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PARADIGM SHIFT IN TEACHING ISLAMIC STUDIES: A CASE STDUY ANALYSIS

ISNA West Education Forum 2016, Newport Beach, CA

January 16, 2016

Abraar School

Dina Shalabi

Dr. Mohammed Saleem

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Background Info

  • Abraar School – Established in 2000 by MAC
  • From Grades JK-G10
  • Two campuses
    • JK-G6: 400 students, 23 teachers, 4 TAs, 2 VPs, 3 Coordinators (IQRA, EnrichIt!, IS), 1 Admin, 1 Shared Principal
    • G7-10: 110 students, 11 teachers, 1 Admin, 1 EnrichIt! Coord, 1 Shared Principal
  • Scope: Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6

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Something’s missing?

  • Sense of dissonance between school & home
  • Detaching Islamic Studies from daily subject matters
  • Lack of consistent language or set of messages
  • Lack of real life/home connections
  • Lack of communications among teachers

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A need for a reform

  • Balance between traditional approaches to teaching and learning to learner centered approaches (new research, technology)
  • A curriculum that speaks to the challenges of living in a pluralistic and democratic societies
  • Socio-political climate requires our children to not only be grounded in IS but to be able to resolve conflicts in positive ways
  • A need for character development that builds on Islamic concepts and values

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a Paradigm Shift

(c) 2009 Dr. Mohammed Saleem

Traditional

Learner Centered

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REflective Practitioner

Reflection

What does the

teacher observe?

Application

How might the

teacher adapt

instruction?

Interpretation

What does

this mean?

Action

What activity will

engage the student?

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Learning

Cycle

Adapted from: Educational Psychology in Context: Readings for Future Teachers by A. Marlowe & Alan Canestrari

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Action plan

  • SWOT Analysis
  • Staff Survey
  • Lesson study
  • Islamic Studies Coordinator Position
  • Revisiting curriculum map
  • Character Education Program

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Swot analysis

SWOT Analysis is a useful strategic planning technique that identifies and evaluates internal strengths and weaknesses while counting for external opportunities and threats (Houben, Lenie, & Vanhoof, 1999).

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�staff Survey�

Data were gathered about the following areas:

  • Commitment to school’s mission & vision
  • School’s Islamic environment
  • Islamic Studies curriculum
  • The role of Islamic educators
  • Student motivation in learning Islamic Studies
  • Clarity of Islamic Studies objectives.
  • Need for training

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Highlights of Survey Results

  • About 90% of respondents have a high commitment to Abraar’s mission and vision.
  • About 90% of respondents thought the mission and vision of Abraar school is clear to them. No respondents found them unclear.
  • 95% thought their role as an Islamic educator is clear to them (3 quarters strong agreed).
  • 66% of respondents believed that their students are generally motivated to work on various activities related to Islamic Studies (two thirds strongly agreed).
  • The overall objectives of IS for grades 1-6 were not clear to one third of the teachers
  • 55% thought there is a need for training on certain Islamic topics.

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�Lesson Study�

Lesson Study is a form of professional development in which several teachers collaboratively plan, teach, observe, revise and share the results of a single class lesson (Lewis, Perry, Hurd, & Connell, 2006).

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SET

GOALS

PLAN

LESSON

TEACH &

OBSERVE

REVIEW

FINDINGS

REVISE

LESSON

1

2

3

4

5

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  • قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَهُ وَأَهْلَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ حَتَّى النَّمْلَةَ فِي جُحْرِهَا وَحَتَّى الْحُوتَ لَيُصَلُّونَ

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  • The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Indeed Allah, His Angels, the inhabitants of the heavens and the earths - even the ant in his hole, even the fish - say send blessings upon the one who ‘

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عَلَى مُعَلِّمِ النَّاسِ الْخَيْرَ

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teaches the people to do good.

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LESSON STUDY

🡫 EXPERTISE

TIME

🡫 RESOURCES

INDIVIDUAL EFFORT

 EVALUATION

Connects Individual Expertise

Focuses on Incremental Improvement

“In-house” Development of Resources

Collaborative Effort

Evaluation of Learning & Learners

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Revisiting curriculum map

  • Diversification of topics�
  • Time-based distribution (occasions and festivities)�
  • Developing school-wide activities �
  • Larger impact�
  • Shared resources among teachers for the same topic/lesson

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Important Ontario research studies reported that parents placed character development to help students make ethical decisions as their highest priority for schools (2003, 2004).

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Another study also showed that developing personal management skills are important for employability (2000)

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Need for an overarching Framework

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Love, learn, & live

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Fiqh

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Doing

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Fahm

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Feeling

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Ilm

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Knowing

Learn

Love

Live

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Love

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  • To love Allah, the creator of all, and his messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him.
  • To love Quran as the words Allah used to speak to mankind.
  • To love embracing Islam as a way of life that guides daily practices.
  • To love being a Muslim who has a significant moral role and duty in building a better society.
  • To love working for all the rewards Allah promised his believers in this life and the hereafter.

