ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION: CURRENT ISSUES AND THE RELEVANCE OF ISLAMIC VALUES TO 21ST-CENTURY COMPETENCIES

Abstract

Globalization presents complex challenges for Islamic education, including moral degradation, identity crises, digital radicalism, intolerance, and a gap in 21st-century competencies resulting from the dichotomy between academic knowledge and low digital literacy among teachers. This study aims to analyze current issues in Islamic education in the era of globalization, examine the relevance of Islamic values to the 4C competencies (critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration), and formulate strategies for the adaptive development of Islamic education through the integration of Islamic values and 21st-century competencies. Using a literature review method specifically, documentation and content analysis of journal articles, academic books, and policy documents this study yielded three main findings. First, central issues in Islamic education include the fragmentation of religious authority, the culture of “digital riya,” and the gap between the demands of 21st-century skills and the reality of conventional learning. Second, Islamic values such as tabayyun, muhasabah, qaulan ma’rufan, and ta’awun have proven to be relevant and can be operationalized within the 4C competencies to produce a generation that is both technically competent and of noble character. Third, adaptive strategies for the development of Islamic education include: (1) strengthening religious digital literacy grounded in Islamic values, (2) fostering religious moderation through dialogic and reflective learning, and (3) implementing project-based learning (PjBL) as a systematic vehicle for developing Islamized 4C competencies. The transformation of Islamic education in the era of globalization requires a paradigm shift from a normative-textual approach toward an integrative, contextual, and adaptive approach that harmonizes spiritual and moral excellence with the demands of 21st-century competencies.