<![CDATA[Purpose – This study compares the implementation of Islamic character education through the Kurikulum Merdeka at SMP Muhammadiyah 7 Surakarta and the KSSM with a Montessori approach at Brainy Bunch Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. The quantitative phase used a 20-item questionnaire with N = 30 (n = 15 per school). The qualitative phase used semi-structured interviews with one PAI teacher and two students from each school to explain the quantitative patterns and compare curricular practices. Findings – The instrument showed high internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha values of .941 and .935. The independent-samples t test reported p = .944, so the study did not detect a statistically significant difference between the Islamic character scores of the two groups. The qualitative findings showed differences in curricular architecture and pedagogy, but also revealed overlapping mechanisms, particularly active learning, religious habit formation, behavioral assessment, and school-parent collaboration. This non-significant finding does not demonstrate equivalence or equal effectiveness between the two curricula. Research implications – The comparison of the two schools shows that the development of Islamic character can be supported by different curricular configurations when pedagogical practices, school culture, and behavioral reinforcement are implemented consistently. These findings support analytical transferability to comparable school contexts, rather than statistical generalization to the entire education systems of Indonesia and Malaysia.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
