Journal of Applied Educational Study

Vol. 1 No. 3 (2025): August
Articles

Bridging Religious Education and Workforce Demands: Evaluating Vocational High Schools in Islamic Boarding School Contexts

PDF: 6-18
  • Afifudin,
  • Eddy Sutadji,
  • Yusuf Hanafi,
  • Widiyanti
Afifudin
Univeristas Negeri Malang
Eddy Sutadji
Univeristas Negeri Malang
Yusuf Hanafi
Univeristas Negeri Malang
Widiyanti
Univeristas Negeri Malang
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64460/jaes.v1i3.108

Published 13-08-2025

Keywords

  • vocational education,
  • Islamic boarding school,
  • pesantren,
  • employability,
  • systematic literature review

How to Cite

Afifudin, Sutadji, E., Hanafi, Y., & Widiyanti. (2025). Bridging Religious Education and Workforce Demands: Evaluating Vocational High Schools in Islamic Boarding School Contexts. Journal of Applied Educational Study, 1(3), 6–18. https://doi.org/10.64460/jaes.v1i3.108

Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Applied Educational Study

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Vocational education within Islamic boarding school (pesantren) settings holds a strategic role in shaping work-ready graduates with strong moral and religious values. However, research integrating religious education frameworks with vocational workforce demands remains fragmented and lacks synthesis. Most studies either focus on employability skills or on religious identity formation, without analyzing their convergence. This study aims to systematically review and synthesize the current literature on how vocational high schools in pesantren contexts navigate the dual mission of spiritual and workforce preparation. A systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA approach, identifying, screening, and analysing 28 relevant articles published between 2020 and 2025 across Scopus, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and national databases. The results indicate that pesantren-based vocational schools show potential in fostering character-based employability; however, institutional fragmentation, limited industry collaboration, and curriculum misalignment remain key barriers. Strengthening pedagogical integration, developing hybrid learning models, and building strategic linkages with industry stakeholders are critical to actualize pesantren-based vocational education that is both spiritually grounded and economically relevant.

