By: Mh. Taufiq Hidayahtulloh
(Student of Islamic Education Management, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, Class 6C / 1222010099)
In this era of globalization and technological advancement, Islamic education is required to continuously innovate to remain relevant and able to respond to contemporary challenges. However, many Islamic educational institutions still experience stagnation due to a lack of understanding and strategy in innovation management. The fundamental assumption is that innovation is the key to improving the quality of education. This paper aims to systematically examine the basic concepts, models, strategies, and processes of innovation management in Islamic education. With a comprehensive understanding, it is hoped that effective implementation of innovation can be encouraged through the following discussion points.
First: Basic Concept of Islamic Education Innovation Management; Islamic education innovation management is an approach to introducing change and renewal in the Islamic-based education system. This innovation includes new ideas, practices, or objects that provide benefits and positive impacts for learners. The characteristics of Islamic education innovation include observability, where results are visible to learners, and relative advantage, which highlights benefits over previous methods. The principles of Islamic education innovation require an analysis of existing opportunities and possibilities to create effective and beneficial renewal.
Second: Educational Innovation Models; Educational innovation models consist of four stages. Invention involves new discoveries that are usually adaptations of existing ones. Development is the refinement process before innovation is widely implemented. Diffusion refers to the spread of new ideas from the source to the end user, as stated by Rogers. Adoption is the process of accepting innovation, involving time and adaptation to new ideas or practices, until they are finally accepted and implemented on a larger scale.
Third: Strategies for Developing Islamic Education Innovation; The development strategies of Islamic education innovation consist of three approaches. The power coercive strategy relies on authority, which conflicts with innovation principles. The empirical-rational strategy is based on the use of reason and logic for rational action. Meanwhile, the normative re-educative strategy focuses on the thoughts of educational experts, using a repetitive approach to deeply explore and apply innovation principles in Islamic education sustainably.
Fourth: Innovation Management Processes and Procedures in Education; The process of innovation management in education consists of several stages. The knowledge stage begins with awareness of the innovation. During the persuasion stage, attitudes toward innovation are formed. The decision stage determines whether the innovation is accepted or rejected. Finally, the implementation stage occurs when the innovation is put into practice in the educational setting, indicating full adoption of the change.
From the discussion on Islamic education innovation management, it can be concluded that innovation is a crucial element in responding to the ever-evolving challenges and changes of the times. The basic concept of innovation in Islamic education emphasizes the importance of renewal that is not only in the form of ideas or practices, but also must have tangible advantages and observable results. The innovation model, which includes the stages of discovery, development, dissemination, and adoption, shows that innovation is not an instant process, but rather one that goes through gradual and systematic mechanisms. The choice of innovation development strategy must be made carefully, ranging from coercive approaches, logical reasoning, to normative approaches that prioritize re-education based on the thinking of educational experts. The innovation management process and procedures involve critical stages---from knowledge, persuasion, decision-making, to implementation---all of which are interconnected to ensure that innovation can be effectively applied and provide a positive impact on Islamic education. Therefore, it is essential for every policymaker and implementer of Islamic education to understand and manage innovation in a directed manner to achieve high-quality and competitive educational goals.
_____________
*) This paper is summarized from the course module "International Islamic Education Management Part 11" by Prof. Dr. H. A. Rusdiana, MM.Â
