Systemic Transformation Readiness of Arabic Language Education in Indonesia: Structural Gaps and Reform Imperatives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15408/tjems.v13i1.51232Keywords:
Arabic language education, systemic transformation, disruption, curriculum reform, pedagogical innovation, Indonesia, pendidikan bahasa Arab, transformasi sistemik, disrupsi, reformasi kurikulum, inovasi pedagogisAbstract
Abstract
This study examines the readiness of Arabic language education in Indonesia for systemic transformation amid technological, sociocultural, and employment-related disruption. It asks how the system can be redesigned to remain relevant, adaptive, and responsive to contemporary academic and professional needs. Using a qualitative systemic-analysis design, the study analyzed 30 documents comprising 10 national policy and regulatory documents and 20 peer-reviewed scholarly publications. Data were coded through a structured document-analysis protocol and examined using policy mapping, qualitative content analysis, and systemic synthesis. The findings indicate uneven readiness across seven analytical domains. Policy and governance frameworks show the strongest reform momentum, whereas curriculum flexibility, pedagogical innovation, teacher capacity, assessment reform, and learner competency alignment remain moderate to low. The most persistent weakness is the dominance of a religious-textual orientation without sufficient integration of communicative, functional, and professional competencies. The study proposes a six-layer transformation framework connecting epistemological reorientation, curriculum redesign, pedagogical innovation, teacher capacity development, governance coordination, and competency-based assessment. The framework offers a conceptual basis for coordinated policy and institutional reform, although its effectiveness requires empirical validation in classrooms and institutions.
Abstrak
Penelitian ini mengkaji kesiapan pendidikan bahasa Arab di Indonesia untuk melakukan transformasi sistemik di tengah disrupsi teknologi, perubahan sosiokultural, dan tuntutan dunia kerja. Penelitian ini menelaah bagaimana sistem pendidikan bahasa Arab dapat dirancang ulang agar tetap relevan, adaptif, dan responsif terhadap kebutuhan akademik serta profesional kontemporer. Dengan menggunakan desain analisis sistemik kualitatif, penelitian ini menganalisis 30 dokumen yang terdiri atas 10 dokumen kebijakan dan regulasi nasional serta 20 publikasi ilmiah yang ditelaah. Data dikodekan melalui protokol analisis dokumen terstruktur, kemudian dianalisis menggunakan pemetaan kebijakan, analisis isi kualitatif, dan sintesis sistemik. Temuan menunjukkan kesiapan yang tidak merata pada tujuh domain analitis. Kerangka kebijakan dan tata kelola menunjukkan momentum reformasi yang paling kuat, sedangkan fleksibilitas kurikulum, inovasi pedagogis, kapasitas guru, reformasi penilaian, dan keselarasan kompetensi peserta didik masih berada pada tingkat sedang hingga rendah. Kelemahan yang paling persisten ialah dominasi orientasi keagamaan-tekstual tanpa integrasi yang memadai dengan kompetensi komunikatif, fungsional, dan profesional. Penelitian ini mengusulkan kerangka transformasi enam lapisan yang menghubungkan reorientasi epistemologis, perancangan ulang kurikulum, inovasi pedagogis, pengembangan kapasitas guru, koordinasi tata kelola, dan penilaian berbasis kompetensi. Kerangka ini menyediakan landasan konseptual bagi reformasi kebijakan dan kelembagaan yang terkoordinasi, tetapi efektivitasnya masih memerlukan validasi empiris di kelas dan institusi.
References
Akzam, I., & Hayati, N. (2026). An integrative curriculum model for Arabic instruction integrating traditional values and modern pedagogies. Global Perspectives in Education Journal, 2(1), 31–43. https://doi.org/10.64008/gpej.v2i1.55
Alandejani, J. A., & Sayed, G. (2024). The implementation of high-impact practices and communication competency using the Arabic language. Cogent Education, 11(1), Article 2401253. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2024.2401253
Al Usman, S., Utami, S., Hayati, I., Labib, M. A. D. I., & bin Aman, A. (2023). Strategies for Arabic learning with a formal approach in the disruption of the 21st era. Ta'lim Al-'Arabiyyah: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Arab & Kebahasaaraban, 7(2), 175–190. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpba.v7i2.22667
Alzahmi, R. A., Syed, R. T., Singh, D., Arshi, T. A., & Kutty, S. V. (2025). Organizational change in higher education institutions: Thematic mapping of the literature and a future research agenda. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12, Article 1282. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05650-w
Andrews, M., Pritchett, L., & Woolcock, M. (2017). Building state capability: Evidence, analysis, action. Oxford University Press.
