RSF Conference Series: Business, Management and Social Sciences

Zakat as a Complementary Fiscal Instrument: Strengthening Amil Governance through a Multidisciplinary Islamic Perspective

2026-02-06T12:08:29+00:00

Fiscal systems in many Muslim-majority countries are under growing strain as governments are expected to expand social protection, reduce inequality, and respond to economic uncertainty—often while relying on tax-based instruments that face structural and institutional limits. In this context, zakat is frequently acknowledged for its redistributive purpose; yet in practice, it is still treated mainly as a charitable activity or as a parallel system operating outside formal fiscal policy. This paper argues that such treatment underestimates the potential role of zakat within contemporary public finance. The study aims to reposition zakat as complementary fiscal instrument and to highlight the role of amil governance as a decisive factor in enabling this complementarity. Using a qualitative and conceptual approach—based on conceptual synthesis of peer-reviewed literature and institutional standards in zakat governance (including zakat supervision principles)—the analysis integrates Islamic jurisprudence, maqasid al-shari'ah, public finance theory, and governance perspectives to develop an integrated analytical framework. Rather than testing hypotheses or estimating fiscal impacts, the paper focuses on institutional reasoning and theory-building. The main contribution of this study lies in advancing a governance-centered framework that places amil institutions at the heart of zakat’s fiscal relevance. It demonstrates how accountability, transparency, and public trust—particularly in increasingly digitalized zakat systems—shape zakat's capacity to operate alongside taxation. By shifting attention from fiscal outcomes to governance foundations, the paper offers a clear institutional pathway for strengthening zakat’s role within modern social protection and fiscal systems.

Integrating Maqasid al-Shari'ah in Islamic Financial Lawmaking in Indonesia from Fatwa to Regulation

2026-02-06T11:42:22+00:00

This article analyzes the transformation of Islamic legal norms from fatwa into binding state regulation in Indonesia's Islamic financial sector, focusing on the substantive integration of Maqasid al-Shari'ah in the lawmaking process. Although Indonesia has developed an extensive fatwa-based regulatory framework issued by the National Sharia Council (DSN-MUI), it remains unclear whether these regulations advance maqasid objectives beyond formal sharia compliance. Using a normative-juridical and doctrinal approach, this study examines fatwas, statutes, and regulatory instruments to assess the articulation and operationalization of maqasid in regulatory design. The findings reveal that Islamic financial regulation is predominantly compliance-oriented, emphasizing contractual legality and prudential supervision over broader aims such as social justice, financial inclusion, and equitable risk-sharing. To address this limitation, the article proposes a three-layered maqasid integration model—normative, institutional, and operational—to enhance regulatory coherence, legal certainty, and substantive justice. This study demonstrates that maqasid al-Shari'ah does not automatically materialize through fatwa-based regulation and must be deliberately institutionalized within legislative reasoning, regulatory drafting, and post-implementation evaluation.

Gender Bias in Child Marriage Issues: Reconstructing Religious Discourse Based on Islamic Moderation

2026-02-06T12:51:33+00:00

Child marriage remains a critical issue in Indonesia and is often legitimized through gender-biased religious discourse. However, systematic analysis of how this bias is formed, reproduced, and institutionalized in religious texts and practices remains limited. This study addresses this gap by examining the formation of gender bias in religious discourse on child marriage and proposing a reconstruction framework grounded in Islamic Moderation and the maqasid al-shariah. Using a qualitative approach through a literature review and critical discourse analysis of religious texts, sermons, and academic sources, this study identifies three dominant patterns of gender bias: (1) the naturalization of women's domestic roles, (2) textual interpretations that equate puberty with marriageability, and (3) the moralization of girls' bodies. These patterns contribute to the normalization of child marriage and exacerbate vulnerabilities in girls' education, mental health, and socioeconomic well-being. This study offers a conceptual model for reconstructing religious discourse that promotes gender justice, child protection, and a welfare-oriented interpretation of Islamic teachings. These findings advance interdisciplinary religious studies and inform efforts to reform religious narratives in the contemporary Muslim public sphere.

