MANAGING PESANTREN EDUCATION FOR ALUMNI SELF-ACTUALIZATION

INTEGRATING MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS AND ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES AMONG GONTOR ALUMNI (1985)

Abstract

Modern pesantren education plays a significant role in shaping alumni’s life orientation, leadership capacity, and long-term social commitment. Nevertheless, empirical studies that systematically integrate pesantren education management with motivational psychology perspectives, particularly in examining alumni at later stages of adulthood, remain limited. This study aims to examine the self-actualization of alumni of KMI Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor class of 1985 (Alumni Marhalah 2 Zaman) as an indicator of the long-term effectiveness of pesantren education management. Employing a mixed-methods approach with a convergent parallel design, the study involved 134 alumni, representing 79.8% of the living population. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and open-ended responses, then analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques and thematic analysis within an integrated framework of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Islamic self-actualization. The findings demonstrate that alumni predominantly pursue careers in education and da‘wah, supported by a strong pattern of multi-professional engagement with an average of 2.10 professional roles per alumnus. Alumni also exhibit high levels of academic attainment, including doctoral and professorial positions, as well as substantial institutional contributions through the establishment and management of 41 educational institutions across national and international contexts. These results suggest that alumni self-actualization is not confined to individual achievement but evolves into a collective and institutional form of transcendence. The study concludes that modern pesantren education management is effective in fostering sustainable self-actualization and transcendence among alumni, while contributing meaningfully to the advancement of Islamic education and broader social development.