A Comparative Analysis of Western and Islamic Humanistic Values in Higher Education
Keywords:
Islamic humanism, Western humanism, Education, holistic development, intercultural understandingAbstract
This study explores the integration of Western and Islamic humanistic principles in English language education, focusing on students’ perceptions and experiences within Community-Based English Education Programs in Makassar, Indonesia. Grounded in both Kantian ethical philosophy and Islamic educational concepts such as adab and fitrah, the research investigates how humanistic values such as empathy, ethical responsibility, and community engagement are understood and practiced in a higher education context. Employing a mixed-methods design (QUAN-QUAL), quantitative data were gathered through a structured questionnaire administered to 120 students, followed by qualitative semi-structured interviews with 12 purposively selected participants. Findings reveal that a significant majority of students (72%) view humanistic values as essential in language education, with 75% highlighting empathy as a core pedagogical element and 68% reporting enhanced ethical awareness through community-based learning. Qualitative analysis further uncovered themes of empathetic teaching, ethical role modeling, and the importance of community engagement in shaping holistic learners. These results suggest a growing alignment between students’ educational expectations and the philosophical synthesis of Western critical humanism and Islamic ethical pedagogies. The study concludes that English language education in Indonesia can be enriched through a more deliberate integration of humanistic values that prepare learners to be linguistically competent, ethically grounded, and socially responsible.
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