Designing a STEAM-Oriented Interactive Learning Environment Using Articulate Storyline 3 to Support Elementary Mathematics Learning

2026-02-07T03:47:14+00:00

Developing students' mathematical understanding at the elementary level remains a persistent challange, particularly in learning contexts that rely heavily on conventional and minimally interactive instructional media. This study reports the development and evaluation of COMATH (Confident in Mathematics), an interactive learning medium created using Articulate Storyline 3 and informed by a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) pedagogical framework. A Research and Development approach was employed using the ADDIE instructional design model. The media was implemented in fourth-grade mathematics instruction focusing on plane geometry at Indonesian elementary school. Data were obtained through expert validation, user trials, and a pre-test post-test design involving 20 students. The expert review indicated that the media demonstrated high feasibility, with an overall score of 92.75%. Quantitative analysis revealed a substantial improvement in students' learning outcomes, with an average score increase of 34.96% and an N-gain value of 78.6%, indicating high effectiveness. Statistical testing confirmed a significant difference between pre-test and post-test results (t = -24.965, p < 0.05). These findings suggest that integrating STEAM principles into an interactive multimedia learning environment can effectively enhance elementary students' mathematical understanding. The study underscores the potential of Articulate Storyline 3 as a practical authoring tool for designing engaging, learner-centered mathematics instruction aligned with 21st-century educational goals.

Optimalisation of the Role of Basyarnas MUI in Dispute Resolution Sharia Capital Market

2026-02-07T06:51:20+00:00

In practice, investment activities within the Sharia Capital Market inevitably give rise to disputes. The National Sharia Arbitration Board of the Indonesian Ulema Council (BASYARNAS MUI) serves as a non-litigation arbitration institution authorized to resolve disputes in the field of sharia economics. This study aims to: (1) examine the legal foundations of the Sharia Capital Market; and (2) analyze the optimization of BASYARNAS MUI’s role in resolving disputes arising in the Sharia Capital Market. The method used in this research is library research. The findings indicate that: (1) Sharia Capital Market activities have not yet been specifically regulated through statutory law. Instead, their legal foundation is primarily based on fatwas issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council. Through the National Sharia Council (DSN MUI), the MUI has promulgated various fatwas governing the implementation of Sharia Capital Market practices in Indonesia. In addition to DSN MUI fatwas, Sharia Capital Market operations also refer to Financial Services Authority (OJK) Regulation Number 15/POJK.04/2015 concerning the Application of Sharia Principles in the Capital Market. (2) The optimization of BASYARNAS MUI’s role in resolving Sharia Capital Market disputes can be achieved through several measures, including: (a) enhancing the competence and expertise of sharia arbitrators, particularly in adjudicating disputes related to the Sharia Capital Market; and (b) intensifying the socialization of BASYARNAS MUI’s authority among Sharia Capital Market stakeholders, encouraging them to designate BASYARNAS MUI as the chosen dispute resolution forum through explicit choice-of-law clauses in Sharia Capital Market investment contracts.

Towards an Islamic Paradigm for Reconciling Islam and Modern Science for Responsive Muslim Education: A Perspective Drawn from Ziauddin Sardar’s Epistemological Thought

2026-02-07T13:35:12+00:00

During the golden age of Islamic civilization, there was no clash between Islam and science. The relationship between Islam and science was then characterized by a profound synergy that led to groundbreaking contributions across fields such as astronomy, medicine, mathematics, and philosophy, all unified by a Qur'anic worldview. However, contemporary Muslim societies are experiencing a widening gap between classical Islamic knowledge frameworks and modern scientific studies. The purpose of this study is to examine Ziauddin Sardar’s framework to reconcile Islam and modern science. Sardar is one of the contemporary Muslim scholars who has advocated reconciling Islam with modern science to address the issue. Using a descriptive-analytic method, this paper examines Sardar’s approaches to reconciling Islam with modern science, drawing on his extensive body of work, particularly his contributions to Islamic epistemology, futures studies, and critiques of Western scientific frameworks. Based on Sardar’s framework, the present researcher proposes a paradigm for reconciling Islam and modern science to create a sustainable and responsive Muslim education system. This paradigm introduces a four-dimensional conceptual framework that encompasses epistemic integration, pedagogical transformation, institutional reform, and societal relevance. It asserts that a paradigm inspired by Sardar can help cultivate scientifically literate, ethically grounded, and future-ready Muslim learners, equipping them to navigate the rapidly evolving challenges of the global landscape.

