Beyond the Juz Count: Program Type, Ability Grouping, and Teacher-Mediated Variation in Qur’an Memorization Target-Setting at an Indonesian Islamic Secondary School

Ibtihal Istiqomah; Indah Muliati; Halomoan Halomoan; Wirdati Wirdati

doi:10.32806/jf.v15i03.2348

Authors

Ibtihal Istiqomah Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia
Indah Muliati Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia
Halomoan Halomoan Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia
Wirdati Wirdati Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32806/jf.v15i03.2348

Keywords:

Qur’an memorization targets; , tahfidz education; , ability-based grouping (halaqah); , teacher-mediated differentiation;, Islamic secondary school

Abstract

Tahfidz al-Qur’an programs are widespread in Islamic secondary schools, yet research on them concentrates on program management, memorization methods, and institution-level evaluation rather than on how memorization targets are set and implemented for individual students; the evidence base also remains concentrated in Indonesia and Malaysia. This study examined how one Integrated Islamic senior high school, SMAIT Ulil Albab in Batam City, sets, implements, and evaluates its Qur’an memorization targets, guided by three questions regarding target setting, implementation, and evaluation. Using a descriptive single-case qualitative design, the researchers purposively sampled nine informants: one coordinator, six teachers across three ability tiers, and two students for semi-structured interviews of 40–50 minutes, supplemented by observation and documentation, and analyzed interactively with NVivo. Credibility rested on triangulation, member checking, and an audit trail. Targets were found to operate on two intersecting axes: a program-track axis that sets boarding students at six juz and full-day students at three juz over three years, and a halaqah ability-grouping axis (high, normal, low) that governs the daily pace. Implementation ran through ziyadah, muraja’ah, and deposit activity adjusted to each student’s progress, although stated daily minimums varied across teachers within the same tier. Evaluation was continuous and multidimensional, yet the completion certificate ultimately marked achievement as a binary distinction. The findings suggest that ability-based target-setting may operate as categorical assignment followed by looser teacher-level operationalization, and they highlight an unresolved tension between process-oriented evaluation and outcome-based certification that schools designing comparable target systems should address

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