Introduction

In line with the rapid development of science and technology, the Indonesian government continues to strive to make various improvements in the field of education, particularly in terms of curriculum. These changes are intended to enable the national education system to be more dynamic and adaptive to the demands of a society that is undergoing constant transformation [1]. The curriculum, as the core component of education, must be able to adapt to the times and respond to increasingly complex global challenges [2]. Therefore, curriculum reform is not merely an administrative activity, but also a reflection of the social, cultural, economic, and spiritual values that are developing within society.

Advances in science require humans to continue learning and to be critical in facing change. Education is an important means of preparing human resources who are able to adapt and innovate in facing global challenges. In this context, curriculum change is very significant because it determines the direction and quality of educational outcomes [3]. The curriculum development process must reflect the needs of society, scientific developments, and the character values that the nation wishes to foster [4].

Education can never be separated from the curriculum, because the curriculum serves as the main guideline that determines the direction, content, and process of education. The curriculum acts as a compass that directs all educational activities to achieve nationally formulated goals [5]. Through the curriculum, educational institutions are able to design systematic and meaningful learning experiences for students, thereby achieving a balance between cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects. Thus, the curriculum is not merely an administrative document, but rather an ideological and pedagogical foundation for the implementation of quality education [6].

In formal education, the curriculum is constantly being adjusted to keep pace with the times and the needs of students. These changes are inevitable, as social, cultural, economic, and technological dynamics continually present new challenges in the world of education [7]. Therefore, curriculum development needs to be carried out continuously, taking into account the results of evaluations of previous curricula. The development of the Islamic Education (PAI) curriculum, for example, is a systematic effort to adjust learning materials and methods so that they remain relevant to the spiritual, moral, and intellectual needs of students in the modern era [8].

The development of the PAI curriculum not only serves to preserve Islamic teachings, but also as a means of shaping the character and personality of students who are faithful, knowledgeable, and have noble character. The PAI curriculum includes efforts to expand, elaborate, and refine Islamic material so that it can be implemented effectively in the learning process. The ultimate goal is to create a learning environment that can nurture the spiritual and moral potential of students so that they can become perfect individuals who contribute positively to society [9].

The history of curriculum development in Indonesia shows significant changes over time [10]. It began in 1947 with the “Lesson Plan,” which was then refined into the “Detailed Lesson Plan” in 1950, and finally became the “Education Plan” in 1964. Subsequently, the curriculum underwent major revisions in 1968, 1975, 1984, 1994, 2004 (Competency-Based Curriculum), 2006 (KTSP), 2013 (2013 Curriculum), until the emergence of the Merdeka Curriculum in 2022 [4]. These changes demonstrate the government's efforts to respond to social and economic developments, as well as the community's need for more relevant and humanistic education.

Each curriculum change reflects a paradigm shift in the world of education. From a content-based curriculum approach, it has developed into a competency and character-based curriculum [11]. This shows that education in Indonesia not only emphasizes knowledge but also the formation of attitudes, values, and life skills. In the context of Islamic Religious Education, this shift is important because religious education is no longer seen only as the transfer of religious knowledge but as a process of forming spiritual and moral character that is applicable in everyday life [12].

Despite various efforts to reform the curriculum, its implementation in the field often falls short of expectations. Many factors influence the success of curriculum implementation, including teacher readiness, availability of infrastructure, and support from the learning environment [13]. Therefore, innovation in curriculum development needs to be supported by improvements in educator competence and consistent education policies. A good curriculum is not only well-designed on paper, but must also be able to be implemented effectively in learning activities [14].

In the context of PAI, curriculum development is directed at forming insan kamil—complete human beings who are faithful, pious, and noble in character. As times change, new challenges arise, such as moral degradation, spiritual crisis, and value disorientation [15]. Therefore, PAI curriculum development must be able to respond to these issues through the integration of Islamic values with the needs of modern society. With a contextual approach, the PAI curriculum can be an effective means of building a generation of Muslims who are intelligent, have good character, and are competitive.

Curriculum development, including the PAI curriculum, is a continuous process that requires clear scientific procedures. The process involves systematic planning, implementation, and evaluation stages. Through the correct process, it is hoped that the resulting curriculum can respond to the needs of the times and support the achievement of national education goals. Based on this background, this research is important to examine in depth how the PAI curriculum development process takes place and how the curriculum is able to respond to the challenges of Islamic education in Indonesia today.