The Islamic Bio-ethic Paradigm of Local Genetic Resources Utilization: Navigating Innovation Protection through IPR in Indonesia

2026-02-08T13:57:59+00:00

Indonesia, as a mega-biodiverse nation, faces a critical challenge in balancing the commercialization of local genetic resources with the preservation of biological integrity and communal rights. Traditional Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) frameworks often prioritize individualistic and monopolistic ownership, which can conflict with the communal and spiritual values held by Muslim-majority societies. This paper aims to explore the legal paradigm through the lens of Islamic bioethics. The study employs a document study using the maqasid syariah method with a philosophical approach. It analyzes primary legal materials, including Indonesia’s Patent Law and the Nagoya Protocol, and synthesizes them with Islamic legal maxims and the framework of Maqasid al-Sharia (the objectives of Sharia). The study finds that an Islamic Bioethic paradigm shifts the focus from "absolute ownership" to "stewardship" (Amanah). In this view, genetic resources are considered Mubahl (public goods) that require a fair Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism to prevent Zulm (injustice). The study proposes that innovation protection must be integrated with recognition of nature as a trust to prevent exploitative biopiracy. To conclude, using the three-way balance is the best way to understand and implement the Islamic bio-ethics. Allah SWT is the owner of the GR; therefore, individuals who are able to utilize the resources only have a right to a reward commensurate with the efforts that have been contributed to the GR utilization, not the ownership. Furthermore, the benefit of such GR management must be enjoyed by the community and bring goodness according to Sharia principles, especially Maqasid al-Sharia.

From Legal Formalism to Spiritual Authenticity: Revisiting Al-Ghazali’s Critique of Ghurur in Contemporary Islamic Learning Communities

2026-02-09T08:34:22+00:00

Contemporary Islamic learning communities increasingly experience a tension between legal formalism and spiritual authenticity. While access to Islamic knowledge has expanded through institutional and digital platforms, religious practice is often shaped by performativity, credentialism, and algorithm-driven visibility. This study revisits Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's concept of ghurur (spiritual self-deception) as a diagnostic framework for understanding this phenomenon within Indonesian Islamic education. Employing a qualitative multi-method design, the research integrates hermeneutic analysis of al-Ghazali's works with multi-sited ethnography and digital ethnography across pesantren, majelis taklim, and online religious platforms. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and digital content analysis. The findings identify three dominant manifestations of ghurur: institutional (metric-driven religiosity), pedagogical (credentialism and authority performance), and digital (algorithmic piety). Female religious educators demonstrate higher sensitivity to subtle forms of ghurur and employ relational, reflective pedagogies to mitigate its effects. The study proposes a Ghurur–Authenticity Continuum and introduces a Critical Spiritual Pedagogy model that integrates classical Islamic spiritual psychology with contemporary educational practice. This framework offers a viable pathway for cultivating sincerity and spiritual authenticity in both traditional and digitally mediated Islamic learning environments.

Artificial Intelligence and the Crisis of Religious Authority: A Conceptual Review of Islamic Discourse in the Age of Machine Mediation

2026-02-09T14:03:04+00:00

This study explores the emerging crisis of religious authority in the age of artificial intelligence by examining how machine-mediated systems are reshaping Islamic discourse, interpretive legitimacy, and everyday patterns of religious engagement. Through a qualitative literature review grounded in Meuleman’s discussion of Islam within globalization and Banchoff’s framework of pluralism in world politics, this research synthesizes contemporary debates on AI, digital religion, and Islamic communication into a unified conceptual analysis. The inquiry is driven by the researcher’s concern that many key actors in Islamic education—particularly scholars, educators, and institutional leaders—remain unprepared for the rapid advancement of AI and its capacity to blur long-established boundaries of religious authority. The findings reveal five major shifts: the rise of algorithmic authority that rivals traditional scholarship; the emergence of epistemic confusion generated by pseudo-objective machine outputs; the automation of routine religious tasks that introduces new theological and procedural questions; the ambivalent influence of algorithmic amplification on religious moderation; and a broader transformation in which religious authority becomes a socio-technical rather than purely theological construct. The analysis extends Meuleman’s and Banchoff’s insights by showing that AI constitutes a new stage in the global reconfiguration of Islamic knowledge. This study presents a layered model of authority and proposes institutional pathways to navigate the challenges of the AI era.

