Peter Jarvis's Human Learning Transformation Model In Islamic Religious Education: A Critical Conceptual Study

Abstract

Islamic Religious Education (IRE) aims not only to develop religious knowledge but also to foster value internalization and meaningful changes in students’ conduct. However, personal transformation does not automatically result from learning. This study critically examines Peter Jarvis’s Human Learning model, evaluates its relevance and limitations in IRE, and formulates contextualization principles aligned with Islamic educational values. Employing a qualitative library research approach with a critical-conceptual design, the study analyzes relevant literature through conceptual identification, thematic categorization, comparative analysis, and critical interpretation. The findings indicate that Jarvis conceptualizes learning as a dynamic process involving experience, cognition, emotion, action, and potential personal transformation. Disjuncture, arising from discrepancies between new experiences and prior understanding, may create learning opportunities but does not necessarily produce reflective learning or positive change. Although the model offers explanatory insights into learning processes, it lacks an explicit Islamic normative and spiritual framework for evaluating the direction of transformation. Accordingly, this study proposes five contextualization principles: positioning experience as an entry point for learning; facilitating guided reflection and dialogue; connecting religious knowledge with value awareness and concrete action; positioning teachers as facilitators and normative guides; and assessing learning processes and outcomes in a balanced manner. The study contributes a critical clarification of Jarvis’s explanatory scope and limitations while distinguishing the proposed contextualization principles from his original theory. These principles remain conceptual and require empirical validation.