Developing Teacher Assignment through Transfer of Learning: An Institutional Study at Sidogiri Islamic Boarding School

This study explores the institutionalization of ta’lim as a pedagogical strategy for preparing teaching assignments (guru tugas) at Pondok Pesantren Sidogiri, one of the oldest Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia. Unlike conventional teacher education programs, this pesantren-based initiative integrates character formation, pedagogical skill-building, and traditional Islamic values within a community-based framework. Employing a qualitative case study with a microethnographic design, data were collected through participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis involving pesantren leaders, coordinators of the teaching assignment program, alumni, and local community stakeholders. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in the data. The findings reveal that the transfer of learning-based teacher assignment program is a hybrid model of Islamic character education and practical teaching experience, implemented through structured management encompassing planning, training, deployment, and field evaluation. This study contributes to the literature on non-formal Islamic education by offering a contextualized model of community-oriented teacher preparation rooted in religious traditions. It further suggests that pesantren can play a transformative role in education reform by balancing religious authenticity with contemporary educational management practices.