From Principle to Practice: Developing a Three-Tiered Maqasidi Framework for Effective Zakat Distribution in Malaysia

2026-02-09T14:22:13+00:00

Zakat, a pillar of Islam, is a potent tool for socio-economic justice. However, its impact is often hindered by the absence of a systematic distribution framework grounded in the Higher Objectives of Islamic Law (Maqasid al-Shari’ah). While existing literature extensively catalogues the objectives of zakat, a significant gap remains in translating these objectives into a structured, actionable model for modern institutions. The objective of this study is to address this gap by developing a novel, three-tiered conceptual framework for zakat distribution in Malaysia. Constructed through a qualitative, literature-based methodology, the framework hierarchically integrates Maqasid 'Ammah (universal objectives), Maqasid Khassah li al-zakat (specific objectives), and Maqasid Juz'iyyah (operational objectives). To ensure practical applicability, the framework incorporates principles from the Jurisprudence of Priorities (Fiqh al-Awlawiyyat) to resolve conflicts in resource allocation. As a result, a three-tiered Maqasidi Framework for zakat distribution has been developed as the output of this research. It is hoped that this systematic framework will guide zakat institutions in distributing zakat funds more effectively. This study concluded that this framework provides zakat institutions with a principled and strategic tool for enhancing the effectiveness, fidelity, and impact of their distribution programs, ensuring they fulfill both worldly and otherworldly goals. It is recommended that future research should pilot and validate the framework across multiple Malaysian states using mixed-methods (administrative data, surveys, and qualitative interviews), with clear outcome indicators, including dignity and spiritual metrics, and decision logs to test Awlawiyyat-based prioritisation.

Why Students Choose English Studies at an Islamic University

2026-02-10T02:37:26+00:00

This study investigates students’ perceptions and motivation in choosing English Studies at an Islamic university, offering an interdisciplinary perspective on educational aspirations in the digital era 5.0. Employing a quantitative research design complemented by qualitative insights, data were collected from (N = 96) undergraduate students through a structured questionnaire grounded in motivation theory and followed by semi-structured interviews with selected participants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean scores) to identify motivational patterns, while qualitative data were thematically analyzed to enrich the interpretation of students’ academic choices. The findings reveal strong intrinsic motivation (mean score: 80%) and high autonomous motivation (mean score: 73.75%), whereas extrinsic valuation (mean score: 60%) and controlled motivation (mean score: 47%) were at a moderate level. Interview findings indicate that students’ decisions were primarily influenced by personal interest, the perceived relevance of English in the contemporary digital landscape, and future career aspirations. From an interdisciplinary standpoint, English is viewed not merely as an academic discipline but as a strategic medium for accessing global scientific and digital knowledge. These findings underscore the role of English Studies at Islamic universities in fostering interdisciplinary learning and preparing students for meaningful participation in the digital era 5.0 within an Islamic educational context.

Environmental Competitiveness and Green Entrepreneurship in the Age of Generative artificial Intelligence: Islamic and Multidisciplinary View

2026-02-10T02:20:16+00:00

Green entrepreneurship has emerged as an urgent channel for addressing the growing environmental issues and enhancing economic competitiveness in the era of rapid technological revolution. This paper is an Islamic and multidisciplinary theorization of environmental competitiveness and environmental turbulence in green entrepreneurship, considering generative artificial intelligence (AI) as a facilitator. Based on the Resource Orchestration Theory, the research will examine (1) how environmental competitiveness and environmental turbulence directly affect green entrepreneurship, (2) the mediating impact of the adoption of generative AI on these two variables, and (3) the moderating impact of risk-taking propensity of managers. A cross-sectional research design was used, and data were collected from 250 manufacturing industry employees in Pakistan. G Power analysis was used to determine the sample size, and the hypothesis was tested using Smart PLS 4 with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that environmental competitiveness and environmental turbulence both have a positive and significant influence on green entrepreneurship. Further, the adoption of generative AI is a mediating variable in these relationships, suggesting that the greater the AI technologies, the more firms can turn environmental pressure and uncertainty into sustainable and innovative entrepreneurial actions. Also, managers' risk-taking tendency enhances the positive impact of generative AI use on green entrepreneurship, underscoring the significance of active, ethically oriented leadership. The proposed research would make a conceptual contribution by incorporating environmental dynamics, generative AI, and a managerial orientation within Islamic and multidisciplinary frameworks, and a practical contribution by providing managers and policymakers with insights on how to advance ethical, sustainability-focused entrepreneurship in developing economies.

