IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MUHADHOROH GRASSROOTS CURRICULUM IN STIMULATING CRITICAL THINKING: A CASE STUDY OF PKBM DAARUL ILMI

Abstract

Learning at Pesantren-based Community Learning Activity Centers (PKBM) often adopts a rigid formal curriculum and is oriented towards rote learning. This study aims to analyze the implementation of the Hilda Taba model Grassroots Curriculum in Muhadhoroh subjects in stimulating the critical thinking skills of students in PKBM Package C of the Daarul Ilmi Sleman Islamic Boarding School. This descriptive qualitative research with an exploratory case study design involved 15 students aged 16–19 years old as subjects. Data collection was carried out through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, peer-assessment, and documentation studies, and analyzed using the interactive model Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The results of the study showed that the pedagogical autonomy of teachers in applying the seven inductive stages of Hilda Taba succeeded in transforming Muhadhoroh from a mere rhetorical ceremonial routine to a vehicle for intellectual incubation. Through the use of contemporary self-improvement literature by Mark Manson, cognitive scaffolding interventions, and participatory evaluation based on peer-assessment, students were able to go beyond the deductive-textual thinking pattern towards reflective and contextual analysis with a classical completeness rate of 93.3%. This study proves that an adaptive grassroots curriculum approach is very effective in integrating Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) into the non-formal Islamic education curriculum without eroding ethical values (ta'dib).