CHALLENGES AND INTEGRATED ISLAMIC EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT MODELS FOR NEW MUSLIMS IN URBAN CONTEXT: A CASE STUDY OF BANGKOK
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Abstract
Facing challenges in forming a new religious identity, Muallaf (new Muslims) in urban societies require appropriate Islamic education. However, current educational management models remain unclear, particularly in Bangkok's multicultural context. This mixed-methods research aimed to 1) Investigate problems, and 2) Analyze the context and models of Islamic education management for Muallaf. Seventy-four participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Qualitative data were collected via in-depth interviews, supplemented by surveys for quantitative data. Qualitative data underwent content analysis and inductive conclusion formulation, while quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed problems across five dimensions. The most prevalent was language and Quranic reading difficulties (16.2%), followed by conflicting information from learning sources (12.1%), and a lack of good role models (8.1%). Three levels of learning models were identified: primary (teachers/Ustadh: 37.8%, family: 22.9%), secondary (friends/social networks: 21.6%, organizations/mosques: 20.2%), and tertiary (online media: 24.3%, print media: 6.7%). The discussion indicates that language issues are not merely technical but linked to spiritual identity formation, while information conflicts reflect the diverse knowledge production structures within Muslim society.
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