Methods

This study uses a qualitative approach with library research [16]. This approach was chosen because the main focus of the study is to gain an in-depth understanding of the concepts, theories, and processes of Islamic Religious Education (IRE) curriculum development found in various academic literature. The qualitative approach allows researchers to examine the phenomenon of curriculum development contextually, paying attention to the meanings and relationships between developing concepts. Thus, this study is not oriented towards numbers or statistical measurements, but rather towards a deep description and interpretation of relevant conceptual data.

Literature research was used because the data sources analyzed came from written documents, such as books, scientific journals, research articles, government regulations, and previous studies discussing the topic of curriculum development, particularly in the context of Islamic Religious Education in Indonesia [17]. This study attempts to identify, examine, and synthesize the thoughts of experts to gain a comprehensive understanding of the theory and practice of PAI curriculum development over time. By utilizing credible literature sources, this study is expected to contribute theoretically to the development of Islamic education studies in Indonesia.

The data sources in this study are divided into two types, namely primary and secondary sources [18]. Primary sources include key books discussing curriculum theory, such as the works of Oemar Hamalik, Nana Syaodih Sukmadinata, and Muhaimin, which are the main references in the study of PAI curriculum development. Meanwhile, secondary sources include national and international scientific journals, previous research results, and official government documents such as Law Number 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System and Ministry of Education policies related to the 2013 curriculum and the Merdeka Curriculum. All of these sources are used to strengthen theoretical analysis and provide an empirical picture of curriculum dynamics in Indonesia.

The data collection technique in this study was carried out through documentation, namely by collecting and recording relevant information from various reference materials related to the research topic [19]. This process involved several stages, namely: (1) identifying relevant literature sources through scientific databases such as Google Scholar, DOAJ, and Garuda; (2) reading and understanding the content of the literature to find important concepts related to the PAI curriculum development process; (3) selecting literature based on its relevance, recency, and author credibility; and (4) organizing literature data in the form of thematic notes to facilitate further analysis. With this technique, researchers can obtain verified and representative data to answer the research questions.

Data analysis was conducted using content analysis. This technique was used to understand the implicit and explicit messages contained in the literature sources studied [20]. The content analysis procedure was carried out in four main stages, namely: (a) collecting data relevant to the theme of curriculum development; (b) reducing data by filtering information in line with the research focus; (c) presenting data in a systematic descriptive narrative form; and (d) drawing conclusions based on the results of in-depth interpretation. This content analysis allows researchers to find conceptual relationships between theories, models, and practices of PAI curriculum development in Indonesia [21].

To maintain the validity and reliability of the data, the researcher triangulated sources by comparing various literature from different authors and time periods. This step was important to avoid interpretive bias and ensure that the conclusions were based on objective and comprehensive studies. In addition, the researcher also paid attention to the principles of credibility and dependability in the analysis, namely by citing reputable academic sources, tracing the consistency of arguments between references, and reviewing the analysis results before drawing final conclusions. This approach ensures that the research results have a high level of scientific reliability.

The entire research process was systematically designed to achieve the research objective, which was to describe in depth the process of developing the PAI curriculum in Indonesia. Through the stages of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting library data, this study is expected to provide a comprehensive conceptual understanding of how the PAI curriculum is designed, implemented, and evaluated. In addition, the results of this study are expected to serve as a reference for educators, curriculum developers, and Islamic education researchers in designing a curriculum that is relevant, contextual, and oriented towards shaping the character of students in the modern era.

Results and Discussion

A. Curriculum Development Process

The word curriculum comes from the Greek words curir, meaning to run, and curere, meaning a place to race. According to Oemar Hamalik in Taufik, a curriculum is an educational program provided by educational institutions for students. The most common definition of a curriculum is a set of subjects to be taught to students [22]. A curriculum is also often defined as teaching material for students, or a lesson plan. The curriculum plays a very important role in the entire educational process. The concept of curriculum has developed in line with developments in educational theory and practice [23].

According to Heri, curriculum development is a cycle that includes four elements, namely: 1) Objectives, studying and describing all sources of knowledge and considerations regarding teaching objectives, both in relation to subjects and the overall curriculum; 2) Methods and materials, developing both that are deemed suitable for application in schools to achieve the desired objectives; 3) Assessment, evaluating the success of the implementation that has been applied and developed; 4) Feedback, the feedback from all the experiences that have been gained, which in turn becomes a benchmark for further study [24].

