Educational Awareness: The Basic Competence ‘the Teacher as an Educator’ in the Perspective of the Islamic Tarbiyya

Abstract

This article deals with the pedagogical competence of 'the teacher as an educator', which is considered one of the important basic competencies in every education system and school. This basic competence is discussed both from an Islamic educational reference and Western pedagogy, emphasizing the pedagogical profile of the teacher as an essential factor in the education and teaching process. This article is divided into an introduction, five chapters, and a conclusion. Firstly, the basic competence of ‘the teacher as an educator’ is discussed on the basis of the decree of the Flemish government concerning the basic competencies of teachers from 2007. Secondly, the Arabic educational concept of “Tarbiyya” is defined from the Quranic and prophetic educational perspective. Thirdly, attention is paid to the principles, values, and methods that Islamic education entails and applies. Fourthly, a number of educational challenges faced by Muslim parents in Flanders are thoroughly analyzed. Finally, the interaction between the Islamic vision of education and the basic competence of ‘teacher as an educator’ is approached. A literature review is used in this article with the aim of defining the main concepts, discussing the results of the research, and making a comparative analysis between Islamic tarbiyya and Western pedagogy regarding the basic competence ‘of the teacher as an educator’.