The Role of Islamic Education in Fostering Critical Thinking Ability: A Systematic Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32506/jois.v6i2.940Keywords:
ijtihad, teacher development, higher-order thinking, curriculum reformAbstract
The development of critical thinking ability has become an essential competency in twenty-first-century education, including within Islamic educational contexts. However, the integration of critical thinking into Islamic education curricula and pedagogical practices faces multifaceted challenges, ranging from the dominance of rote-memorization approaches to persistent gaps between classical Islamic principles and contemporary educational demands. This systematic literature review synthesizes contemporary research published between 2015 and 2020 to examine the role of Islamic education in fostering critical thinking ability. Following the PRISMA framework, a comprehensive search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and Google Scholar, yielding nineteen studies for thematic analysis. The findings reveal five major thematic clusters: (1) epistemological foundations rooted in Islamic intellectual traditions such as ijtihad and naqd; (2) pedagogical strategies including the halaqah method, debate model, problem-based learning, and Hikmah pedagogy; (3) the pivotal role of teachers as facilitators versus traditional authority figures; (4) institutional, cultural, and socio-political barriers to implementation; and (5) the emerging potential of digital technology. The synthesis indicates that while Islamic education possesses rich indigenous intellectual resources for cultivating critical reasoning, actual implementation remains inconsistent and constrained by multiple interconnected barriers. The review concludes that fostering critical thinking in Islamic education requires systemic, multi-pronged reform addressing curriculum design, teacher professional development, assessment systems, cultural attitudes, and institutional support structures. This review provides a comprehensive foundation for educators, curriculum designers, and policymakers seeking to nurture critically minded, ethically grounded Muslim learners equipped to navigate complex contemporary challenges while remaining faithful to their religious commitments.
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