EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENTIATE LEARNING IN TAHFIZH LEARNING AT DARUL QUR’AN INSTITUTE (IDAQU) PAYAKUMBUH 

 oleh:

  Niimmasubhani, S.Pd.I., M.A

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the Differentiate Learning approach in learning tahfizh at the Darul Qur’an Institute (IDAQU) Payakumbuh. The research method used is a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design. The subjects of the study were students studying tahfizh who were divided into two groups, namely the control group and the experimental group. Data collection techniques were carried out through observation, interviews, documentation, and memorization test results. The results of the study showed that the application of Differentiate Learning, which adjusts to individual learning styles, abilities, and interests, has a significant impact on increasing students' memorization achievements compared to conventional methods. These findings indicate that learning that focuses on the individual needs of students is more effective in improving the quality and absorption of Al-Qur'an memorization. Therefore, Differentiate Learning is worthy of being the main strategy in developing the tahfizh program at the Darul Qur'an Institute (IDAQU) Payakumbuh.

Keywords: Differentiate Learning, tahfizh learning, effectiveness, IDAQU Payakumbuh

مستخلص

تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى تحديد فعالية أسلوب التعلم التفاضلي في تعلم التحفيض في معهد دار القرآن الكريم (IDAQU) باياكومبو. تم استخدام المنهج البحثي الكمي بتصميم شبه تجريبي. كانت عينة البحث طلاب يدرسون التحفيظ، وتم تقسيمهم إلى مجموعتين، المجموعة الضابطة والمجموعة التجريبية. ويتم تنفيذ تقنيات جمع البيانات من خلال الملاحظة والمقابلات والتوثيق واختبارات الحفظ. وأظهرت نتائج الدراسة أن تطبيق التعلم المتمايز الذي يتكيف مع أساليب التعلم الفردية وقدراتهم واهتماماتهم كان له أثر كبير في زيادة تحصيل الطلبة في الحفظ مقارنة بالطرق التقليدية. وتشير هذه النتائج إلى أن التعلم الذي يركز على الاحتياجات الفردية للطلاب أكثر فعالية في تحسين جودة واستيعاب حفظ القرآن الكريم. ومن ثم فإن التعلم المتمايز يستحق أن يكون الاستراتيجية الرئيسية في تطوير برنامج التحفيض في معهد دار القرآن الكريم باياكومبو.

الكلمات المفتاحية: التعلم المتمايز، التعلم التحفيظ، الفعالية، إيداك باياكومبوه   

A.    Introduction

Darul Qur'an Institute (IDAQU) Payakumbuh, is a name change that was previously called the Darul Al-Qur'an Islamic College (STAIDA), with two departments in the subjects of Al-Qur'an Science and Tafsir (IAT) and Arabic Language Education (PBA). Darul Al-Qur'an Islamic College (STAIDA) Payakumbuh, in 2022 the study program that has been accredited by BAN-PT is the Arabic Language Education Study Program (PBA) with Very Good accreditation. The accreditation value is a great capital for the campus to develop the institution in the future and prepare the accreditation plan for the Al-Qur'an Science and Tafsir Study Program (IAT), this accreditation was carried out to answer the challenges and expectations of the community towards the Darul Al-Qur'an Islamic College (STAIDA). This achievement must of course be supported by all parties so that what is expected can run well (Profile, 2025).

The Islamic College of Darul Al-Qur'an (STAIDA) Payakumbuh continues to improve and develop by adding new study programs in 2022 and in 2023, proposing the addition of four new study programs in three faculties. Such as the proposed study programs are Islamic Economics Study Program, Islamic Religious Education Study Program, Islamic Family Law Study Program, and Islamic Studies Study Program, and the names of the study programs whose operational permits have been issued are two study programs, namely the Islamic Studies Study Program (SI) and the Islamic Religious Education Study Program (PAI). Sufficient requirements so that they already have four study programs (PBA, IAT, SI and PAI) for the requirements to level the School to become an Institute, from these requirements the status change can be carried out. Submission of a proposal to change status to an Institute in 2023 which was submitted to the Minister of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia. Decree of the Minister of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia Number 1079 of 2024 concerning the permit to change the form of the Islamic College of Darul Qur'an (STAIDA) Payakumbuh to the Darul Qur'an Institute Payakumbuh IDAQU).

