Adaptive Curriculum Strategies for Integrating Muslim Convert Students at Darul Qur’an Al-Haramain Islamic Boarding School in Pontianak, Indonesia

Abstract

This study employed a qualitative approach using an embedded single-case study design at Darul Qur’an Al-Haramain Islamic Boarding School in Pontianak, Indonesia. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, limited participant observation, and document analysis. The data were analyzed using the continuous interactive model developed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. This study aimed to analyze the development of adaptive curriculum strategies for integrating mualaf students, describe their operational implementation in addressing students’ prior knowledge and specific learning needs, identify supporting and inhibiting factors, and formulate an adaptive curriculum integration model for Qur’anic memorization boarding schools. The findings reveal that the integration of mualaf students was successfully facilitated through an Adaptive Curricular Dualism scheme, which harmoniously combines a preparatory bridging pathway and the regular curriculum. The adaptive curriculum strategy was implemented through four phases: initial diagnostic assessment, preparatory instruction and intensive scaffolding, adaptive Qur’anic memorization using the chunking technique, and individualized progress evaluation through ipsative assessment. Furthermore, social integration within a heterogeneous residential environment fostered a peer support system that accelerated the psychological and spiritual adaptation of mualaf students without compromising the institution’s academic standards. These findings highlight the importance of differentiated learning pathways, individualized support, and inclusive residential environments in addressing learner diversity within Islamic boarding schools. The proposed model offers a practical framework for developing adaptive and inclusive curricula in Qur’anic memorization institutions while maintaining educational quality and supporting students’ spiritual development.