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/qrj0902027
Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second-language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 1–47.
Christensen, C. M., & Raynor, M. E. (2003). The innovator's solution: Creating and sustaining successful growth. Harvard Business School Press.
Council of Europe. (2001). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge University Press.
Cuban, L. (2001). Oversold and underused: Computers in the classroom. Harvard University Press.
Darling-Hammond, L., & Adamson, F. (2014). Beyond the bubble test: How performance assessments support 21st-century learning. Jossey-Bass.
Dhakal, K. (2022). NVivo. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 110(2), 270–272. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1271
Direktorat Jenderal Pendidikan Islam. (2022). Keputusan Direktur Jenderal Pendidikan Islam Nomor 2765 Tahun 2022 tentang Petunjuk Teknis Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka pada Madrasah.
Dursun, H. (2025). Problems and solutions in Arabic preparatory education at faculties of theology: The case of Türkiye. Kalemname, 10(19), 112–136.
Fazza, H., Mahgoub, M., & Chamseddine, A. R. M. (2025). Arabic language proficiency in higher education: A study of employers' expectations and programme improvements in Qatar. In: Zaidan, E., Tok, E., Al-Fadala, A., Cochrane, L. (eds) The Future of Education Policy in the State of Qatar. Gulf Studies, vol 21. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-9667-0_24
Fullan, M. (2016). The new meaning of educational change (5th ed.). Teachers College Press.
Fullan, M., & Quinn, J. (2016). Coherence: The right drivers in action for schools, districts, and systems. Corwin.
Garira, E. (2026). A systemic perspective to realizing and improving quality of education in schools. International Journal of Educational Reform, 35(3), 955–970. https://doi.org/10.1177/10567879231222862
Guay, F. (2022). Applying self-determination theory to education: Regulations types, psychological needs, and autonomy-supporting behaviors. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 37(1), 75–92. https://doi.org/10.1177/08295735211055355
Haddade, H., Nur, A., Achruh, A., Rasyid, M. N. A., & Ibrahim, A. (2024). Madrasah management strategies through the Madrasah Reform program: Evidence from Indonesia. International Journal of Educational Management, 38(5), 1289–1304. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijem-05-2023-0236
Heydarnejad, T., Tagavipour, F., Patra, I., & Khafaga, A. F. (2022). The impacts of performance-based assessment on reading comprehension achievement, academic motivation, foreign language anxiety, and students' self-efficacy. Language Testing in Asia, 12, Article 51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-022-00202-4
Hill, M., & Hupe, P. (2022). Implementing public policy: An introduction to the study of operational governance. SAGE Publications.
Hopkins, D. (2013). Exploding the myths of school reform. School Leadership & Management, 33(4), 304–321. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2013.793493
Hunaepi, H., & Suharta, I. G. P. (2024). Transforming education in Indonesia: The impact and challenges of the Merdeka Belajar curriculum. Path of Science, 10(6), 5026–5039. https://doi.org/10.22178/pos.105-31
Jang, E. E., & Sawaki, Y. (2025). Advancing language assessment for teaching and learning in the era of the artificial intelligence revolution: Promises and challenges. Language Testing, 42(4), 361–368. https://doi.org/10.1177/02655322251348685
Kavitha, K., & Joshith, V. P. (2024). The transformative trajectory of artificial intelligence in education: Two decades of bibliometric retrospect. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 52(3), 376–405. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472395241231815
Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia. (2014). Peraturan Menteri Agama Republik Indonesia Nomor 13 Tahun 2014 tentang Pendidikan Keagamaan Islam.
Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia. (2018). Keputusan Menteri Agama Republik Indonesia Nomor 792 Tahun 2018 tentang Pedoman Implementasi Kurikulum Rumpun Keilmuan Keislaman pada Perguruan Tinggi Keagamaan Islam.
Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia. (2019a). Keputusan Menteri Agama Republik Indonesia Nomor 183 Tahun 2019 tentang Kurikulum Pendidikan Agama Islam dan Bahasa Arab pada Madrasah.
Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia. (2019b). Keputusan Menteri Agama Republik Indonesia Nomor 184 Tahun 2019 tentang Pedoman Implementasi Kurikulum pada Madrasah.
Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia. (2022). Keputusan Menteri Agama Republik Indonesia Nomor 347 Tahun 2022 tentang Pedoman Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka pada Madrasah.
Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia. (2022). Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia Nomor 7 Tahun 2022 tentang Standar Isi pada Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, Jenjang Pendidikan Dasar, dan Jenjang Pendidikan Menengah.
Knight, P., & Yorke, M. (2004). Learning, curriculum and employability in higher education. Routledge.
Koon, V. Y., Yeng, S. K., Meng, C. S., & Chuen, P. W. (2026). Transformative trends and challenges: Navigating disruptive innovation in higher education through bibliometric insights. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 63(2), 356–369. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2025.2469080
Lewis, A., Kligyte, G., Melvold, J., & Salignac, F. (2025). Future-oriented capabilities impact framework: Measuring transdisciplinary higher education programmes' contribution to societal transitions. Higher Education Research & Development, 44(6), 1497–1511. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2514511
Lile, S., Ansari, S., & Urmetzer, F. (2025). Rethinking disruptive innovation: Unravelling theoretical controversies and charting new research frontiers. Innovation, 27(3), 394–416. https://doi.org/10.1080/14479338.2024.2313197
Lillis, T., & Scott, M. (2007). Defining academic literacies research: Issues of epistemology, ideology, and strategy. Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(1), 5–32. https://doi.org/10.1558/japl.v4i1.5
Macalister, J., & Nation, I. S. P. (2019). Language curriculum design (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429203763
Mahliatussikah, H., & Kuswardono, S. (2023). Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) curriculum design in Arabic language education study program. In Proceedings of the Unima International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (UNICSSH 2022) (pp. 587–595). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-35-0_72
Mardatillah, F., Gumilang, R. M., Wahyudi, M. A., Rawanita, M., & Muhammad, M. (2025). Epistemological reconstruction of Islamic education: Developing a transformative pedagogical model to foster creativity. Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun, 13(2), 1071–1094. https://doi.org/10.26811/peuradeun.v13i2.2200
Mazyuna, A. L., & Mad'ali, M. (2025). Reformulasi strategi pembelajaran bahasa Arab di era disrupsi digital: Perspektif kontemporer pendidikan di Indonesia. Khatulistiwa: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Sosial Humaniora, 5(2), 32–46. https://doi.org/10.55606/khatulistiwa.v5i2.5756
Nugraha, A., & Syafe'i, I. (2025). Curriculum foundations for Arabic language education in the AI era: Holistic, juridical, and technological perspectives. Journal of Arabic Language Learning and Teaching (JALLT), 3(2), 151–160. https://doi.org/10.23971/jallt.v3i2.395
O'Connor, C., & Joffe, H. (2020). Intercoder reliability in qualitative research: Debates and practical guidelines. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406919899220
OECD. (2025). Trends shaping education 2025. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/ee6587fd-en
Prasetyo, G., Fauziah, Y. R., & Syafii, A. (2025). From policy to pedagogy: Religious moderation as a counter-radicalization strategy in Islamic education—A systematic literature review. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 14(2), 233–251. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpi.2025.142.233-251
Rahman, N. F., Masdar, M. I., Ilmiani, A. M., Habibie, F., & Samdouni, S. (2022). Transformation of Arabic assessment in Indonesia: Conventional assessment toward digital assessment. Al-Ta'rib: Jurnal Ilmiah Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Arab, 10(2), 199–212. https://doi.org/10.23971/altarib.v10i2.4510
Raswan, R., Husni, A., Mudhofir, I., Qodri, M., Husein, S. Y., Muradi, A., & Ashfia, A. (2025). Developing a competency-based Arabic curriculum to foster Merdeka Belajar in Indonesian madrasahs. Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun, 13(3), 1881–1908. https://doi.org/10.26811/peuradeun.v13i3.1930
Republik Indonesia. (2003). Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 20 Tahun 2003 tentang Sistem Pendidikan Nasional.
Republik Indonesia. (2012). Peraturan Presiden Republik Indonesia Nomor 8 Tahun 2012 tentang Kerangka Kualifikasi Nasional Indonesia.