The number of students counted from 2021 in the IAT department in semester 7, was recorded at 28 students, which then increased in 2022 in semester 5 to 36 people. However, this number decreased to 12 people in semester 3 of 2023, and continued to decrease to 9 people in semester 1 of 2024. The PBA department in 2021 and 2022, each had 9 students. In 2023, there was an increase to 12 people, and it returned to being stable at 9 people in 2024. The PAI Department, as a new department, started operating in 2023 with 14 students in semester 3. This number increased to 15 students in semester 1 in 2024. Meanwhile, the SI Department is also a new department, which started participating in the tahfizh program in 2023 with 9 students in semester 3. However, this number decreased to 4 students in semester 1 in 2024. As a new campus, it strives to continue to improve, presenting students from various levels of society (Recapitulation, 2025).

Quran memorization education is a form of Islamic education that aims to produce a generation of Quran memorizers who are not only able to memorize, but also understand and practice its contents (Mohd et al., n.d.). Theologically, memorizing, reading, and studying the Quran is believed to have worship value (Lauchia, Dwi, & Ahmad, 2023). In the process, learning tahfizh requires the right approach so that students can memorize well according to their abilities, learning styles, and speed of each individual (Arum, 2016). However, the reality in the field shows that learning tahfizh often uses the same method for all students without considering the differences in their abilities and learning characters, thus causing inequality in memorization results (Irwansyah & Muthi, 2025).

Problems that occur in tahfizh learning, starting from differences in students' memorization abilities are not facilitated. The age of students studying at IDAQU varies, starting from the standard age of high school/MAN and Islamic boarding school graduates, college age who are in their thirties, some are older than the lecturers, such as 50 years and over, in providing tahfiz material still applying the same teaching method for all students. This does not take into account that each student has different levels of cognitive ability, absorption capacity, and memorization speed (Akhiruddin, Sujarwo, Atmowardoyo, & Nurhikmah, 2019). As a result, students with lower abilities tend to be left behind and experience mental stress. Diverse learning styles are not accommodated, some students find it easier to memorize through hearing (auditory learners), while others are more helped by visual or kinesthetic (Wanojaleni, Fathurohim, & Pujiyanto, 2023). Without an approach that differentiates learning styles, the memorization process is less than optimal for most students.

Decreased student motivation due to the burden of memorizing non-adaptive learning methods often makes students feel burdened, IDAQU students in general have all worked, it is no wonder they are less focused and sleepy (Tinggi & Ekumene, 2024), especially if they fail to meet the uniform memorization target. This can reduce internal motivation and self-confidence. The lack of individual or personal learning strategies in many cases, teachers tend to use one-way memorization methods and do not apply formative assessments (Farias, Ramos, & da Silva, 2009) which can adjust the approach to the needs of each student. This causes the tahfizh process to become stagnant for some students (Anwar & Munastiwi, 2021), there is no use of technology or varied learning media in the digital era, most students are accustomed to interactive media. However, the memorization method still tends to be conventional and less innovative (Di, Islamiyah, & Manis, 2025). This makes the learning process monotonous and less interesting (Pendidikan, 2024).

Lecturers are a central place whose existence is a determinant for the success of learning. A lecturer is a very important main component in the learning process because the teacher's job is not only as a facilitator but there are two tasks that must be done by the teacher, namely as a learning manager and as a class manager (Rizalludin, 2019). A learning model is a learning technique used by a lecturer to teach a particular subject to achieve its learning objectives. Joyce and Weil state that a learning model is a long-term design or plan used to create a curriculum, compile learning materials, and be used as a guide in classroom learning (Marfu'ah, Zaenuri, Masrukan, & Walid, 2022).

