KAFA and Islamic Education Teachers’ Awareness of Qur’anic Instruction for Students with Special Educational Needs: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
Qur’anic instruction is a fundamental component of Islamic education that aims to develop religious understanding, value internalisation and Qur’an-based life practices among Muslim students. In Malaysia, Kelas Asas Fardu Ain (KAFA) teachers and Islamic Education teachers play an important role in ensuring continuous Qur’anic learning among children. However, teaching the Qur’an to students with special educational needs requires teachers to demonstrate awareness of learner diversity, pedagogical adaptation, communication accessibility and reflective instructional practices. This study conducted a Systematic Literature Review to examine previous studies related to teachers’ awareness in Qur’anic instruction for students with special educational needs. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), literature searches were conducted through Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and local journal portals. A total of 230 records were initially identified and 30 studies were selected for final analysis based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings show that teachers generally demonstrate positive awareness of the need to adapt Qur’anic instruction for students with special educational needs. Nevertheless, such awareness remains uneven and is not consistently translated into systematic teaching practices. The synthesis generated five key themes, namely awareness of learner diversity, pedagogical adaptation, communication and accessibility, reflective professionalism and institutional support. The review also found that studies focusing specifically on KAFA teachers remain limited, while intervention-based studies on teacher training and inclusive Qur’anic pedagogy are still lacking. Therefore, this study proposes the need to develop a structured and practical KAFA and Islamic Education teacher awareness model to strengthen inclusive and effective Qur’anic instruction for students with special educational needs.