The Role of Islamic Studies Curricula in Cooperative Work Skills among Intermediate Stage Female Students 10.35781/1637-000-159-003

Abstract

Abstract
Abstract This study aimed to identify the role of Islamic Studies curricula in developing collaborative work skills among middle school female students from the perspective of Islamic Studies teachers in the Asir region. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher employed the descriptive survey method, as it was deemed appropriate to the nature of the research objectives. The research instrument consisted of a questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale to measure Islamic Studies teachers’ perceptions of the role of Islamic Studies curricula in fostering collaborative work skills. The instrument included six sub-dimensions for assessing collaborative work skills: effective communication, conflict resolution and decision-making, shared responsibility, personal and social skills, dealing with change, and thinking skills and mental processes. The main sample consisted of (226) teachers selected through simple random sampling to represent middle schools in the Asir region. The instrument was also administered to a pilot sample of (26) teachers to verify its psychometric properties in terms of validity and reliability. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS through means, standard deviations, and interpretive coefficients to determine the level of skill acquisition and the relationships among its dimensions. The findings revealed that Islamic Studies curricula contribute to the development of collaborative work skills to a high degree, with an overall mean of (3.46) and a standard deviation of (0.839). Among the measured skills, thinking skills and mental processes achieved the highest mean (3.50), whereas effective communication recorded the lowest mean (3.36). The study recommended intensifying teachers’ professional development in collaborative work strategies, designing classroom activities that enhance effective communication and collective decision-making, and reformulating curriculum learning outcomes to reflect higher-order skills more accurately. It also suggested conducting further studies involving male and female Islamic Studies teachers at different educational levels, or replicating the study with middle school students using diverse tools such as thinking tests and classroom observation to verify the stability of the findings and enhance their generalizability. Keywords: Islamic Studies curricula; collaborative work skills; middle school teachers.