Curriculum development aims to improve upon previous curricula that are deemed no longer relevant for implementation. Therefore, in the curriculum development process, clear considerations must be taken into account in order for the effort to be successful, resulting in a curriculum that is perfect and suitable for implementation in educational units. The following are things that must be considered in curriculum development: 1) Knowing the objectives of the improvement; 2) Understanding the school's circumstances; 3) Studying the needs of students and teachers; 4) Understanding the problems faced by the school; 5) Understanding teacher competencies; 6) Understanding social phenomena [25].

The above points are the reference for curriculum development. The curriculum cannot be changed simply because someone “wants” it to be changed. The curriculum developed must have clear improvement objectives, and curriculum development occurs because the previously implemented curriculum is no longer in line with the demands of the current era. Therefore, curriculum developers must understand the school's situation, including: teacher potential, student needs, teaching materials, and available facilities and infrastructure. Thus, the curriculum developed is suitable for implementation because it is able to meet the needs.

The curriculum development process includes planning, implementation, and evaluation. Hasan in Muhaimin describes it in the following chart [26]:

Figure 1. Curriculum Development Chart.

1 . Curriculum Planning

Curriculum planning is a process in which participants at many levels make decisions about learning objectives, how to achieve those objectives through teaching and learning situations, and examine the effectiveness and significance of those methods. Without curriculum planning, the systematics of various learning experiences will not be interconnected and will not lead to the expected objectives.

According to Oemar Hamalik, there are six principles in curriculum planning, namely: (1) curriculum planning relates to the experiences of students. (2) Curriculum planning is based on various decisions about content and process; (3) Curriculum planning involves decisions about various issues and topics; (4) Curriculum planning involves many groups; (5) Curriculum planning is carried out at various levels; (6) Curriculum planning is a continuous process [27].

Curriculum planning must take into account the needs of the community, learner characteristics, and the scope of knowledge according to the scientific hierarchy. The management of curriculum planning components must consider the factors of objectives, content, activities, learning resources, and evaluation instruments.

In developing plans, ideas are developed through programs. Curriculum ideas originate from: (1) The vision that has been set, namely the ideals or expectations that an educational institution wants to achieve in the long term; (2) The needs of stakeholders (students, the community, graduate users), and the need for further study; (3) The results of previous curriculum evaluations and the demands of science, technology, and the times; (4) The views of experts from various backgrounds; (5) The trend of globalization, which demands a lifelong learning ethic and literacy in social, economic, political, cultural, and technological matters [26].

The five ideas above are developed into a program or curriculum as a document containing information, syllabus formats, and curriculum components, which are then developed and disseminated during the implementation process. This can take the form of curriculum development in the form of learning activities, learning processes in or outside the classroom, and learning evaluations to assess their efficiency and effectiveness. Feedback from these evaluations is used to improve the next curriculum.

2 . Curriculum Implementation

A developed curriculum will be meaningless if it is not implemented, in the sense that it is not actually applied in schools. In implementing the curriculum, efforts are made to address the influence of certain factors, such as resources, cultural factors in the community, and others. Important dimensions of curriculum development to consider are curriculum content, curriculum organizational structure, roles or behaviors, knowledge, and internalization of values. The success of curriculum implementation is determined by the aspects of planning and implementation strategy. In principle, this implementation integrates philosophical aspects, objectives, subject matter, teaching strategies and learning activities, as well as evaluation and feedback [27].

Teachers play an important role in curriculum implementation. Their creativity, skills, sincerity, and persistence are factors in the successful implementation of the curriculum. Teachers are expected to be able to choose varied learning methods and media by adjusting to the interests and developmental stages of their students. Even though the curriculum has been established, teachers still have the task of making improvements and adjustments [28].

3 . Curriculum Evaluation

Evaluation is a process of interaction, description, and consideration to discover the essence and value of something being evaluated, in this case the curriculum. Curriculum evaluation is actually intended to improve the substance of the curriculum, implementation procedures, instructional methods, and its influence on student learning and behavior. Another important consideration for curriculum evaluators is formative and summative evaluation to decide whether to continue the evaluated program or discontinue it in favor of another program. Curriculum evaluation models that can be selected and applied are the goal attainment model, the deliberation model, the decision-making model, and the descriptive model [27].

