Modernization of Pesantren Education in the Reform of Indonesia's Islamic Education System: A Systematic Literature Review

Rita Sriayu; Siti Kamilah; Muchammad Eka Mahmud; Muljono Damopolii; Fitrah Elnurianda

doi:10.61987/educazione.v3i1.2477

Authors

Rita Sriayu Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris Samarinda, Indonesia
Siti Kamilah Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Tarbiyah Balikpapan, Indonesia
Muchammad Eka Mahmud Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris Samarinda, Indonesia
Muljono Damopolii Universitas Islam Negeri Alaudin Makasar, Indonesia
Fitrah Elnurianda Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris Samarinda, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61987/educazione.v3i1.2477

Keywords:

Pesantren Modernization, Islamic Education Reform, Systematic Literature Review, Prisma, Curriculum Transformation

Abstract

As the oldest Islamic educational institutions in Indonesia, pesantren face transformative pressures from globalization, digitalization, and national education reform, yet existing scholarship on their modernization remains fragmented across separate dimensions. This study aims to identify the concept and typology of pesantren modernization, to analyze the forms of transformation within the pesantren education system, and to describe the implications of that modernization for the development of Islamic education in Indonesia. It employs a Systematic Literature Review guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework, searching six databases, namely Google Scholar, SINTA, Scopus, ScienceDirect, ERIC, and DOAJ, from which 24 of 263 identified articles met the inclusion criteria. The synthesis reveals that modernization proceeds across four interdependent dimensions, namely integrative curriculum, active-participatory learning methods, professional institutional management, and digital technology adoption, and that pesantren respond through three typologies: progressive adaptive, selective adaptive, and resistive. These findings imply improved graduate competencies, a strengthened social function, and the emergence of a hybrid model that holds tradition and modernity together. The study recommends a transformative-integrative model of pesantren education responsive to twenty-first-century needs.

References

Alid, C. R., Pardiman, P., & Basalamah, R. (2022). Curriculum Modernization Strategy in Salaf Islamic Boarding School Based on Indonesian National Qualification Framework. Nazhruna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 5(3), 1118–1128. https://doi.org/10.31538/nzh.v5i3.2459

Alif, K. P., Matin, M., & Santosa, H. (2025). Integrating Tradition and Technology: A PRISMA-Based Synthesis of Pesantren Curriculum Transformation. In Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Conference of Islamic Education (ACIE 2024), Jember, Indonesia. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.14-10-2024.2356524

Anwas, E. O. M., Afriansyah, A., Mulyadi, M., Purwoko, D., Anas, Z., Listanto, V., ... & Rifanto, D. (2026). A Learning Model for Effective Literacy Instruction in Diverse Papuan Contexts. The Qualitative Report, 31(2), 5106–5129. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2026.7135

Apud, A., & Akrom, A. (2020). Modern Pesantren Tradition: Kiai's Leadership in Keeping the Tradition in the Industrial Revolution 4.0 Era. Ta'dib: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 25(2), 136–151. https://doi.org/10.19109/td.v25i2.6834

Arianto, N., Nasution, R., Singarimbun, J., & Hasibuan, S. (2025). Cultural Politics and Communication Strategies in Pesantren Adaptation to Modernity: A Case Study of Pesantren Tebuireng. Muharrik: Jurnal Dakwah dan Sosial, 8(2).

Azra, A. (2019). Pendidikan Islam: Tradisi dan Modernisasi di Tengah Tantangan Milenium III. Prenada Media.

Budiharso, T., & Suharto, S. (2022). A New Paradigm of Pesantren Management in the Perspective of Social Change in the Globalization Era. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 100, 90–103. https://doi.org/10.14689/ejer.2022.100.007

Budiharso, T., Bakri, S., & Sujito, S. (2023). Transformation of Education System of the Pesantren in Indonesia From the Dutch Colony to Democratic Era. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 14(4), 179–206.

