The Implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in Arabic Language Education: A Critical Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58223/al-irfan.v8i2.535Keywords:
Independent Curriculum, autonomous learning, Arabic LanguageAbstract
his study investigates the implementation of the Independent Curriculum (Manhaj al-Ta’allum al-Istiqlaali) in Arabic language teaching for Grade 10 students at Al-Washliyah Islamic Senior High School in Medan. The background of the problem lies in the need for a more flexible and student-centered approach to Arabic learning, given that traditional models often limit students’ active participation and contextual understanding. The main objective of this research is to analyze how the Independent Curriculum is applied in the classroom and to evaluate its impact on both teaching practices and student learning outcomes. Employing a qualitative descriptive method, data were collected through interviews with Arabic teachers, classroom observations, and documentation analysis. The findings reveal that the Independent Curriculum offers broad flexibility for teachers and students to design contextual, participatory, and interactive learning activities. Teachers take the role of facilitators who guide the learning process, while students are encouraged to actively select topics and tasks that match their interests and learning styles. This shift has contributed to significant improvements in students’ Arabic language proficiency, as well as the development of independent, critical, and reflective learning attitudes. Nevertheless, the study also identifies several challenges, including insufficient digital infrastructure, limited availability of learning resources, and the need for more comprehensive teacher training in curriculum implementation. Overall, this research contributes to the academic discourse on Arabic language pedagogy by demonstrating the potential of the Independent Curriculum to enhance both linguistic competence and learner autonomy. It also provides practical insights for educators, policymakers, and curriculum developers seeking to improve the effectiveness of Arabic language education in Indonesian Islamic schools
References
ʿAbd Allāh, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz. (2020). Al-lughah wa-al-huwiyyah al-islāmiyyah. al-Riyāḍ: Dār al-ʿAqīdah.
ʿAbd Allāh, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz. (2022). Shukr al-niʿam min khilāl taʿallum al-lughah al-ʿArabiyyah. Makkah: Dār al-Tawḥīd li-al-Nashr.
Aḥmad, ʿAbd al-Qādir. (2021). Ḥurriyat al-taʿallum: Madkhal ilā al-manhaj al-istiqlālī. al-Qāhirah: Dār al-Fikr al-ʿArabī.
Al-Jazāʾirī, ʿAbd al-Qādir. (2021). Ahfāf taʿlīm al-lughah al-ʿArabiyyah fī al-madāris al-thanawiyyah. Bayrūt: Dār al-Hudā li-al-Ṭibāʿah wa-al-Nashr.
Al-Ṭayyib, Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh. (2020). Al-lughah al-ʿArabiyyah wa-ʾahammiyyatuhā fī al-taʿlīm al-islāmī. al-Kharṭūm: Dār al-Nashr al-Islāmiyyah.
Dwipratama, A. A. (2023). Study of Ki Hadjar Dewantara’s educational thinking and its relevance to Kurikulum Merdeka. Inovasi Kurikulum, 20(1), 37–48.
Fawzi, Ahmad. (2019). Strategies for Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers. Jakarta: Dar al-Tanwir.
Fawzi, Ahmad. (2022). Analysis of the Effectiveness of Contemporary Language Teaching Methods. Jakarta: Penerbit Edukasi.
Fitria, W., & Sukirman, D. (2023). The effectiveness socialization of the kurikulum merdeka independently change in high schools Siak District. Inovasi Kurikulum, 20(1), 13–24.
Jailani, M. (2022). Pembelajaran Bahasa Arab berbasis Kurikulum Merdeka di pondok pesantren. Jurnal Praktik Baik Pembelajaran Sekolah dan Pesantren. https://doi.org/10.56741/pbpsp.v1i01.10
Judijanto, L., Salahuddin, A., Yantiningsih, E., Handayani, L., & Kusumastuty, M. I. (2024). Indonesian language learning approach in the Merdeka curriculum: A literature study on implementation and effectiveness. TOFEDU: The Future of Education Journal, 3(5), 1500–1506. https://doi.org/10.61445/tofedu.v3i5.268
Korniasih, Tri. (2022). Guidelines for the Implementation of the Independent Curriculum and the Merdeka Mengajar Platform. Jakarta: Directorate General of Teachers and Education Personnel, Ministry of Education and Culture.
Loso Judijanto, et al., already listed. Next:
Muḥammad, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān. (2018). Al-ṭuruq al-ḥadīthah fī taʿlīm al-lughah al-ʿArabiyyah. ʿAmmān: Dār al-Masīrah.
Nasrullah, Ali. (2021). Techniques for Data Collection and Analysis in Research. Yogyakarta: Deepublish.
Nasution, Abu Bakar. (2016). Fundamentals of Curriculum Development. Jakarta: Bumi Aksara.
Nesa, Rizka & Alghifari, Adi. (2023). Teacher’s Guide in the Independent Curriculum: Principles and Practices. Jakarta: Education Standards, Curriculum, and Assessment Agency.
Nesa, Rizka. (2023). School Leadership in Driving Schools for the Implementation of the Independent Curriculum. Jakarta: Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.
Qomaruddin, F. (2022). Problematika implementasi kurikulum Merdeka dalam mata pelajaran bahasa Arab di MA Nasyi’in Sidoarjo. JALIE: Journal of Applied Linguistics and Islamic Education, 6(2), 251–268.
Rahayo, Sri et al. (2023). Implementation of the Independent Curriculum in Islamic Schools. Jakarta: Curriculum and Learning Center, Ministry of Education and Culture.
Saʿīd, Fawzī. (2021). Al-wasāʾil al-taʿlīmiyyah fī taʿlīm al-lughah al-ʿArabiyyah. al-Qāhirah: Dār al-Kutub al-Tarbawiyyah.
Saʿīd, Fawzī. (2022). Dawāfiʿ taʿallum al-lughah al-ʿArabiyyah fī Indūnīsiyā. al-Qāhirah: Maktabat al-Thaqāfah al-ʿArabiyyah.
Shondaqh, A., Uliyani, F. A., Yusril, M., & Annas, A. (2024). The development model of the Merdeka Belajar curriculum in Arabic language learning. El-Syaker : Samarinda International Journal of Language Studies, 2(1), Article 501. https://doi.org/10.64093/esijls.v2i1.501
Siregar, Dedi et al. (2024). Strengthening the Pancasila Student Profile in the Independent Curriculum. Bandung: UPI Press.
Sukmadinata, Nana Syaodih. (2020). Educational Research Methodology. Bandung: PT Remaja Rosdakarya.
Wulandari, D., & Mustofa, T. A. (2023). [Duplicate removed—choose another].
(Since we already have Wulandari & Mustofa, I'll add another relevant one.)
Wulandari, D., & Mustofa, T. A. (2023). Comparative implementation of the 2013 curriculum and the Merdeka curriculum in state junior high schools. TADRIB Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 9, 152–158. https://doi.org/10.19109/tadrib.v9i2.17534
Yaelasari, M., & Astuti, V. Y. (2022). Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka pada cara belajar siswa untuk semua mata pelajaran (studi kasus pembelajaran tatap muka di SMK INFOKOM Bogor). Jurnal Pendidikan Indonesia, 3(7), 584–591. https://doi.org/10.59141/japendi.v3i07.1041
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Siti Nur Salsabyila, Muhammad Taufiq
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Lisensi :
Al-Irfan: Journal of Arabic Literature and Islamic Studies is published under conditions Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License / CC BY 4.0 This license permits anyone to copy and redistribute this material in any form or format, modify, modify, and make derivative works of this material for any purpose, including commercial purposes, so long as they credit the author for the original work.
