Curriculum Management Based on Religious and Cultural Integration to Foster Santri Independence

Abstract

This study reconstructs a religion- and culture-integrated model of curriculum management at Al-Ishlahuddiny Islamic Boarding School in West Lombok, where Islamic values and reconstructed Sasak culture are managed as one educational system rather than as separate programs. The research used a qualitative intrinsic case study within a constructivist and interpretive paradigm. Data came from pesantren leaders, principals, teachers, dormitory supervisors, santri, alumni, parents, and community figures through in-depth interviews, participant observation, document analysis, and focus group discussions. Analysis followed the interactive model of open, axial, and selective coding, and trustworthiness was maintained through triangulation, member checking, peer debriefing, reflexivity, and audit trails. The findings yielded three connected constructs. The Integrated Religious-Cultural Curriculum System functions as the value foundation, the Integrated Religious-Cultural Curriculum Management Cycle operates as a collaborative and adaptive management process, and the Integrated Religious-Cultural Transformation Outcomes place independent santri as the core result that links graduate quality, community trust, and institutional sustainability. Their synthesis forms the RICIS model, which treats curriculum as a living educational ecosystem. The model implies that Islamic institutions can modernize curriculum management and strengthen santri independence without eroding religious identity or local culture.