Study Plan

My name is Sa’dulloh Muzammil, M.Pd., and I am a lecturer of at Pontianak State Institute of

Islamic Studies (IAIN). I have been teaching English for Islamic Studies and Cross-Cultural
Understanding for 9 years. In order to upgrade my academic proficiency, I will pursue Ph.D.
degree abroad. The reason why I am interested to study abroad is to experience learning
atmosphere of overseas university, meet and make friend with international students, and
acknowledge cultures of foreign country.

As an Indonesian student who study aboard, I will participate actively in Indonesian Students
Association (PPI). The advantage of joining such an organization is to gain up-to-date
information regarding administration as a foreign student, learn how to adapt with local
inhabitants, and get emergency assistance. Besides, gathering with other Indonesian students
abroad will promote awareness of solidarity, respect, and tolerance. Therefore, we will cooperate
and help each other when needed.

While studying overseas, I will also join Muslim community since I want to interact with them
and know the feeling as a minority society; I will learn how they adapt with non-Muslim
majority country, and how the majority religion treats them. This kind of interaction will be
beneficial broaden relationship and network with other Muslims abroad.

Further, My Ph.D. research proposal topic is “Critical and Creative Responses of Islamic
Affiliated University Students in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Intercultural and Interreligious
Issues at English Class”. The results of this research topic possess potential as a course design
model for intercultural communication classes offered by the English education department at
Islamic-affiliated universities because, through the research topic, I will identify instructional
material, classroom interactions, and learning activities which involve higher-order thinking
skills in term of intercultural and interreligious issues.

I am planning to join University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Australia. It is a world class

university in which according to Times Higher Education Rankings, it is 301-350 th world
university rankings and 55th young university rankings 2023. In order to be part of the university,
I have emailed Dr Eseta Tualaulelei a prospective Ph.D. supervisor at USQ. She is a senior
lecturer at the university, and in 2021, She along with Prof. Sue Saltmarsh won the springer best
paper award. Further, one of Ms. Eseta’s areas of expertise is comparative and cross-cultural
education which is in line with my doctoral thesis topic. I have read and quoted her scientific
article “Why interculturalism does not always translate into action: Insight from teachers in an
Australian Primary School”.
Then, after having zoom meeting with Ms. Eseta, I got a positive response from her. She agreed
to be my principal supervisor for my research topic is relevant to her expertise. Then Ms. Eseta
introduced me to Associate Professor Jonathan Green. He is willing to be my associate
supervisor in the end of 2023. His research interests are higher education, academic literacy,
English for academic purposes, and cultural psychology.
Then my second alternative university to conduct Ph.D. research is University of Barcelona. It is
a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is the biggest and the
oldest university in Spain, established in 1450. Based on the report of Times Higher Education in
2023, it is 182th world university rankings and 101-200th impact rankings. Then, I have contacted
one of the Professor of the university: Professor Ruth Vila. I once read her academic articles:
“Intercultural and interreligious dialogue to promote a culture of peace for unaccompanied young
people and minors (MENA) in Barcelona” and “Are our future Socio-Educational Agents Duly
Prepared to Foster Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue in their Professional Practice” in
which the findings of the research article lead the readers ‘to believe that initial and continuous
religious education should be introduced into different degree program’.
Prof. Ruth Vila has read my email and my research proposal and she replied that she will be
ready to supervise my Ph.D. thesis. She then introduced me to Dr Carolina Quiros, she will be
available as my associate doctoral supervisor if I get into university of Barcelona. Her skills and
expertise are teaching and learning, pedagogy and education, teacher training, assessment,
teaching experience, educational evaluation, curriculum development, and pedagogy. In short, I
have contacted with prospective Ph.D. supervisors from both second alternative university,
University of Barcelona, and the first-choice university, University of Southern Queensland.
Then after discussing with Dr Eseta Tualaulelei, I propose timetable and milestones of Ph.D.
research as shown in the following table:

Task Time

Confirmation of candidature September/October 2024

Ethics application November/December 2024

Writing research proposal January/February 2025

Literature review-reading and writing March/April 2025

Planning methods and write methods chapter April/May 2025

Data collection May/June 2025

Fieldwork June/July 2025

Conferences August/September 2025

Data analysis October/November 2025

Write result chapters November/December 2025

Write analysis chapter and refine methods January/February 2026

chapter
 Write discussion chapter March 2026

Write introduction and conclusion April/May 2026

Major editing June/July 2026

Final proof reading August/September 2026

Submission of Thesis October 2026

Then in the term of data collection, the data for the research will be obtained from students’
responses when dealing with English reading passages addressing intercultural and interreligious
issues. The students will read the passage and respond in the reading phases: pre-reading, while-
reading, and post-reading. I will use some reading comprehension questions; I will also use
higher order questions to explore students’ critical and creative responses to intercultural and
interreligious issues discussed in the passage.

Next, I will choose the Islamic affiliated university in West Kalimantan since the people there
once experienced ethnic and interreligious conflicts. There are three Islamic affiliated
universities in Pontianak: Institut Agama Islam Negeri Pontianak (IAIN Pontianak), Sekolah
Tinggi Ilmu Syariah (STIS) Syarif Abdurrahman Al-Kadrie, and Universitas Muhammadiyah
Pontianak (UMP). And the students of these universities, especially those who take English
classes, will be the subjects of the research.
Then, after finishing my Ph.D. degree I will immediately go back to Pontianak, West
Kalimantan, Indonesia. I will teach cross cultural understanding class at English study program,
IAIN Pontianak. I will also postulate the importance of intercultural and interreligious tolerance
to my students, and I will conduct further research on intercultural and interreligious us
education especially related to English language teaching.
Meanwhile, the reading material will be authentic internet material discussing intercultural
and interreligious issues. To find reading material that fits students’ reading abilities, I will
administer an online readability test.