Curriculum Management of Pesantren-Based Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Early Childhood Education (ECE) plays a strategic role in shaping children's character and spirituality from an early age, especially when integrated with the distinctive values of Islamic boarding schools (pesantren). This study aims to explore and describe the curriculum management of pesantren-based ECE at Al-Battani Kindergarten, Bandungrejo, Mranggen, Demak, with a focus on the aspects of planning, implementation, and evaluation. Using a descriptive qualitative approach with a case study design, data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis. The findings reveal that learning practices have internalized pesantren values such as sincerity, discipline, and Islamic etiquette through daily activities such as collective prayers, shalat dhuha, memorization of short surahs, and the sorogan method. However, curriculum management remains informal, lacking written curriculum documents that integrate national ECE standards with pesantren values. Child development evaluations also do not yet use standardized indicators, and there is a competency gap among teachers between pesantren and formal ECE backgrounds. The study concludes that it is crucial to develop a written integrative curriculum, provide dual-competency-based teacher training, create contextual spiritual evaluation instruments, and establish a coordination forum between pesantren and educational institutions. This research provides both theoretical and practical contributions to the development of locally based Islamic curricula and is currently being followed up with the development of an integrative curriculum prototype and teacher training to be piloted in similar institutions.