Typologies of Student Pesantren at Private Universities in Java: Institutional Models and Factors Shaping Their Variation

Abstract

This study aims to identify the typologies of student pesantren at private universities in Java and analyze the factors shaping their variations. It employed a qualitative approach with a comparative study design at Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Universitas Islam Indonesia, and Universitas Islam Bandung. Data were collected through interviews, observation, and document analysis and were examined through data reduction, data presentation, cross-case comparison, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal four typologies: an intensive-transformational model at UMM, a cultural-habituative model at Unissula, a staged-systemic model at UII, and a digital-integrative model at Unisba. These differences are shaped by institutional vision and religious orientation, academic policies, organizational culture, program duration, student needs, pedagogical approaches, human resources, and technological readiness. The study concludes that student pesantren constitute multidimensional institutional designs that develop according to each university’s context and cannot be adequately explained through the conventional distinction between traditional and modern pesantren models.