Jurisprudential differences as a pedagogical tool for developing cognitive flexibility: an empirical study in Islamic education
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: This study investigates the effectiveness of an innovative educational unit in Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) that leverages jurisprudential differences (al-khilāf al-fiqhī) as a pedagogical tool to enhance cognitive flexibility among secondary school students. Despite the rich intellectual tradition of diverse legal opinions within Islamic law, contemporary Islamic education curricula often adopt a single-madhhab (school of law) approach, thereby limiting students' exposure to the intellectual dynamism inherent in the Islamic legal tradition. This research addresses this pedagogical gap by developing and empirically testing an educational unit specifically designed to foster cognitive flexibility through engagement with jurisprudential differences. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the intervention's effectiveness; the quantitative component measured the intervention's impact, while the qualitative component explored the pedagogical mechanisms behind the outcomes. The quantitative component utilized a quasi-experimental design with male third-grade secondary students in Saudi Arabia, divided into experimental and control groups. The qualitative component involved semi-structured interviews with nine curriculum and instruction experts in Islamic studies. A Cognitive Flexibility Scale was developed and validated to measure students' ability to switch between different mental sets and consider multiple perspectives in Islamic legal contexts. The results demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in cognitive flexibility among students in the experimental group compared to the control group, with a very large effect size. The experimental group's mean post-test score was substantially higher than the control group's. Qualitative findings from expert interviews corroborated these results, highlighting the importance of authentic content selection, interactive pedagogical approaches, and a respectful classroom environment for successful implementation. This study makes a significant contribution to both religious education and curriculum studies by demonstrating that the Islamic legal tradition can be a powerful resource for cognitive development. The findings challenge the misconception of religious education as inherently rigid, showing instead that it can cultivate critical and flexible thinking. The research provides a practical, evidence-based model for integrating cognitive flexibility into Islamic education, with important implications for curriculum development and teacher education, and educational policy in Muslim-majority contexts.
Source: Frontiers in Education
Authors: Sami Alsenaidi, Fahad Alhamidah
Institution: Qassim University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,353
OpenAlex ID: W7153366516