Implementing Amin Abdullah’s integrated-interconnected epistemology model in education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12928/ijei.v7i2.14753Keywords:
Amin Abdullah, integrated-interconnected, Islamic education, Islamic epistemologyAbstract
This study aims to analyze the implementation of Amin Abdullah’s integrative-interconnective epistemology model in education at Muhammadiyah Boarding School (MBS) Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach with a case study design, the study involved purposively selected participants consisting of the mudhir (head of the boarding school), vice director for education, school principal, vice principal for curriculum affairs, and teachers. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observations, and document analysis of curriculum documents, learning activities, institutional policies, and strategic development plans. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis through coding, categorization, theme development, and interpretation of findings. To ensure trustworthiness, source and method triangulation as well as member checking were employed. The findings reveal that MBS Yogyakarta has implemented an integrative approach through curriculum designs that combine Islamic studies and general sciences, interdisciplinary learning activities, and the development of an academic culture that promotes dialogue among diverse fields of knowledge. This implementation reflects the principles of Amin Abdullah’s integrative-interconnective epistemology, which emphasizes collaboration between Islamic sciences, natural sciences, and social-humanities disciplines in addressing contemporary challenges. However, challenges remain, including the limited availability of educators with interdisciplinary competencies and the persistence of dichotomous perspectives among some teachers. Overall, MBS Yogyakarta demonstrates a practical model of integrative Islamic epistemology that can serve as a reference for the development of contextual, inclusive, and transformative Islamic education.
References
Abdullah, M. A. (2006). Islamic Studies di Perguruan Tinggi: Pendekatan Integratif-Interkonektif. Pustaka Pelajar.
Abdullah, M. A. (2007). Islamic Studies dalam Paradigma Integrasi-Interkoneksi (Sebuah Antologi). Suka Press.
Akbar, M. B., & Heri, T. (2025). Innovation in Islamic education curriculum development - an interdisciplinary approach. Edunesia: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan, 6(2), 934–947. https://doi.org/10.51276/edu.v6i2.1233
Anggraini, F., Munir, M., & Ismail, I. (2025). Integrasi epistemologi Barat-Islam sebagai dasar pengembangan pembelajaran PAI pada Kurikulum Merdeka. Pendas: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Dasar, 10(4), 1123–1138. https://doi.org/10.23969/jp.v10i04.38061
Arini, B. N., Inayah, S. N., Azizah, W. N., & Prayogi, A. (2026). Paradigma integrasi-interkoneksi dalam rekonsiliasi sains Islam: Pemikiran Amin Abdullah. An Najah: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam dan Sosial Keagamaan, 5(1), 277-284. https://journal.nabest.id/index.php/annajah/article/view/790/490
Bowen, G. A. (2021). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. Evaluation Journal of Australasia, 22(2). https://doi/10.1177/1035719X211058251
Campbell, S., Greenwood, M., Prior, S., Shearer, T., Walkem, K., Young, S., Bywaters, D., & Walker, K. (2020). Purposive sampling: Complex or simple? Research case examples. Journal of Research in Nursing, 25(8), 652–661. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987120927206
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2023). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (5th ed.). SAGE.
Hamid, M., Husein, A. M. T., Aksan, S. M., & Alhadar, M. (2026). Integration of traditional and modern Islamic educational thought in contemporary Islamic education. Ahlussunnah: Journal of Islamic Education, 5(1), 436-451. https://doi.org/10.58485/jie.v5i1.629
Hartono, Gusmian, I., & Giyoto. (2025). Integrative-interconnective approaches in Al-Islam and Muhammadiyah education: Advancing the SDGs at UMS. Profetika: Jurnal Studi Islam, 26(2), 439-456. https://doi.org/10.23917/profetika.v26i2.7500
Indah, A. V. (2025). Epistemologi pendidikan Islam: Analisis konseptual terhadap integrasi wahyu dan akal dalam pembentukan karakter Muslim. Islamijah: Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.30821/islamijah.v6i2.25600
Khasanah, M. N., Yusgiantara, A., & Syakur, A. T. A., & Baidi (2025). Integrative education in Amin Abdullah's philosophy: A contemporary reinterpretation for Islamic pedagogy. An Nur: Jurnal Studi Islam, 17(1), 113-130. https://doi.org/10.37252/annur.v17i1.1730
Liang, J. (2019). Qualitative Research Methods: Collecting Evidence, Crafting Analysis, Communicating Impact by SJ Tracy. John Wiley & Sons.
Mokodompit, A., Mas'ud, A., & Bakar, M. Y. A. (2025). The tree of knowledge paradigm for integrating Islam and science: A historical study of Islamic higher education. Attadrib: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru Madrasah Ibtidaiyah, 8(3), 752-767. https://doi.org/10.54069/attadrib.v8i3.1065
Nowell, B., & Albrecht, K. (2019). A reviewer’s guide to qualitative rigor. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 29(2), 348-363. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muy052
Qiso, A. A., Nafisah, A., Pebrikarlepi, E., Wahyudi, M., & Heryadi, F. (2025). Reconstructing the integrative paradigm of Islamic education: A critical analysis of integrated Islamic schools in Indonesia. Al-Ishlah: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 23(1), 49-61. https://doi.org/10.35905/alishlah.v23i1.13625
Rahmani, D. A., Najmi, V. N., & Dewi, E. (2026). Reconstructing Islamic epistemology: A philosophical analysis of Amin Abdullah’s integrative-interconnected paradigm. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam Al-Thariqah, 11(1), 169–182. https://doi.org/10.25299/althariqah.2026.vol11(1).27798
Rahmi, A. A., Pradipta, A. A., Rizqoh, S., & Hufron, M. (2025). Integration of Western and Islamic epistemology in Islamic education for the formation of moderate character in students. Averroes: Journal for Science and Religious Studies, 2(1), 15–29. https://doi.org/10.62446/averroes.020104
Rofiah, K., Hutagalung, R., Kurniati, R., Tomi, & Istaurina, A. (2025). Integrative-interconnective approach in Islamic religious education curriculum: Problematika implementasi pendekatan integratif-interkonektif dalam kurikulum PAI. Santhet: Jurnal Sejarah Pendidikan dan Humaniora, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.36526/santhet.v9i2.4984
Saputra, A., & Suyanta, S. (2025). Menjembatani dikotomi ilmu agama dan ilmu umum (Kajian atas pemikiran integratif M. Amin Abdullah). Imtiyaz: Jurnal Ilmu Keislaman, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.46773/imtiyaz.v9i4.2892
Sudirmanto, S., Nurhayati, S., & Aliah, N. (2025). Integrasi wahyu dan akal dalam pendidikan Islam: Kajian epistemologis untuk pengembangan kurikulum. Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.34125/jmp.v11i1.1824
Ulviana. (2024). Hubungan nalar bayani, nalar burhani, dan nalar irfani dalam integrasi interkoneksi keilmuwan Amin Abdullah. Salimiya: Jurnal Studi Ilmu Keagamaan Islam, 5(3).
Yin, R. K. (2017). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods (6th ed.). SAGE.
Zahroh, U. A. N., Hamami, T., & Bahri, S. (2022). Integrative-interconnective model: Implementation in Islamic religious education curriculum development in Muhammadiyah schools. International Journal of Social Service and Research, 3(2), 132–145. https://doi.org/10.46799/ijssr.v3i2.278
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Arif Darmawan, Zamahzari Zamahzari
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
