Introduction: This study explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in Qur'anic education, with attention to pedagogical opportunities, practical challenges, and ethical implications. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative exploratory design. Data were collected through semi-structured focus group discussions with twenty Islamic Education teachers and complemented by a structured analysis of two AI tools: Tarteel, a specialised Qur'anic application, and ChatGPT, a general-purpose generative AI system Results: Findings indicate that AI can support Qur'anic learning, particularly in recitation, memorisation, simplified explanation, learner autonomy, confidence, and access to self-paced practice. However, teachers raised concerns about accuracy, authenticity of religious content, over-reliance on AI, learner dependence, and the possible erosion of the spiritual and relational dimensions of Qur'anic learning. The structured tool analysis showed that specialised Qur'anic tools were stronger for recitation and memorisation tasks, while generative AI offered greater flexibility for explanation and instructional support but required stronger teacher verification. Discussion: The study confirms that AI is most valuable when positioned as a pedagogical support rather than a replacement for Qur'anic teachers. Teachers remain central in ensuring accuracy, ethical alignment, source verification, and the preservation of the spiritual integrity of Qur'anic learning.

Values education has re-emerged as a central educational concern as schooling is increasingly expected to shape judgment, conduct, and social responsibility, not merely academic attainment. In rece...

The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has raised important questions about how learners and teachers regulate their thinking when interacting with AI-supported tools. This study investigates metacognitive regulation during the design of AI-supported educational applications by graduate students (N = 12) in a UAE teacher education programme. The qualitative research adopted a multiple-case study method to analyse six student design teams involved in designing educational applications as part of a technology integration course. Data were collected from three main sources: the educational apps themselves, the corresponding Teacher Guides, and reflective interviews conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Data analysis combined deductive qualitative coding based on the regulation-of-cognition dimensions of the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) framework with inductive thematic analysis of participants’ experiences and conceptualisations of AI. The findings show that AI was used differently across the six cases. It appeared to function more as a cognitive scaffold when participants questioned, checked, revised, or justified AI-generated outputs, and more as a shortcut when outputs were used mainly for convenience with limited further reflection. Planning was the most visible regulatory process, while stronger regulatory engagement was evident when AI-generated outputs were examined, questioned, and refined rather than accepted without further consideration.

Islamic Education provides substantial opportunities to develop higher-order thinking through reflection, evidence-based reasoning, and engagement with religious concepts, yet conventional instruction often emphasizes memorization. This study examined the effectiveness of the McCarthy 4MAT model in developing critical thinking skills and Shari'a concepts among ninth-grade students in the United Arab Emirates. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design involved 56 students from Shakhbout Bin Sultan High School in Al Ain, with 27 students receiving instruction based on the McCarthy 4MAT model and 29 receiving conventional instruction. Data were collected using a critical-thinking skills test covering six skills and a Shari'a concepts test and were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. The experimental group achieved a higher posttest mean for overall critical thinking than the control group, with a statistically significant overall effect and a large effect size. Significant improvements favored the experimental group in deduction, distinguishing between fact and opinion, evaluating arguments, and accuracy in investigating events. No statistically significant differences were found for categorization or inference, possibly because these skills require more sustained development than the five-week intervention provided. The McCarthy 4MAT model also significantly improved students’ acquisition of Shari'a concepts, while critical thinking and Shari'a concept acquisition were positively related, with a stronger relationship in the experimental group. These findings indicate that integrating active learning through the McCarthy 4MAT model can strengthen critical thinking and conceptual understanding in Islamic Education. Its application may help teachers move beyond memorization toward reflective, analytical, and student-centered learning.