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What’s love got to do with it?

�kids who develop a sense of a loving higher power or a guiding force—whether they call it God, creator, Allah or simply "loving universe"—are 80 percent less likely to suffer major depression and 50 percent less likely to suffer from substance abuse as teens.

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(Research by Lisa Miller, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and education at Columbia University's Teachers College, in New York City)

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learn

  • To learn about Allah and his attributes in order to be constantly conscious of him.
  • To learn about Quran and Sunnah as tools for guidance to all aspects and of life.
  • To learn how to manifest the character-based Islamic identity in daily practices.
  • To learn how to have a constructive and balanced role in building a peaceful and just society.
  • To learn how to live this life as a journey to next life.

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learn

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Live vs represent Islam

  • To live this life consciously according to the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah.
  • To live as a happy individual who carries an important message that has been relevant to all times.
  • To live a balanced life that infuses spirituality into the various materialistic aspects of daily life.
  • To live as a caring member of family and community, and as positive contributor to the society.

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lIVE

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Online Videos

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Significance of the Study

  • Presents on model of teaching IS
  • Pragmatic/hands on approach to teaching IS
  • Provides a shared framework to integrate IS across the curricula
  • Establishes instructional strategies that engage and motivate students
  • Engages teachers in meaningful professional development in a resource deficit environment
  • Actualizes the role of the Islamic Studies Coordinator
  • Increased parental involvement

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Limitations of the Study

  • Case study-focused only on one school
  • Teachers not formally trained to teach IS
  • Curriculum limitations – lots of teacher made materials
  • Several activities not consistently attached to student assessment

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Next Steps

  • Extend the program to G7 and above
  • Move towards a more integrated curriculum
  • Continue to develop

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References

  • Alghorani, M. A. (2008). Knowledge-Practice Measure of Islamic Religiosity (KPMIR): A case of high school Muslim students in the United States. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 3(1), 25-36.�
  • Al Migdadi, M. H. (2011). Issues in Islamization of knowledge, man and education. Revue Académique des sciences humaines et sociales, 3-16.
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  • Cerbin, W., & Kopp, B. (2006). Lesson study as a model for building pedagogical knowledge and improving teaching. International journal of teaching and learning in higher education, 18(3), 250-257.
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  • Elkhaldy, F. Y. (1996). Analysis of parental choice: Islamic school enrollment in Florida. (Ed.D., University of Central Florida). (UMI 9638566) Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=739238861&Fmt=7&clientId=65345&RQT=309&VName=PQD;
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  • Houben, G., Lenie, K., & Vanhoof, K. (1999). A knowledge-based SWOT-analysis system as an instrument for strategic planning in small and medium sized enterprises. Decision Support Systems, 26,125–135. Retrieved from http://intra.tesaf.unipd.it/pettenella/Corsi/ReaserchMethodology/Documents/SWOT_Analysis_Houben_et_al.pdf
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  • Istanbouli, M. (2001). Muslim parents: Choices and issues in the education of their children. Comparative and International Education Society 45th Annual Meeting, Washington D.C.�
  • Krathwohl, D.R. (2002). "A revision of Bloom's taxonomy: An overview". Theory Into Practice, 41(4): 212–218. doi:10.1207/s15430421tip4104_2.  �
  • Lewis, C.C, & Hurd, J. (2011). Lesson study step by Step. Heineman: Portsmouth, NH

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  • Lewis, C., Perry, R., Hurd, J., & O Connell, M. P. (2006). Lesson study comes of age in North America. Phi delta kappan, 88(4), 273.

 

  • Lewis, C. C., Perry, R. R., & Hurd, J. (2009). Improving mathematics instruction through lesson study: A theoretical model and North American case.Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 12(4), 285-304.
  • Memon, N. (2011). What Islamic school teachers want: towards developing an Islamic teacher education programme. British Journal of Religious Education,33(3), 285-298.

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  • Merry, M. S. (2005). Advocacy and involvement: The role of parents in western Islamic schools. Religious Education, 100(4), 374.
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  • Omran, A. O. (1997). A study of the historical perspectives and factors contributed towards the development of full-time Islamic schools in the united states. (Ed.D., Seton Hall University). Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=739769891&Fmt=7&clientId=65345&RQT=309&VName=PQD;

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  • Riedel, B. (2008). Universal particularism: Making an ethical Islamic school in Chicago. Martha Minow et al, 132-163.

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  • Rock, T. C., & Wilson, C. (2005). Improving teaching through lesson study. Teacher Education Quarterly, 77-92.

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  • Zine, J. (2008). Canadian Islamic schools: Unraveling the politics of faith, gender, knowledge, and identity. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

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