Harnessing Waqf for Sustainable Livelihoods: Women Entrepreneurs as Drivers of Development in Northern Nigeria

2026-02-10T03:06:47+00:00

In Muslim societies, the waqf (Islamic endowment) system has long served as a crucial instrument for social welfare, income redistribution, and long-term community development. Waqf is a promising mechanism for promoting inclusive growth and sustainable livelihoods in Northern Nigeria, where women entrepreneurs continue to face obstacles, including limited access to financing, sociocultural norms, and inadequate institutional support. This study examines the potential of waqf to support female entrepreneurs, who are a significant force behind socioeconomic growth in Northern Nigeria. The study investigates how waqf-based resources can be mobilized to bolster women's entrepreneurial potential, generate employment opportunities, and enhance household resilience, all while being anchored in Islamic socio-economic justice and the maqasid al-shari‘ah (objectives of Islamic law). The research employs a qualitative methodology and draws on historical analyses of classical and contemporary waqf practices, as well as fieldwork that includes interviews with Islamic scholars, waqf administrators, policymakers, and women entrepreneurs across selected states in the region. Findings are anticipated to show that institutionalizing waqf for entrepreneurship not only addresses gender-based economic marginalization but also significantly contributes to poverty alleviation, social equity, and the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to gender equality, decent work, and reduced inequalities. The study concludes that a revitalized waqf framework, integrated into modern legal, financial, and policy systems, can position women entrepreneurs as central agents of sustainable development in Northern Nigeria while reinforcing the ethical and spiritual dimensions of Islamic philanthropy.

A Maqasid-Based Framework for Digital Halal Tourism: Evidence from Jakarta's Multi-Stakeholder Ecosystem

2026-02-10T04:27:58+00:00

This study develops an Islamic economic framework for digital halal tourism grounded in Maqasid al-Shariah, addressing the need for ethically governed tourism development in global cities. While existing halal tourism studies largely emphasize market segmentation and service compliance, they have given limited attention to integrating Islamic economic principles, digital transformation, and multi-stakeholder governance. Employing a sequential mixed-methods approach, this research combines qualitative insights from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, including academics, ulama, Islamic educational institutions, and Muslim entrepreneurs, combined with quantitative analysis of survey data (N=134). The findings indicate that maqasid-based governance significantly enhances digital readiness, therby strengthening stakeholder collaboration and positively influencing digital halal tourism development outcomes. The study proposes and empirically supports a Jakarta Digital Halal Tourism Framework, demonstrating that sustainable digital halal tourism requires ethical-economic alignment, digital capability, and coordinated quad-helix collaboration. This framework offers practical implications for policymakers and stakeholders in Muslim-majority global cities seeking to develop value-based digital tourism ecosystems.

Minority Dakwah and Muslim Political Agency: Insights from the U.S. for Southeast Asia

2026-02-10T11:09:44+00:00

This article analyzes dakwah in Muslim minority settings as a form of political agency, drawing on comparative insights from the experiences of American Muslims and their relevance to Southeast Asia. The study introduces a novel conceptual contribution by reframing minority dakwah not merely as religious communication, but as a multidimensional socio-political practice that facilitates civic engagement, rights-based advocacy, and identity negotiation in plural societies. Using a qualitative comparative literature review, the article examines adaptive dakwah models developed in the United States, such as civic participation initiatives, interfaith coalition building, and civil rights mobilization, that have enhanced community empowerment in the face of discrimination and securitization pressures. The findings demonstrate that while these approaches offer valuable analytical lessons, they cannot be directly transplanted into Southeast Asian contexts due to differing political structures, state–religion arrangements, and majority–minority configurations. The article concludes by proposing a contextualized framework for strengthening Muslim political agency in Southeast Asia through dakwah practices that prioritize inclusivity, democratic participation, and social cohesion. This framework underscores the strategic role of minority dakwah in shaping resilient, civically engaged Muslim communities across diverse regional settings.