Republik Indonesia. (2021). Peraturan Pemerintah Republik Indonesia Nomor 57 Tahun 2021 tentang Standar Nasional Pendidikan.
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and methods in language teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Rifa'i, I., Saefuloh, H., & Nisa, F. F. (2025). Reforming Arabic education in Indonesian madrasahs: A comparative review of KMA Decrees No. 183/2019 and No. 347/2022. ALSUNIYAT: Jurnal Penelitian Bahasa, Sastra, dan Budaya Arab, 8(1), 36–54. https://doi.org/10.17509/alsuniyat.v8i1.82533
Sabatier, P. A. (1991). Toward better theories of the policy process. PS: Political Science & Politics, 24(2), 147–156. https://doi.org/10.2307/419923
Saugi, W., Komariyah, L., Subagiyo, L., Warman, W., & Mansouri, M. C. (2025). Madrasah management transformation: A systematic-bibliometric review of Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs policy, 2019–2024. Jurnal Asy-Syukriyyah, 26(2), 202–226. https://doi.org/10.36769/asy.v26i2.978
Sellami, A. (2025). The velvet cage of reform: Neoliberal discourses in Qatari education policy. Frontiers in Education, 10, Article 1645119. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1645119
Shadiev, R., & Wang, X. (2022). A review of research on technology-supported language learning and 21st-century skills. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 897689. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.897689
Shepard, L. A. (2000). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4–14. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189x029007004
Shidiq, F. M., Al-Haqiqy, M. S. I., Triwibowo, M., & Mustofa, S. (2023). Exploring the position and role of Arabic in Indonesian society: A descriptive analysis. Al-Ta'rib: Jurnal Ilmiah Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Arab, 11(2), 275–292. https://doi.org/10.23971/altarib.v11i2.6899
Sopian, A., Abdurahman, M., Ali, M., Tantowi, Y. A., Aeni, A. N., & Maulani, H. (2025). Arabic language learning in a multicultural context at pesantren. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 11(1), 77–89. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v11i1.44104
Susiawati, I., & Al Fajr, R. (2025). From classical texts to digital platforms: Reconstructing Arabic language pedagogy for multidisciplinary education goals. Proceeding of the International Conference on Global Education and Learning, 2(1), 32–45. https://doi.org/10.62951/icgel.v2i1.146
Syaudah, L., Susiawati, I., & Manalu, S. (2025). Reconstructing Arabic language education for the revival of Islamic civilization in the digital age. Mimbar Pendidikan, 10(4), 552–564. https://doi.org/10.17509/mimbardik.v10i4.92504
Tang, J., Huang, P., & Yan, S. (2025). Digital transformation in higher education: Logical framework, practical dilemmas, and implementation approaches. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 1565591. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1565591
Taufiqurrahman, T., & Giyoto, G. (2022). Management innovation of Islamic education on the basis of life skills competency: A case study of Pesantren Agro Nur El-Falah Salatiga. ATTARBIYAH: Journal of Islamic Culture and Education, 7(2), 97–106. https://doi.org/10.18326/attarbiyah.v7i2.97-106
Tight, M. (2019). Documentary research in the social sciences. SAGE Publications.
Tomlinson, M. (2017). Forms of graduate capital and their relationship to graduate employability. Education + Training, 59(4), 338–352. https://doi.org/10.1108/et-05-2016-0090
Tushar, H., & Sooraksa, N. (2023). Global employability skills in the 21st-century workplace: A semi-systematic literature review. Heliyon, 9(11), Article e21023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21023
Wahba, K., Taha, Z. A., & England, L. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook for Arabic language teaching professionals in the 21st century. Routledge.
Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V. I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16, Article 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0171-0
Zhang, L., Yang, C., & Zheng, Y. (2026). Digital competence for sustainable education of pre-service teachers: A systematic literature review (2014–2024). Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 1710983. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1710983
Zikriah, Z., & Mauludiyah, L. (2024). Research trends in Arabic language teaching worldwide: A systematic literature review based on the Scopus database. Research and Development in Education (RaDEn), 4(1), 27–48. https://doi.org/10.22219/raden.v4i1.31847
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Kartini, Naidin Syamsuddin, Muhammad Irfan Hasanuddin, M. Ilham
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
