Quality Assurance Mechanisms in Islamic Education Textbook Production in Malaysia: Aligning Inclusive Design Principles with the Malaysia MADANI Framework for Diverse Learners

Abstract

Textbooks remain primary instructional tools that govern educational equity for diverse learners, including low-achieving students. This study examines the internal quality assurance (QA) mechanisms embedded within the production of Form One Islamic Education textbooks in Malaysia. Specifically, it evaluates how administrative workflows, editorial interventions, and expert evaluation panels systematically uphold quality across content validity, linguistic readability, visual presentation, and assessment activities. Utilizing semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders—textbook authors, institutional editors, and private publishing editors—alongside document analysis of Ministry of Education guidelines, the study reveals a multi-tiered, 18-month quality control framework co-managed by the Educational Resources and Technology Division (BSTP) and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP). Findings highlight that stringent linguistic auditing by language experts (Munsyi Bahasa) and visual layout adaptations effectively reduce extraneous cognitive load for diverse learners. Furthermore, textbook QA operations are critically synthesized with the Malaysia MADANI policy framework, demonstrating how systemic quality controls embody the pillars of Kesejahteraan (Well-being), Daya Cipta (Innovation), Hormat (Respect), and Ihsan (Compassion) to foster an equitable learning ecosystem.