Strategic Transformation of Islamic Education Teachers' Roles Amid Digital and AI Disruption

Abstract

This conceptual article examines how technological disruption and artificial intelligence are transforming the professional role of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers and the managerial conditions required to sustain meaningful digital learning. Using a narrative literature review of twelve scholarly publications and two normative sources cited in the underlying academic paper, the study synthesises evidence on teacher digitalisation, professional digital competence, pedagogical adaptation, artificial intelligence, moral formation, epistemic authority, and school-community collaboration. The synthesis shows that technological disruption does not diminish the importance of teachers; instead, it shifts their role from information transmitters toward learning leaders, digital-pedagogical designers, ethical-spiritual guides, epistemic verifiers, and ecosystem collaborators. The article proposes a Five-Domain Strategic Teacher Transformation Framework comprising learning leadership, professional digital competence, ethical-spiritual stewardship, epistemic verification, and ecosystem collaboration. Its novelty lies in integrating technological, pedagogical, moral, epistemic, and organisational dimensions into one management-oriented framework for PAI teacher transformation. The framework implies that school and madrasah leaders should treat digital adaptation as an institutional change process supported by professional learning, collaborative culture, responsible technology policies, and continuous evaluation rather than as a simple programme of device adoption.