B . Curriculum Development Models

There are various models for curriculum development. Curriculum development models must be properly understood during the curriculum development process in order to identify and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each model proposed by curriculum experts. Rivet, as cited by Zainal, states that a model is a tool for thinking, meaning that a model is a way/tool for thinking [2]. The following are models in curriculum development:

1. Taba Model

The model used by Taba is a grass-roots model in which the curriculum is designed by teachers as educators who carry out educational practices directly. The Taba model starts from specific things that lead to general things. The steps for developing a curriculum in the Taba model are as follows: The first step, according to Taba, is to create a guide unit that represents the grade level and subjects related to theory and practice by: 1) diagnosing student needs to identify individual differences; 2) formulating specific objectives to be achieved as an elaboration of the general objectives; 3) selecting appropriate content related to the formulated achievement goals. To select the appropriate content, teachers place the material according to the students' level of understanding, choose strategies and methods that enable students to be actively involved in understanding the teaching material, determine the material and evaluation, and determine the stability of the teaching and learning unit, the accuracy of the flow, and the balance between the learning form and forms of expression. The second step is to test the experimental unit with the aim of determining its validity and the students' mastery of the material. The third step is the revision and consolidation stage, which involves improvements and refinements so that the unit design that has been created can be applied more widely. The fourth step is to develop a curriculum framework to test the unit that has been implemented in an appropriate scope based on the theoretical foundations used in each field of study. Then the final step is installing, which is the dissemination of the developed curriculum as a subsystem and school system as a whole so that educators and educational staff can implement the curriculum effectively [29].

2. Ralph Tyler Model

According to Tyler in Andi, curriculum development needs to be carried out rationally and systematically [30]. In developing the Tyler model curriculum, it is important to be rational, analyze, and interpret the curriculum and teaching programs of an educational institution. There are four main components in curriculum development according to Ralph Tyler, namely: 1) formulation of objectives to be achieved; 2) the learning experience process in implementing teaching materials to achieve the formulated objectives; 3) organization of learning experiences; 4) development of evaluation. The development of learning objectives is the main thing that must be done in order to determine the direction and goals of education. The formulation of learning objectives is based on educational theory and philosophy as well as the curriculum model used. Learning experiences are activities related to environmental interactions. The questions in these learning experiences are “what have the students done” and “what will or has the teacher done”. The principles in this learning experience are: first, the suitability of the students' learning experience with the objectives that have been formulated; second, students are satisfied with their learning experience; third, involving students in designing learning experiences; fourth, several different objectives can be achieved with one learning experience. In organizing learning experiences, they can be formed into subject groups or program forms. There are criteria for organizing learning experiences, namely: continuity, sequence of content, and integration [31]. In the Tyler model, evaluation serves as a measure of student performance against previously formulated objectives [32].

3. Administrative Model

The administrative model is also known as the line staff model. This model is top-down because curriculum development is regulated by policy makers, such as directors-general, directors, department heads, and so on. Before the curriculum development process begins, a steering committee and a working committee are formed. The steering committee formulates general plans, develops work guidelines, and prepares the philosophy and objectives for all schools in the region. After the curriculum policy has been developed, the steering committee selects a working committee consisting of teachers who are responsible for constructing the curriculum. The working committee is tasked with formulating the general and specific objectives of the curriculum, content (material), learning activities, and so on in accordance with the guidelines determined by the steering committee.

The working committee functions to: 1) prepare the style and form of the material ready for publication; 2) provide coherence in the scope and sequence of the subject area program in coordination with the respective subject teacher committees; 3) examine the suitability of the curriculum policy determined by the steering committee [2].

The development of this curriculum model requires teachers to be prepared, so that in its implementation in the early years, there needs to be monitoring, observation, supervision, and guidance. After it has been running for some time, an evaluation needs to be carried out to assess the validity of each component or its success [33].

4. Saylor, Alexander, and Lewis Model

According to Saylor, Alexander, and Lewis in Wahyudi, a curriculum is a set of plans that provides learning opportunities for each individual to become an educated person. The steps for curriculum development according to Saylor, Alexander, and Lewis are as follows: 1) Formulating goals and objectives, namely by classifying objectives into four areas, namely personal development, social competence, continuous learning skills, and specialization; 2) Designing the curriculum, namely determining learning opportunities in all directions, determining how and when these learning opportunities are provided; 3) Curriculum implementation, which involves determining the methods and strategies that will be used to establish relationships and interactions with students; 4) Curriculum evaluation, which includes evaluating the program as a whole and evaluating the achievement of institutional and instructional goals [29].