Bulhayat, B. (2025). Transformasi Pendidikan Islam di Pesantren: Mempertahankan Identitas di Era Globalisasi. Al-Mikraj: Jurnal Studi Islam dan Humaniora, 6(1), 576–594. https://doi.org/10.37680/almikraj.v6i1.7864

Hairul Puadi, H. (2022). Modernisasi (Reorientasi) Pendidikan Pesantren. Jurnal Pusaka: Media Kajian dan Pemikiran Islam, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.35897/ps.v12i1.765

Hanif, A., Ma'mur, I., & Gunawan, A. (2024). From Tafaqquh Fiddin to Applied Sciences: The Transformation of Islamic Education in Indonesia. Khazanah Pendidikan Islam, 6(3), 157–176. https://doi.org/10.15575/kpi.v6i3.41500

Hasanah, U., Abdullah, I., & Parker, L. (2024). Islamic Boarding Schools and Educational Reform in Southeast Asia. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2023.2189456

Kosim, M., Muqoddam, F., Mubarok, F., & Laila, N. Q. (2023). The Dynamics of Islamic Education Policies in Indonesia. Cogent Education, 10(1), 2172930. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2172930

Kurniannur, N. W., Nuraini, A. R., & Salik, M. (2026). Modernization of the Islamic Boarding School Curriculum at the Tahfidzul Qur'an Dormitory. Buana Pendidikan: Jurnal Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan Unipa Surabaya, 22(1), 78–89. https://doi.org/10.36456/bp.vol22.no1.a11036

Malla, H. A. B., Hamka, H., Haryani, A., Abu, A., & Nur, A. (2023). Teachers' Digital Literacy Ability to Improve Islamic Religion Education Learning in Islamic Boarding School. International Journal of Educational Reform, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/10567879231211287

Ma'shum, M. A., & Muhyi, A. A. (2025). Kepemimpinan Visioner Kiai Zia Ul Haramein dalam Pengelolaan Pesantren di Era Transformasi Digital. Kartika: Jurnal Studi Keislaman, 5(2), 1268–1283. https://doi.org/10.59240/kjsk.v5i2.294

Mumtaz, N. M., Muafiah, E., & Witro, D. (2024). Educational Policy Analysis: Examining Pesantren Policies and Their Implications on the Independence of Kyai and Pesantren in the Contemporary Era. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 21(2), 287–306. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpai.v21i2.9612

Ni'am, S., & Arafah, N. N. (2024). Transformasi Sistem Pendidikan Formal Pesantren. Dimar: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 6(1), 69–84. https://doi.org/10.58577/dimar.v6i1.271

Nihayatuzzain, N. (2025). Transformasi Pola Kepemimpinan Kiai di Pesantren Salaf: Studi Kasus di Pesantren Salafiyyah Al-Muhsin Yogyakarta. Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan: Jurnal Ilmiah Administrasi, Manajemen dan Kepemimpinan Pendidikan, 7(2), 74–79. https://doi.org/10.21831/jump.v7i2.86675

Nugroho, A., & Astutik, A. P. (2024). Digital Transformation of Islamic Boarding School Education. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Studies, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.21070/ijis.v12i2.1723

Nurdin, A., & Samudi, S. (2023). Modernisasi Pondok Pesantren Salafi: Kepemimpinan dan Pembelajaran Transformasi dalam Pendidikan Agama Islam. Edukasi Islami: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.30868/ei.v12i02.5152

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., ... Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 Statement: An Updated Guideline for Reporting Systematic Reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71

Prabowo, T. J. W. (2024). Accountability of Pondok Pesantren: A Systematic Literature Review. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2332503

Roqib, M. (2021). Increasing Social Class Through Islamic Boarding Schools in Indonesia. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 12(2), 305–329.

Shapiah, S. (2024). Transformasi Pesantren di Indonesia: Peran dalam Pendidikan Islam, Nasionalisme, dan Perubahan Sosial. PKWU, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.47668/pkwu.v12i3.1509

Syaikhu, M., & Masduki, M. (2025). Empowering Pesantren Education: Overcoming Digitalization Challenges with Tsirwah Indonesia. Educational Insights, 3(1), 71–77.

Tanjung, Y. F., Budianti, Y., & Arsyad, J. (2025). Adaptation of Islamic Boarding Schools to the Changing Times: A Comparative Study of Curriculum Modernization. Ta'dib: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 30(1), 155–171. https://doi.org/10.19109/td.v30i1.28772

Zaini, A. M., Hepni, H., & Hidayati, T. R. (2022). Islamic Boarding School's Curriculum Management Modernization. JIEMAN: Journal of Islamic Educational Management, 4(1), 61–82. https://doi.org/10.35719/jieman.v4i1.97