Critical Reading as A Gateway to Interdisciplinary Thinking: Integrating EAP with Global Issues and Ecotheology within The CINTA Curriculum
Keywords:
Critical thinking, Curriculum, Educational Transformation, Character Education, Educational technology, English subjects, Learning materials, Students’ aptitude and Interdisciplinary research, Interdisciplinary learning; Nature-based education; Sociopreneurial competencies; Nature schoolsAbstract
This study explores the integration of critical reading into English for Academic Purposes as a pathway to interdisciplinary thinking in Islamic higher education. While EAP in non-English majors often focuses only just on linguistic competence, this study elaborates critical reading as a means to engage with broader global issues, particularly environmental sustainability. Grounded in the CINTA curriculum (Cendekiawan Integratif, Tangguh, dan Adaptif) initiated by the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, the study highlights how Ecotheological perspectives can enrich reading tasks by connecting language learning with ethical and spiritual values. Using authentic texts on climate change and sustainability together with Islamic theological reflections on human responsibility as khalifah fil ardh, students were guided to analyze arguments, identify assumptions, and reflect critically on ecological challenges from both scientific and religious viewpoints. Primary findings indicate that such integration enhances reading comprehension, fosters critical literacy, and develops students’ capacity for interdisciplinary awareness. The paper argues that inserting Ecotheology into EAP reading supports CINTA’s vision of development integrative, resilient, and adaptive scholars, while contributing to global issues on education for sustainability and equitable futures.
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