7th Annual Australian Islamic Schooling Conference (AAISC7):

Islamic Worldview: Renewing Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment

Call for Papers

Date: August 17-18, 2024

Venue: Islamic College of Brisbane, Karawatha, QLD, Australia

Abstract Submission Deadline: April 29, 2024

A worldview is the set of beliefs about fundamental aspects of reality that ground and influence all one’s perceiving, thinking, knowing, and doing. It also refers to your set of answers to all the big questions of life. The Islamic worldview is God-centric and holistic and continues to influence Muslim institutions and communities. Dive deep into the heart of the Islamic Worldview at the conference: Islamic Worldview: Renewing Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment. This unique conference is designed to explore the profound influence of the Islamic worldview on education and explore how it can renew curriculum development, pedagogical praxis, and assessment practices in Islamic Schools.

The Inaugural stimulus paper, ‘A Shared Vision for Islamic Schooling in Australia: Learners, Learning, and Leading Learning’, asserts:

Islamic schooling privileges an Islamic worldview as the foundation for a distinct form of education. Islamic worldview is both a foundation for knowing and doing, and it is the lens through which all within Islamic schooling mediate understandings and practices towards a distinct form of education. The concept of tawhid (oneness of God, wholeness) is the overarching principle of an Islamic worldview and of education, as envisioned by Islamic schooling as a collective. It serves as both a philosophical and methodological construct that centres purpose and enables coherence and alignment with our understandings of education and schooling.

This conference will embark on an enlightening journey, delving into the core principles and values that underpin the Islamic worldview. The aim is to renew education by infusing it with the wisdom, ethics, and perspective that have shaped Islamic civilization for centuries, showcasing those who are creatively adapting and enacting this in the present.

Key themes of the conference include:

1. Islamic worldview in Education: Explore how the Islamic worldview has shaped entire educational systems and can continue to inform whole school renewal right down to the most practical aspects of learning and teaching.
2. Innovative Pedagogical Approaches: Share innovative teaching approaches rooted in the Islamic worldview that are inspiring Islamic schools’ classrooms.
3. Curriculum Development: Discuss the renewal of educational curricula and share emerging curriculum models that are God-centric and grounded in higher purpose.
4. Assessment for Holistic Learning: Reflect on holistic forms of assessment that go beyond evaluating cognition and move toward assessing spiritual, moral, ethical, creative, and critical self-development.
5. Teacher Training and Professional Development: Share insights into professional learning programs and initiatives that focus on holistic self-development of educators over technical teacher training or narrow performance and evaluation regimes.
6. Global Perspectives on Islamic Education: Present research or case studies that highlight how the Islamic worldview influences education on a global scale, considering regional variations and adaptations.
7. Social, Cultural and Political Context: Analyse the impact of social, cultural and political factors on the implementation of Islamic worldview in education, and strategies to navigate challenges and opportunities.
8. Student Perspectives: Students sharing their experiences and insights on how the Islamic worldview has influenced their educational journey and personal growth.
9. Islamic Education Policy and Advocacy: Explore the role of policymakers, advocates, and policy critics in privileging or promoting the Islamic worldview in resisting, challenging, or enhancing dominant education systems.
10. Community Engagement: Share initiatives for centring families and communities in the educational journey of fostering faith.

These themes provide a broad spectrum of topics for abstract submissions that can contribute to the conference’s vibrant and diverse discussions on renewing curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment within the context of Islamic schooling, and in light of an Islamic worldview.

The conference invites abstracts of original and critical research papers, or classroom-based examples addressing the above themes. Academics, educators, school leaders and school cohorts are welcome to submit. Abstracts of no more than 300 words must be submitted together with an author(s) or school’s biography by 29 April 2024 to cite@unisa.edu.au.

More information on: UniSA