Knowledge on Its Own is Insufficient: Hamka's Educational Theory and Its Implementation

Abstract

Hamka (Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah) was a scholar of great prominence in Southeast Asia, and he wrote on a wide range of topics. One of his major interests was education and the promotion of good character. He believes that a passive transfer of knowledge is insufficient to become a contributing member of society. In library research, the researchers carved out Hamka’s educational concept. A qualitative and descriptive research method was applied, which illustrates his major educational ideas. Hamka's fictional and non-fictional works were assessed by the researchers. He expressed his concern for the field of education in a number of his nonfiction writings. It was detected that Hamka rejected a traditional teaching approach that relied on mere memorization of knowledge. In contrast, Hamka advocates for the cultivation of critical thinking skills among students. Furthermore, Hamka stressed that the students should develop a good character. In the second step, the researchers analyzed how to implement Hamka’s ideas in the education system. The researchers discovered that the syllabus should include core subjects. Especially history, sports, Islamic subjects, and language education play an essential role.