafkir: Interdisciplinary Journal of Islamic Education, 7(2), 415–431. https://doi.org/10.31538/tijie.v7i2.2436
Ghufron, Z., & Anwar, E. (2020). Pembelajaran Bahasa Arab Sebagai Identitas Sosial: Studi Kasus Di Pusat Studi Islam Dan Bahasa Arab Jakarta Dan El Darosah Banten. books.google.com. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=HSMnEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=arabiyyah+bayna+yadayk&ots=BqKgOV_Wqy&sig=GAarN069hFMxgv-ui7raS_uUq3E
Gkintoni, E., Antonopoulou, H., Sortwell, A., & Halkiopoulos, C. (2025). Challenging Cognitive Load Theory: The Role of Educational Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence in Redefining Learning Efficacy. Brain Sciences, 15(2), 203. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15020203
Hadianto, D. (2021). The role of multimodal text to develop literacy and change social behaviour foreign learner. International Journal of Instruction, 14(4), 85–102. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2021.1446a
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2015). InterViews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing (Third edition). Sage Publications.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry (Nachdr.). Sage.
Lukens-Bull, R. A. (2001). Two sides of the same coin: Modernity and tradition in Islamic education in Indonesia. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 32(3), 350–372. https://doi.org/10.1525/aeq.2001.32.3.350
Maxwell, J. A. (2013). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (3rd edition). Sage.
Mayer, R. (2020). Multimedia Learning (3rd edn). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316941355
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (Fourth edition). Jossey-Bass.
Miles, C. (2016). A case study on the experiences of university-based Muslim women in physical activity during their studies at one UK higher education institution. Sport Education and Society, 21(5), 723–740. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2014.942623
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (Edition 3). Sage.
Muis, M., Hamid, M., Chamidah, D., & ... (2024). … -Arabic Speakers: A Study of Aiman Amin Abdul Ghani’s Views and Principles l I’adah Tanzim al-Mawad al-Nahwiyyah li al-Natiqin bigair al-’Arabiyyah: Dirasah fi Ara’ …. Jurnal Al Bayan …, (Query date: 2025-06-11 19:45:40). https://ejournal.radenintan.ac.id/index.php/albayan/article/view/24298
Muntaha, Hunainah, & Supriadi. (2025). A Phenomenological Study on Meaningful Learning and Worship Awareness in Islamic Religious Education. Al-Mudarris (Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Islam), 8(2), 293–316. https://doi.org/10.23971/mdr.v8i2.10240
Nasir, M. (2026). From Memorization to Meaning Making: Deep Learning as a Pathway to Higher Order Thinking in Islamic Religious Education. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31538/tijie.v7i2.2540
Nurtawab, E. (2022). Restructuring Traditional Islamic Education in Indonesia: Challenges for Pesantren Institution. Studia Islamika, 29(1), 55–81. https://doi.org/10.36712/sdi.v29i1.17414
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (Fourth edition). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Payuhi, F. (2018). Efektivitas Pengajaran Kitab al-’Arabiyyah Bayn Yadayk dalam Kemampuan Berbicara Bahasa Arab di Kalangan Santri Ma’had Talhah Bin ’Ubaidillah …. (Query date: 2025-06-11 19:45:40). http://repository.iainpalu.ac.id/id/eprint/1320/1/FERRY%20PAYUHI.pdf
Ritonga, A. W., Wargadinata, W., Ritonga, M., & Febriani, S. R. (2021). Teaching Maharah Kalam on the Basis of Culture Using the Textbook “al-‘Arabiyyah Baina Yadaik†at the Middle School/Ta’lim Maharah al-Kalam ‘Ala Asas al-Tsaqafah bi Istikhdam Kitab al-‘Arabiyyah Bayna Yadayk fi Marhalah al-Mutawassithah. Arabiyatuna : Jurnal Bahasa Arab, 5(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.29240/jba.v5i1.1942
Ritonga, N., Maksudin, M., Muhajir, M., Musthofa, T., & Setiyawan, A. (2025). Teaching Materials or Speaking Skills in the Book “Al Arabiyyah Baina Yadaikâ€. Scaffolding: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam Dan Multikulturalisme. https://doi.org/10.37680/scaffolding.v7i1.7134
Rohani, R., Gunawan, M. A., Suroyya, C. F., & Suciptono. (2026). Cognitive Fatigue Among Santri in Dual-Curriculum Islamic Boarding Schools. Tafkir: Interdisciplinary Journal of Islamic Education, 6(4), 1199–1212. https://doi.org/10.31538/tijie.v6i4.2082
Roohani, A. (2021). Analysis of Culture and Multimodality in a Local English Textbook Series. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Applied Literature, 9(2), 171–193. https://doi.org/10.22049/jalda.2021.27190.1287
Sabiq, A. H. A. (2022). Pesantren Students’ Religious Beliefs and Attitudes toward Learning English in Indonesia. 3l Language Linguistics Literature, 28(1), 60–74. https://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2022-2801-05
Saragih, R., Mesiono, M., & Nasution, I. (2021). The Management of Tahfidz Al-Qur’an Learning at Homeschooling Public Learning Center. Nidhomul Haq : Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 6(3), 537–547. https://doi.org/10.31538/ndh.v6i3.1704
Sweller, J. (2023). The Development of Cognitive Load Theory: Replication Crises and Incorporation of Other Theories Can Lead to Theory Expansion. Educational Psychology Review, 35(4), 95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09817-2
Tisdell, E. J. (2003). Exploring spirituality and culture in adult and higher education. Jossey-Bass.
Unsworth, L. (2021). High school science infographics: Multimodal meaning complexes in composite image-language ensembles. Pensamiento Educativo, 58(2). https://doi.org/10.7764/PEL.58.2.2021.9
Yoyo. (2023). CULTURAL PERCEPTIONS OF SANTRI ON ARABIC LANGUAGE LEARNING. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 9(2), 187–198. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v9i2.24103
Yuwana, R., Pratiwi, Y., Prasakti, A., & ... (2024). Trilogi Pendidikan Bahasa Populer di Indonesia (Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, dan Bahasa Arab). PT Akselerasi Karya …, (Query date: 2025-06-11 19:45:40). https://e-publisher.my.id/index.php/ptakm/article/view/64
Zhang, X. (2024). Understanding EFL students’ academically transitioning experiences with meaning-making-based instruction: A qualitative inquiry. Linguistics and Education, 84(Query date: 2025-12-23 12:54:59). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2024.101357
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Adab as an Operational Pedagogical Principle: Intercultural Alignment in Arabic Language Teaching at a Tahfīẓ Pesantren in West Java, Indonesia. (2026). Dinamika Ilmu, 26(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.21093/di.v26i1.12670
