DINAMIKA ILMU - Vol. 21 - No. 2 (2021) - A Comparative Evaluation of the Lagos and IIUM Models of Islamic Teacher Preparation

Oct 15, 2026

The Muslim world has seen the growth of Islamic-based institutes and universities over the last four decades, following recommendations from World Conferences on Muslim Education. However, a comprehensive study comparing how these systems operate in different contemporary settings remains limited. This paper comparatively evaluates Bachelor’s degree programs in Islamic Education at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and the University of Lagos, examining curriculum aims, structures, teaching methods, and evaluation procedures through curriculum criticism and analytic methods guided by three research questions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

1. Introduction

Islamic higher learning origins

Curriculum scope in early Islam

Focus on dominant Islamic education models

Research questions and comparative approach

DINAMIKA ILMU Vol. 21 No. 2, 2021 P-ISSN: 1411-3031; E-ISSN: 2442-9651 doi: [http://doi.org/10.21093/di.v21i2.3329](http://doi.org/10.21093/di.v21i2.3329) A Comparative Evaluation of the Lagos and IIUM Models of Islamic Teacher Preparation Saheed Ahmad Rufai Sokoto State University, Nigeria [e-mail: ahmadrufaisaheednew@yahoo.com](e-mail: ahmadrufaisaheednew@yahoo.com) Abstract The Muslim world has witnessed the emergence of several Islamic-based institutesand universities in the last four decades, in keeping with some of the recommendations of the World Conferences on Muslim Education. Yet there has not been a comprehensive study of the system as operated in various contemporary Muslim settings, with a view to assessing the degree of its adequacy and efficacy. The purpose of this paper is to carry out a comparative evaluation of the Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Education programmes of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and the University of Lagos in Nigeria. The choice of the two educational settings was informed by the impression that Malaysia offers some of the best practices in Islamic education, which may be used as standards in benchmarking for Islamic education in Nigeria, an African country with the largest Muslim population. The significance of such a study lies in its potentiality to expose the strengths and deficiencies of each of the models, as well as highlight their commonalities and differences with regard to educational aims, curricula, structures, teaching methods, and evaluation procedures. The paper is guided by three research questions seeking to elicit information or generate data about the nature of the two models being evaluated, the comparative strengths and weaknesses of the two models, and ameliorative propositions with potential to enrich or enhance the quality of the two models. The paper employs curriculum criticism and the analytic method in its comparative evaluation. The significance of the paper lies in its ameliorative propositions for curriculum enrichment purposes, aimed at making the two models better and of merit. Keywords: comparative evaluation of curriculum models, Islamic education, Islamic education curriculum enrichment, model of Islamic education Dinamika Ilmu, Volume 21(2), 2021 263 Saheed Ahmad Rufai A. Introduction The advent of Islam marked the genesis of higher learning among Muslims (Stanton, 1990) . Right from early Islam, those who were knowledgeable n the Qur’an were accorded leadership positions in discussion groups, where the Qur’an and its meanings were learnt. This line of argument is well captured in the literature of Islamic Education (Baiza, 2018; Amanullah, 2004; Niyozof & Memon, 2020; Bustam-Ahmad & Jory, 2018; Abaza, 2019; Munadi et al., 2019) . As time progressed and with the formation of the Muslim religious setting into a theocratic state, learned men were appointed specifically to teach religious studies and to coordinate, administer or preside over the study circles known as halqas. The emergence of such circles within mosques marked the origins of formal institutions of higher learning in the Islamic tradition. The content of higher learning was almost all-encompassing during the advent of Islam. Nakosteen (1964) posits that the virtually all-embracing nature of the curriculum is somewhat akin to the rich and extensive curriculum models for modern higher education. This statement is true in view of the fact that virtually all areas of learning are covered therein (Ibn Sina, 1984; Gillet, 1989; Arjmand, 2018; Ashraf & Hussein, 1979; Langullung, 1988; Langullung & Hashim, 2008; Rosnani, 1996; Rosnani, 2007; Mardamann, 2018), The specific subjects covered by the educational blueprint include Mathematics (Algebra, Trigonometry, and Geometry), Science (Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy), Medicine (Anatomy, Surgery, Pharmacy, and Specialized medical branches), Philosophy (Logic, Ethics, and Metaphysics), Literature

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the comparative evaluation?

To compare Bachelor’s degree programs in Islamic Education at IIUM and the University of Lagos by assessing their adequacy and efficacy across aims, curricula, structures, teaching methods, and evaluation procedures.

Why were IIUM and the University of Lagos selected as the study settings?

Because Malaysia is viewed as offering strong best practices in Islamic education that can serve as benchmarking standards for Nigeria, which has the largest Muslim population in Africa.

What method and guiding questions does the paper use?

The study employs curriculum criticism and an analytic method, guided by three research questions addressing the nature of the two models, their comparative strengths and weaknesses, and ameliorative propositions to improve model quality.

Oct 15, 2026

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