Strengthening the Professional Competence of Tahfiz Teachers in Maintaining the Precision of Qur'an Memorization: A Case Study at Al-Ibanah Islamic Boarding School, Wonogiri

Muhammad Sidiq Mujahiddin (Institut Study Islam Muhammadiyah Pacitan)

Mazidah: Journal of Educational Research
Vol. 2 No. 3 (2026)

The professionalism of tahfiz teachers in the pesantren environment is measured not only by instructional competence and the addition (ziyadah) of students' memorization, but also by their ability to maintain the precision (kemutqinan) of Qur’anic memorization as a core competency. However, the increasing administrative burden and complexity of educators’ duties create a paradox in which longer years of service do not always correlate with the preservation of teachers’ memorization quality. This study aims to analyze the strengthening of tahfiz teachers’ professional competence in maintaining the precision of Qur’anic memorization amid the high workload of educators. Methods: This study uses a qualitative descriptive case study approach at Pondok Pesantren Al-Ibanah, Purwantoro, Wonogiri. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with tahfiz teachers and the pesantren caregiver, participatory observation of halaqah activities and tasmi’ examinations, and documentation studies. Data validity was tested using source and technique triangulation, then analyzed interactively through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The results show that the professionalism of tahfiz teachers is no longer tested by their ability to add new memorization (ziyadah), but by their ability to maintain the precision of memorization amid overlapping structural roles as teachers, dormitory supervisors (mudabbir), and administrative staff, which trigger cognitive overload and the phenomenon of illusion of competence. Tahfiz teachers respond to this challenge through various personal and adaptive independent murajaah (revision) strategies, such as designating special time slots (sacred hours), time-blocking, the Sab’iat technique, and Peer Simak/Halaqah Mudzakarah, although these strategies still rely on individual initiative and are not yet fully supported by scheduled institutional policies. The precision of teachers’ memorization also proves to have a significant effect on the accuracy of memorization correction, teachers’ pedagogical authority, and their exemplary role (uswah) as a source of students’ intrinsic motivation to preserve their own memorization. Conclusion: the precision of Qur’anic memorization is a core competency that underpins all dimensions of tahfiz teachers’ professionalism, so strengthening it requires the institutionalization of a structured and consistent murajaah policy within the pesantren environment.