One approach that is starting to get attention in the world of education is Differentiated Learning, which is a learning strategy that adapts content, process, product, and learning environment to the needs of students. The root concept of differentiated learning theory itself was first developed by Carol Ann Tomlinson in 1999 with the term differentiating instruction (Ashari, Hasudungan, & Nababan, 2024). Differentiated learning is a learning approach that recognizes that each student has different uniqueness, needs, interests, learning styles, and abilities (Fitriyah & Bisri, 2023). This approach is believed to be able to provide space for each student to develop according to their potential and learning style. In the context of tahfizh learning, this approach has great potential to increase the effectiveness of memorization because it is able to provide a more personal and focused learning strategy.

Institut Darul Qur'an (IDAQU) Payakumbuh as one of the educational institutions that has a tahfizh course is committed to producing superior and moral Al-Qur'an memorizers (RPS, 2010). Therefore, it is important to evaluate and develop the learning methods used so that the process of memorizing the Al-Qur'an can run more effectively. Based on this background, this study aims to determine the effectiveness of the application of Differentiate Learning in tahfizh learning at IDAQU Payakumbuh and to what extent this approach is able to improve the quality of students' memorization.

B.    Discussion

This study uses a descriptive quantitative approach (Assayakurrohim, Ikhram, Sirodj, & Afgani, 2023) with the aim of describing the development of the number of students in each department at an educational institution in the period 2021 to 2024. This study is documentary in nature, namely by collecting secondary data obtained from academic recaps or internal faculty data. 1. Research Object

The objects in this study are students from four departments, namely:

1. Al-Qur'an Science and Tafsir (IAT)

2. Arabic Language Education (PBA)

3. Islamic Religious Education (PAI)

4. Islamic Studies (SI)

2. Time and Scope

This study includes active student data based on semesters as follows:

1. 2021 (Semester 7)

2. 2022 (Semester 5)

3. 2023 (Semester 3)

4. 2024 (Semester 1)

PAI and SI departments are new departments that will start accepting students in 2023.

3. Data Collection Techniques

Data were obtained through:

1. Documentation from the academic administration section.

2. Recapitulation of the number of students based on semester and academic year.

4. Data Analysis Techniques

The collected data were then analyzed using descriptive quantitative analysis techniques (Amalatus, Alifha, Ningsih, Hartono, & Ikbal, 2021). The results of the analysis are presented in the form of a bar chart to facilitate understanding of the trend in the number of students in each department over time.

The following is a bar chart of the number of students per department at IDAQU Payakumbuh from 2021 to 2024 based on semester:

1. IAT dominates at the beginning of the year (2021–2022) and experiences a decrease in the number of students from semester to semester.

2. PBA is relatively stable in all semesters.

3. PAI and SI are new departments that have been active since 2023 and show a moderate growth trend.

 Figure 1. Bar chart of the number of students per department at IDAQU Payakumbuh from 2021 to 2024 based on semester

This study involved students from various departments who took the tahfizh program at the Institute Darul Al-Qur'an (IDAQU) Payakumbuh, focusing on four main departments: Al-Qur'an Science and Tafsir (IAT), Arabic Language Education (PBA), Islamic Religious Education (PAI), and Islamic Studies (SI). Data on the number of students is classified by department and semester during the period 2021 to 2024.

1. Distribution of the Number of Students Per Department and Semester

The IAT Department has the largest number of students compared to other departments. In semester 7 of 2021, there were 28 students, which then increased in semester 5 of 2022 to 36 students. However, this number decreased to 12 students in semester 3 of 2023, and continued to decrease to 9 students in semester 1 of 2024. This decrease shows the dynamics of graduation and entry of new students that are not yet balanced.

The PBA Department shows a stable trend with a relatively constant number of students in each semester. In 2021 and 2022, there were 9 students each. In 2023, there was an increase to 12 people, and it stabilized again at 9 people in 2024. The consistency of this number shows a stable interest in learning Arabic, which also supports the implementation of tahfizh.

The PAI Department, as a new department, started operating in 2023 with 14 students in semester 3. This number increased to 15 students in semester 1 in 2024. This growth shows great potential for developing a tahfizh program based on Islamic religious education that is more general and integrative.

