ANALYSIS OF PEDAGOGICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES FACED BY TEACHERS IN TEACHING THE QURAN USING THE WAFA METHOD AT MUHAMMADIYAH PRIMARY SCHOOL 01 TANGGUL JEMBER

Quran teaching in primary schools requires the integration of teachers’ pedagogical and methodological competencies to ensure that the learning process is effective, adaptive and meaningful. However, the implementation of innovative methods such as the Wafa method in teaching practice still faces various challenges. This study aims to analyse in depth the pedagogical and methodological constraints faced by teachers in teaching the Qur’an using the Wafa method, as well as to examine the efforts made by teachers to overcome these constraints. This study employs a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design to explore teachers’ experiences and reflections within the context of real-world teaching at SD Muhammadiyah 01 Tanggul Jember. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and subsequently analysed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model with triangulation techniques to ensure data validity. The results indicate that the pedagogical challenges faced by teachers include the heterogeneity of pupils’ Qur’an reading abilities, difficulties in maintaining motivation and concentration during learning, and limitations in effective classroom management. These challenges suggest that the application of a differentiated approach and learning management tailored to pupils’ developmental characteristics has not yet been optimised. Meanwhile, methodological challenges include limited allocation of learning time, inconsistency in the application of the stages of the Wafa method (talaqqi, tasmi’, and murojaah), minimal use of multisensory learning media, and teachers’ limited technical mastery of the rhythmic and phonetic aspects of the method. These conditions indicate a gap between the ideal design of the Wafa method and the reality of its implementation in the classroom. In addressing these challenges, teachers undertook various adaptive and reflective efforts, including grouping pupils according to ability, increasing the intensity of murojaah as a strategy to reinforce reading, and adjusting the pace and learning strategies to suit classroom conditions. These efforts demonstrate the teachers’ methodological flexibility and professional awareness in ensuring the continuity of effective learning. Thus, this study affirms that the success of Qur’anic learning using the Wafa method is not solely determined by the method’s strengths, but is highly dependent on the strengthening of teachers’ pedagogical and methodological competencies, support for learning resources, and contextualised continuous training.