Strengthening the Professional and Pedagogical Competencies of In-service Islamic Education Teachers through Multilateral Collaboration

Abstract

Islamic education teachers must possess pedagogical, professional, social, personal, and information technology competencies to serve students effectively. In Indonesia, the requirements have not been met by teacher professional education (TPE). Therefore, this study aimed to provide an in-depth description of the implementation of in-service TPE through multilateral collaboration. A post-phenomenological paradigm was used with an interdisciplinary sociological approach. Data collection was conducted through interviews, observations, document analysis, and focus group discussions. The participants were 78 individuals, including deans, program chairs, and secretaries of the Islamic Education TPE program, administrators, collaborative partners, and students. Furthermore, data analysis was conducted thematically using the Miles & Huberman interactive framework. The results showed that the tests fell into the “very good” category, with 878 (89.7%) and 849 (86.8%) participants scoring above 90 on the professional and pedagogical competence scale. The success of in-service professional development for Islamic religious education teachers was due to collaboration with various parties, including in funding, instructional support, expert speakers, learning facilities, regulations, and policies. The strengthening of teachers’ professional and pedagogical competencies was achieved through theoretical and practical learning. Meanwhile, the enhancement of information technology skills was obtained through indirect learning and supplementary programs outside the regular curriculum. This study enriched the discourse on educational partnerships using multilateral partnerships.