EPISTEMOLOGICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL DIVERGENCE IN SCHOOL AND MADRASSA EDUCATION: EVIDENCE FROM KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

Abstract

This study examines the epistemological and pedagogical divergence between school and madrassa education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, within a qualitative interpretivist framework. Grounded in social constructionist epistemology and informed by postcolonial theory, the research explores how two parallel education systems construct, transmit, and legitimize knowledge differently. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 46 participants, including madrassa scholars and school, college, and university teachers, alongside curriculum document analysis. The data were analyzed using thematic, content, and discourse analysis to identify patterns of meaning, institutional practices, and ideological constructions. Findings reveal a deep-rooted epistemological divide between secular and religious knowledge systems, reflected in contrasting pedagogical practices, curriculum orientations, and authority structures. Schools emphasize critical thinking, inquiry-based learning, and standardized assessment, whereas madrassas prioritize memorization, textual authority, and moral-religious instruction. The study further demonstrates that this divergence is historically shaped and discursively sustained through postcolonial knowledge classifications that separate “religious” and “modern” education. The study concludes that the school–madrassa dichotomy is not merely institutional but fundamentally epistemological, requiring integrative educational reforms that bridge knowledge systems while respecting their distinct identities. The findings contribute to debates on educational dualism, curriculum reform, and postcolonial knowledge structures in South Asia.