5. Beuchamp Model

This curriculum model was developed by Beuchamp, a curriculum expert. According to Beuchamp in Arifin, there are five things in curriculum development, namely: first, determining the scope of the curriculum, in this case, the area of curriculum development must be determined; second, determining the parties involved in curriculum development. According to Beuchamp, there are four categories of people who participate in curriculum development, namely education experts who focus on curriculum development, education experts in higher education and selected teachers, professionals in the education system, and other professionals or community leaders; third, formulating general and specific objectives, selecting learning materials and experiences, evaluation, and determining the curriculum design; fourth, implementation or execution of the curriculum. at this stage, various things must be prepared that will have a direct or indirect impact on the effectiveness of curriculum use, such as teacher understanding, available facilities and infrastructure, and school management [31]; fifth, curriculum evaluation, which includes: 1) evaluation of curriculum implementation by teachers; 2) evaluation of curriculum design by teachers; 3) evaluation of learning outcomes; 4) evaluation of the curriculum system. The results of these evaluations can be used as a reference in improving the system, design, and principles of curriculum implementation [2].

6. Grass-Roots Model

This model was developed by Smith, Stanley, and Shores. Curriculum development in this model stems from the desire of teachers and schools to improve one or more areas or the entire curriculum. Susilana in Arifin mentions several things that must be considered in curriculum development using this model, namely: 1) teachers must have professional skills; 2) teachers must be fully involved in curriculum improvement; 3) teachers must be directly involved in formulating objectives, selecting materials, and determining evaluations. This model is suitable for use in the era of decentralization. This model inspired the emergence of the education unit level curriculum (KTSP) [29].

From the above description, it can be concluded that there are many models that can be used as references in curriculum development. Each model has its own characteristics that can be used as a reference according to curriculum needs. Each of the above models has advantages and disadvantages, so it cannot be said that there is a best model among the others.

C. Development of the Islamic Education Curriculum

Islamic education is a conscious and planned effort to prepare students to recognize, understand, appreciate, and believe in the teachings of Islam, accompanied by guidance to respect followers of other religions in the context of interfaith harmony to achieve national unity and integrity [34]. Islamic Religious Education is the guidance of students so that they are able to understand Islamic teachings comprehensively.

The Islamic Religious Education curriculum contains the formulation of objectives, materials, and educational evaluations sourced from Islamic teachings. A distinctive feature of the PAI curriculum is its conformity with Islamic teachings. The concept of Islamic education refers to the formation of al-kamil or perfect human beings. The Quran is the reference in the development of the PAI curriculum, as referred to in QS. Luqman verses 13-19, which cover the aspects of monotheism, sharia, and morals. Therefore, in general, PAI material is divided into three main aspects, namely: faith (akidah), Islam (sharia), and ihsan (morals) [35]. This material contains Islamic messages that must be used as guidelines for teachers in implementing learning.

As time goes by, the PAI curriculum has undergone changes due to many factors, necessitating curriculum development. Curriculum development keeps pace with the needs of the times in the hope of having a positive impact so that students are able to face the future. Curriculum development is adaptive to circumstances, applicable to needs, and anticipatory, making it useful in both the short and long term [36].

Curriculum development is the process of planning and producing a better tool based on the results of previous curriculum assessments. According to Sya'bani, the development of the Islamic Religious Education curriculum can be defined as: 1) activities to produce an Islamic Religious Education curriculum; 2) a process that links one component to another to produce a better Islamic Religious Education curriculum; 3) activities to compile (design), implement, and improve the Islamic Religious Education curriculum [37].

The Islamic religious education curriculum has its own characteristics or distinctive features. According to Azara in Fajri, there are several characteristics of Islamic religious education: 1) Emphasis on the pursuit of knowledge, mastery, and development based on worship of Allah SWT; 2) The pursuit of knowledge, mastery, and development of knowledge in Islamic education places great emphasis on moral values; 3) The practice of knowledge is based on responsibility to Allah SWT; 4) Recognition of a person's potential and ability to develop their personality. Everyone seeks knowledge as a creature of God who is respected because every human being is given knowledge and as they will implement it and be respected and cared for, so that their potential can be actualized as well as possible; 5) The education curriculum pays attention to the balance of the personality of the world and the hereafter, the physical, intellectual, and spiritual [38].

The objectives of developing the PAI curriculum are: 1) to shape students who are faithful and devoted to God Almighty and have noble character; 2) to create students who have awareness and insight into their rights and obligations in society and are able to improve their quality as human beings; 3) to instill scientific thinking and behavior habits and the ability to appreciate science and technology; 4) to increase sensitivity and the ability to appreciate beauty and harmony; 5) to increase physical potential and awareness of healthy living [39].