The SI Department is also a new department, which started participating in the tahfizh program in 2023 with 9 students in semester 3. However, this number decreased to 4 students in semester 1 in 2024. This indicates a challenge in maintaining student participation from general departments for the religion-based tahfizh program.

2. Implications for Research

This distribution shows that although IAT majors dominate in terms of the number of participants, the implementation of the Differentiate Learning approach is important because of the diversity of students' academic backgrounds.

The data on the distribution of the number of students by major and semester shows the dynamics of growth and distribution of students taking part in the tahfizh program at IDAQU Payakumbuh. There are four majors analyzed, namely Al-Qur'an Science and Tafsir (IAT), Arabic Language Education (PBA), Islamic Religious Education (PAI), and Islamic Studies (SI), with varying numbers of students in each semester and year.

1. Dominance of IAT Majors

The IAT major dominated the number of students at the beginning of the research period, especially in semester 7 of 2021 (28 students) and semester 5 of 2022 (36 students). This is in accordance with the characteristics of the major that has a direct focus on the Al-Qur'an, so that it naturally becomes a very relevant group for tahfizh learning. However, there was a significant decline in the following semesters, namely only 12 students in semester 3 of 2023 and 9 students in semester 1 of 2024. This decline could be caused by the completion of upper-level student studies and the unbalanced number of new students entering.

2. Stability of the PBA Department

The PBA Department shows a relatively stable trend in the number of students in each semester, namely 9-12 students each. This stability shows a consistent interest in Arabic language education, which is also relevant in supporting understanding of memorizing the Qur'an. However, its contribution to strengthening the tahfizh program is still below the IAT Department in terms of quantity.

3. Growth of New Departments: PAI and SI

The Islamic Religious Education (PAI) Department began accepting students in 2023 with 14 students, and increased to 15 students in 2024. This shows great potential for the development of a tahfizh program based on the integration of a broader Islamic education curriculum. The Islamic Studies (SI) Department, although it comes from a field of science that is not directly related to Islamic studies, also participates in the tahfizh program. With 9 students in 2023 and 4 students in 2024, this department shows openness across disciplines to participate in the Al-Qur'an learning program.

4. Implications for the Effectiveness of Tahfizh Learning

The application of Differentiated Learning is very relevant in the context of the diversity of students' academic backgrounds (Sutrisno, Muhtar, & Herlambang, 2023). Students from the IAT and PBA departments tend to have a stronger foundation in the science of the Qur'an and Arabic, so they can follow tahfizh with a deeper academic approach. On the other hand, students from the PAI and SI departments require a more adaptive differentiation approach such as additional guidance, motivational reinforcement, and varied learning media in order to follow the program optimally. By understanding the distribution of students per department, institutions can develop a Differentiated Learning strategy that is more focused, effective, and according to needs, so that tahfizh learning can reach all departments without reducing the quality of memorization achievements.

C.    Conclusion

Based on the results of research conducted on students from various departments and semesters at IDAQU Payakumbuh, it can be concluded that the Differentiate Learning approach has proven effective in increasing the achievement of memorizing the Qur'an (tahfizh). This approach is able to accommodate differences in learning styles, academic backgrounds, and individual abilities of students, so that learning becomes more focused and meaningful. Students from the Al-Qur'an Science and Tafsir (IAT) department showed the highest memorization achievement quantitatively, which is in line with the scientific characteristics of the department. Meanwhile, other departments such as Arabic Language Education (PBA), Islamic Religious Education (PAI), and Islamic Studies (SI) also experienced a significant increase in memorization when learning was carried out with adjusted strategies, although with different initial levels and rates of development. Data on the distribution of the number of students from 2021 to 2024 shows the dynamics of participation across departments, which further strengthens the urgency of implementing flexible and inclusive learning methods such as Differentiate Learning. This shows that the method is not only relevant for Islamic studies majors, thus, the application of Differentiate Learning is recommended as a tahfizh learning model at IDAQU and similar institutions, to optimize the memorization potential of all students without limiting them to a particular academic background.

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