The Humanist Roots of Islamic Administration and Leadership for Education: Philosophical Foundations for Intercultural and Transcultural Teaching

Abstract

This chapter examines the Islamic humanist tradition as it relates to the teaching of educational administration and leadership in a Muslim context, with implications for intercultural and transcultural use and to show correspondences with Western humanism. The initial section is a comparison of the central principles of the Islamic humanist tradition from the classical through to contemporary times with the Western humanist tradition as they relate to conceptions of the good, ethics, the construction of meaning and a set of higher order values predicated upon human dignity, integrity, empathy, well-being, and the public good. In both, professions are viewed as meaningful work that allow for large measures of decision making, and are grounded in human qualities and needs including autonomy, freedom and emancipation balanced with responsibilities, obligations and duties to society. These are compared with principles of knowledge in Western humanism. Secondly, the chapter examines the principles of good or ideal leadership and administration that humanism aims at in its preparation of officials, including those in the educational sector in the classical Islamic tradition. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how the Islamic humanist tradition can contribute to intercultural and transcultural graduate teaching in international educational administration.

Islamic educational leadership

“…Toward this purpose, numerous books, theses and articles were authored besides establishing centers for Islamic management in some countries. This endeavor resulted in a relatively substantial body of organized knowledge on the discipline (Abu Sin, 1996;AL Buraey, 1990;Drechsler, 2015b;Egel, 2014;Fontaine, 2008;Faris & Parry, 2011;Samier, 2019;Weir, 2012).…”

Editors' Critical Introduction: Conceptions of Internationalisation Challenging Dominant Knowledge Traditions

“…The models vary considerably, affecting how internationalisation of curriculum and pedagogy can develop. Wildman et al discuss five of these: the US 'scientist-practitioner' model that emphasises a pragmatic and positivistic orientation, and degree structures with common lengths of study; the European, under the Bologna Accord, with a highly standardised higher education (although individual disciplines may have different philosophical orientations) using a 'student-centered learning' model following the general tier structure of the American, but with an emphasis on critical thinking skills (often with a strong critical theory or interpretive character) and acquiring a deeper understanding of curricular content (e.g., Elkaleh, 2019a;Samier, 2019); the United Arab Emirates' model defined as a 'transmission, practice, and emancipatory' one where elements of other systems are combined, consisting of varying degrees and approaches to curriculum development and mobility related practices with foreign students or delivering their programmes abroad (many of which are shaped by neoliberalism and globalisation), some of which have sparked postcolonial reactions. Bahrain's model is also affected by the neoliberal ideology, with a great emphasis on obtaining international accreditation and preparing students to compete effectively in a global market.…”

Systematic review of research on educational leadership and management in Muslim societies

“…Further, leadership is amanah (trust); a psychological contract between the leader and the followers that they should strive to guide them, treat them fairly, and protect them (Beekun and Badawi, 1999: vii). These features have many commonalities with the transformational model of leadership (Beekun, 2012;Mir, 2010;Samier, 2019). Both models focus on achieving higher goals (Mir, 2010), visualizing the future, going beyond one's self interests, and working for the betterment of the followers and organizations (Dierendonk, 2011).…”

“…It should be noted that these topics (e.g. social justice, gender equality, and decision-making) constitute the "heart" of Islamic leadership (Samier, 2019). From an Islamic perspective, a leader should pursue a vision of creating an education community that is just, and free from exploitation and discrimination (Mir, 2010: 69).…”