The PAI curriculum development process covers four aspects, as seen from teaching and learning activities in the classroom. These aspects include: 1) Objectives: teachers often fail to formulate the objectives to be achieved. However, formulating objectives is important because it is oriented towards developing the potential of students; 2) material, the material taught so far is limited to the textbooks available, so there is no development of the material taught and the material taught is very limited. Curriculum development can be done by creating concept maps in accordance with the learning material; 3) Strategy: The use of strategy is an important aspect in determining the success of learning. The strategy used must be in accordance with the material to be taught. In addition, the strategies used must be able to motivate students in the learning process; 4) evaluation, this aspect is considered imperfect because it is limited to tests, both oral and written. In fact, evaluation can be done in ways other than tests. Evaluation is an important component of learning that is useful for measuring the success or failure of the material that has been taught and the strategies that have been used [40].

The development of the PAI curriculum is in line with the objectives of education, which are to develop the potential of students to become people who believe in and fear God Almighty, have noble character, are healthy, knowledgeable, skilled, creative, independent, and become democratic and responsible citizens [41]. To achieve these objectives, the development of the PAI curriculum must be interconnected with other subjects. This is illustrated in the following figure [42]:

Figure 2. Interconnection between PAI Curriculum Development and other subjects.

The figure above explains that Islamic Religious Education consists of the subjects of the Quran and Hadith, Aqidah-Akhlak, Fiqh, and Islamic Cultural History. To build the character of students, PAI subjects must be integrated into all subjects in the curriculum. Learning materials must be linked to values and norms and connected to the context of everyday life. Thus, education and character building are not limited to cognitive knowledge, but also to the internalization of real experiences in everyday life [43].

Islamic Religious Education is the core of all subjects included in the curriculum. In addition, PAI must develop IQ, EQ, CQ, SQ, and AQ, which must be imbued with Islamic teachings and values. Thus, Islamic Religious Education is not merely the preservation of Islamic teachings and values, but also serves to encourage the intelligence and creativity of students, as well as to shape noble character and a trustworthy attitude in carrying out their duties.

D. Curriculum Developers

Many parties participate and interact with each other in curriculum development, namely: education administrators, education experts, curriculum experts, science experts, teachers, parents, and community leaders. The parties that are continuously involved in curriculum development are: administrators, teachers, and parents.

1. The Role of Administrators

Educational administrators consist of: directors of education, curriculum development centers, heads of regional offices, heads of district and sub-district offices, and school principals. Central-level administrators are responsible for establishing legal foundations, developing basic frameworks, and core curriculum programs. Central-level administrators work with education experts and subject matter experts at universities and seek their approval in developing school curricula. Then, regional administrators develop school curricula based on their regions in accordance with local needs. School principals are involved in implementing the curriculum and providing encouragement and guidance to teachers.

2. The Role of Experts

Curriculum development is not only based on community demands, but also on changes and developments in the concepts of science itself. Therefore, curriculum developers need the input of curriculum experts and subject matter experts.

3. The Role of Teachers

Teachers play an important role in both curriculum planning and implementation. Although teachers do not come up with curriculum concepts themselves, they are the interpreters of the curriculum that comes from above. Teachers are at the forefront of curriculum development, so it is they who evaluate and refine the curriculum. As implementers of the curriculum, teachers play a role in creating a learning atmosphere for their students. Therefore, teachers are expected to have good teaching skills in order to create an exciting and serious learning atmosphere that encourages children's creativity.

4. The Role of Parents

The role of parents in curriculum development is in its implementation. In its implementation, close cooperation between teachers and parents is required. Through observation of learning activities at home and school reports, parents participate in curriculum development. These activities provide feedback for curriculum refinement [28].

The roles of curriculum developers are interrelated, requiring cooperation in planning, implementation, and evaluation so that the developed curriculum can achieve its desired objectives.

Conclusions

Curriculum development must be carried out continuously in line with the demands of the times in order to meet the needs of students. The curriculum development process must take several things into account, namely: knowing the objectives of the improvement, understanding the school situation, studying the needs of students and teachers, understanding the problems faced by the school, understanding teacher competencies, and understanding social phenomena. The steps in curriculum development are planning, implementation, and evaluation of the curriculum. Islamic religious education is a subject that covers the disciplines of faith, fiqh, Islamic cultural history, and the Qur'an and Hadith, all of which aim to create perfect human beings in students. The development of the Islamic religious education curriculum is oriented towards faith (creed), Islam (sharia), and ihsan (morals). The parties involved in curriculum development are administrators, experts, teachers, and parents.