PDF: 6-18

References

  1. Akbar, M., & Said, F. (2020). Hybrid models of religious and technical education in Southeast Asia. Journal of Technical and Faith-Based Education, 12(1), 44–57.
  2. Arifin, Z. (2021). Islamic boarding schools and economic independence. Indonesian Journal of Religious Education, 8(2), 112–123.
  3. Aslam, M., Bari, F., Kingdon, G., & Rose, P. (2020). A political economy analysis of education reforms in Pakistan: The case of vocational education and training (VET). International Journal of Educational Development, 76, 102188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2020.102188
  4. Azizah, L., & Ridwan, A. (2023). Assessing vocational readiness through spiritual pedagogy. Faith and Learning Review, 14(1), 59–71.
  5. Bhatia, K., & Giri, A. (2022). Rethinking employability in a post-pandemic world: A sociological lens. Journal of Education and Work, 35(4), 382–398. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2022.2071493
  6. Biesta, G. (2021). World-centred education: A view for the present. Routledge.
  7. Billett, S. (2020). Learning for occupational practice: Beyond the technical. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 72(3), 405–422. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2020.1
  8. Billett, S., & Choy, S. (2021). Integrating values and learning in workplaces: A relational view. Vocations and Learning, 14, 287–303. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-021-09263-w
  9. Brown, P., & Keep, E. (2020). The death of human capital? Its failed promise and how to renew it in an age of disruption. Oxford Review of Education, 46(3), 313–328. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2019.1707160
  10. Darmawan, T., & Yusuf, I. (2023). Entrepreneurship and faith in boarding schools. Journal of Islamic Economic Education, 5(3), 33–46.
  11. Fakih, M. (2024). Linking pesantren curriculum with industrial internship. Journal of Vocational Partnership, 6(1), 77–88.
  12. Farid, M., & Bashir, A. (2025). Institutional barriers in implementing dual curriculum in pesantren-based SMKs. Education and Policy Studies Journal, 11(2), 101–115.
  13. Gessler, M., González-Romá, V., & Unwin, L. (2023). Employability and the capability approach: Bridging technical competence and life skills in vocational education. International Journal of Training Research, 21(1), 34–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/14480220.2022.2159421
  14. Hanafi, R., & Mahmud, I. (2022). Teaching soft skills in faith-based technical schools. International Journal of Moral Education, 17(1), 23–38.
  15. Ibrahim, N., & Khalid, S. (2024). Islamic ethics and technical competency: A curriculum mapping study. Global Journal of Islamic Vocational Studies, 3(2), 49–63.
  16. Idris, M., Fitria, H., & Wahyudi, N. (2024). Innovative approaches in teaching auto-tech in Islamic schools. International Journal of Applied Pedagogy, 9(1), 14–26.
  17. Khan, N., & Zaini, R. (2023). Faith and skills: Student perceptions of career readiness in Islamic schools. Journal of Islamic Education Studies, 10(3), 22–34.
  18. Latif, A., & Omar, S. (2021). Work-based learning and moral formation in Islamic education. Asian Journal of Religious Pedagogy, 4(2), 66–79.
  19. Levesque, K. (2022). Building employability through moral education: Perspectives from Islamic schools. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 52(5), 731–748. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2020.1868579
  20. Lucas, B., Claxton, G., & Spencer, E. (2023). The power of character in employability: A global perspective. British Journal of Educational Studies, 71(1), 18–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071005.2021.1978327
  21. Mahmoudi, A. (2021). Leadership and employability among vocational students in religious institutions. Middle Eastern Journal of Educational Leadership, 5(1), 37–49.
  22. Malik, R., & Hafiz, S. (2023). Digital skills and religious commitment in pesantren education. Techno-Islamic Review, 2(1), 11–23.
  23. McGrath, S., & Powell, L. (2022). Vocational education and training for human development: Capabilities and transformation. Compare, 52(4), 539–555. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2020.1785832.
  24. McGrath, S., Mulder, M., Papier, J., & Suart, R. (2021). Vocational education and training for sustainable development. International Review of Education, 67, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-020-09860-6
  25. Megahed, N., & Ginsburg, M. (2021). Vocational education in Egypt: Between reformist policies and Islamic moral orders. International Journal of Educational Development, 81, 102337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102337
  26. Moodie, G. (2022). Integrating general and vocational education: Historical tensions and policy lessons. Oxford Review of Education, 48(2), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2021.1915846
  27. Mulyono, B. (2020). Empowering pesantren students through skills-based education. Journal of Community-Based Education, 6(2), 50–62.
  28. Nasution, R. (2021). Faith-based vocational identity in young Muslims. Islamic Psychology and Career Journal, 9(3), 27–40.
  29. Naylor, R., & Keogh, J. (2020). Faith-based schools and employability: A comparative analysis. Journal of Comparative Education, 56(2), 213–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2020.1722820
  30. Nielsen, H. D. (2021). Islamic education and human development: Between orthodoxy and innovation. International Journal of Educational Research, 108, 101747. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101747
  31. Nisa, A., & Harun, T. (2020). Employability and Islamic worldview: A qualitative study. Journal of Comparative Islamic Education, 7(1), 88–102.
  32. Nurhadi, A., Saifuddin, M., & Jalal, H. (2023). Challenges in teaching entrepreneurship in pesantren. Journal of Islamic Business Education, 5(1), 19–31.
  33. Putri, N., Wahab, S., & Arsyad, A. (2020). Evaluating pesantren-based SMK in rural settings. Rural Education Review, 4(4), 101–116.
  34. Rahman, M. A., & Salim, A. (2022). Religious schools and social capital: A case from Southeast Asia. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 42(3), 363–380. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2022.2040702
  35. Rahman, M., Qasim, H., & Latifah, E. (2022). Vocational skills in Islamic boarding schools: An ethnographic approach. Journal of Muslim Societies and Education, 11(1), 54–70.
  36. Rohim, A. (2021). Internalizing Islamic work ethics in vocational practice. Journal of Moral and Work Ethics, 8(2), 41–56.
  37. Rozi, I. F., E. Larasati, and V. A. Lestari. (2021). developing vocabulary card base on augmented reality (AR) for learning English. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 1073(2). IOP Publishing.
  38. Salim, K., & Zahra, L. (2023). Managing curriculum integration in vocational pesantren. Curriculum Studies in Islamic Contexts, 3(1), 73–86.
  39. Schuelka, M. J., Johnstone, C. J., & Thomas, G. (2021). Toward inclusive vocational education: Lessons from global comparative studies. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 25(9), 1029–1045. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2019.1651413
  40. Sukma, R.P. (2024). Literature curriculum in Singapore. Unpublished master’s thesis. Department of English Language and Literature: National University of Singapore.
  41. Sulaiman, M. (2022). Teacher competence in faith-based vocational schools. International Journal of Religious Teacher Training, 6(3), 15–27.
  42. Supriyadi, E., & van der Meij, M. (2023). Navigating religious and technical learning: Indonesian students’ perceptions of pesantren-based vocational education. International Journal of Educational Development, 96, 102649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102649
  43. Syamsul, M. (2024). Gender perspectives in pesantren vocational schools. Islam and Gender Studies Review, 5(2), 97–108.
  44. Thalib, A. (2022). Integrating sustainability in Islamic vocational schools. Journal of Green Islamic Education, 2(1), 25–36.
  45. Yusuf, M., & Ahmed, L. (2021). Integrating Islamic values into vocational curriculum: A framework for moral-based education. Journal of Islamic Curriculum Development, 9(3), 12–28.
  46. Zuhri, I., Mustofa, H., & Aziz, R. (2022). Curriculum coherence in Islamic vocational schools. Faith and Curriculum Journal, 7(2), 43–58.