A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TARBIYAH OPERATIONAL APPROACHES IN ISLAMIC PRIVATE RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS IN NONTHABURI PROVINCE

Abstract

Amidst the globalization that has precipitated a spiritual crisis, the implementation of Tarbiyah activities in private Islamic schools lacks clarity and systematic coherence. This research aims to 1) Analyze the approaches to Tarbiyah implementation, and 2) Compare these implementations approaches based on school size in Nonthaburi Province. This is qualitative multi-case study research. Three private Islamic schools of different sizes (small, medium, large) were purposively selected. Seventeen key informants comprised school administrators, heads of student affairs/discipline, and Islamic studies teachers, each with no less than three years of work experience. The research instrument was a semi-structured interview guide. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using content analysis, thematic analysis, and cross-case analysis. The research findings revealed that all three schools shared a common conceptual framework for implementing Tarbiyah through four main processes: 1) Utilizing stories from the Qur'an and Hadith, 2) Administrators And teachers serving as positive role models, 3) Consistently practicing good behavior, and 4) Employing admonition and punishment according to Islamic principles. The implementation exhibited distinct characteristics based on school size as follows: The small school adopted an "individualistic and psychological" approach. The medium school adopted a "transitional from individualism to systematization" approach. The large school adopted a "systematic and structuralist" approach, integrating religious principles into the formal organizational structure. The most significant success factor was parental cooperation, whereas the main obstacles were the influence of online media and limitations in instructional time. Therefore, the effectiveness of Tarbiyah depends on the congruence between school size, policy direction, and leadership. Consequently, the supervisory authorities should support flexible and context-specific policies.