Pedagogical Technologies and Trends in the Development of Religious Education in Higher Education Institutions: Gender Aspects and Islamic Educational Tradition

The aim of the study was to identify the peculiarities of the formation of religious education and to propose strategies for its integration into the system of secondary specialised and higher education with a focus on the gender aspect. The methodology of the study is based on the conceptual model for assessing the quality of religious education developed by the author, which includes analyses of pedagogical approaches, contextual factors and gender equality. The quality of education at Osh State University (OshSU) and women’s madrasa Abdiraim Kari was analysed using a case study method. The Islamic educational tradition in Kyrgyzstan has developed through an increase in the number of women’s madrasas. Despite the ideas of gender equality underlying religious teachings and the growing popularity of religious education among women, female graduates faced limited opportunities for employment and participation in spiritual governance. Content Analysis of the Quran. Interpretation of Suras Al-Alaq, Al-Mujadila, Az-Zumar, Al-Ahzab, An-Nisa confirmed gender equality in education. To bridge the gap between theory and practice in Islamic education, it’s recommended to adopt problem-based learning ‒ drawing on evidence from Kyrgyzstan and other Muslim countries ‒ teach both hard and soft skills to support female madrasa and university graduates in employment, integrate IT into religious education, and promote greater gender representation in religious institutions.