Teaching and Learning of Civics and Religion at An American Islamic School

Graduate Student Session: American Islamic schools have been under criticism that their students learn to show primary allegiance to their ‘countries of origin’ and to the Islamic faith instead of the U.S. constitution. However, based on the few empirical research conducted so far, civic engagement is higher among the graduates of these schools compared to their public counterparts. To explore the pedagogical details of how such an outcome is accomplished, I conducted a case study research at a Chicago based Islamic school. I collected photos, curricula, lesson plans, did classroom observations and ran interviews with the school staff. I discovered that learning of history, social studies, language arts, sciences, and religious studies had a combined American and Islamic influences. Civic awareness with a primary sense of self as Muslims within the American context was the intended outcome because their Islamic faith mandated allegiance to the authority they lived under.