Islam And International Legal Subjectivity: A Comparative Conceptual Study in Islamic Literature and International Law

2026-02-10T12:53:52+00:00

The transformation of global order in the twenty-first century has challenged the traditional state-centric structure of international law. Classical doctrine, grounded in the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, recognizes primarily states, and to a limited extent international organizations, as subjects of international law. However, the emergence of transnational movements, multinational corporations, global NGOs, and influential individuals has exposed the insufficiency of this narrow conception. Simultaneously, Islamic legal and moral traditions provide a rich framework for understanding responsibility, rights, and agency that centers on the individual as the primary bearer of obligations (taklif). This article offers a comparative conceptual analysis between Islamic jurisprudence and international legal theory regarding the notion of the "subject" of law. Drawing on classical and contemporary scholarship, including Vattel, Grotius, Lauterpacht, Kelsen, Rawls, and Dworkin, as well as ur'anic ethics and the works of al-Shatibi, Fazlur Rahman, and M.A. Draz, the study argues that the individual is the foundational subject of legal responsibility. States and institutions are legal entities with Islamic moral philosophy; the article proposes a reconceptualization of international legal subjectivity that is more inclusive, coherent, and normatively grounded.

Perceived Organizational Support and Ethical Behaviour in Malaysia’s Service Sectors: The Moderating Role of Job Autonomy

2026-02-10T03:40:33+00:00

Ethical behaviour underpins organizational performance and stakeholder trust, yet the conditions that systematically promote it remain incompletely specified. This study examines whether perceived organizational support (POS) fosters ethical behaviour and whether job autonomy conditions this association. Guided by Organizational Support Theory and Self-Determination Theory, we employed a cross-sectional survey of employees in the education, healthcare, and finance sectors. POS, job autonomy, and ethical behaviour were measured with validated scales, and relationships were estimated using structural equation modeling with moderation analysis. Findings indicate that POS is positively associated with ethical behaviour, and this association is significantly stronger at higher levels of job autonomy. Simple-slope analyses show the highest ethical conduct among employees reporting both high POS and high autonomy, whereas the effect of POS attenuates when autonomy is low. These results refine the POS–ethics nexus by identifying autonomy as a contextual amplifier and suggest that supportive climates may be insufficient without commensurate discretion in task execution. Practically, organizations seeking to enhance ethical conduct should align initiatives that signal support—such as recognition, fair treatment, and adequate resources—with job designs that expand meaningful autonomy. Taken together, these interventions can cultivate ethically engaged workforces and, in turn, reinforce organizational performance and stakeholder trust.

Legal Uncertainty and Fragmented Governance in Protecting Local MSMEs

2026-02-10T13:43:36+00:00

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play a strategic role in supporting local economic development and social resilience, particularly in tourism-based regions. However, in many tourism areas, local MSMEs experience structural vulnerabilities due to legal uncertainty, unequal competition, and weak governance practices. This study examines legal issues and government roles in protecting local MSMEs operating in the Puncak tourism area, Indonesia. Employing a socio-legal research approach, this study integrates normative legal analysis with empirical, perception-based data obtained from questionnaires distributed to 49 local MSME actors. The findings indicate that although legal frameworks formally recognize MSMEs as strategic economic actors, their implementation in practice remains weak. Regulatory complexity, limited enforcement, and fragmented government roles undermine effective legal protection, resulting in persistent inequality between local MSMEs and larger business actors. This study highlights the gap between legal norms and empirical realities, emphasizing the need for more integrated, enforceable, and context-sensitive governance mechanisms to ensure sustainable protection for local MSMEs in tourism areas.

Digital Transformation in Nursing Education: Evaluating a Video-Supported PBL Model on Clinical Competency and Critical Thinking

2026-02-10T14:02:34+00:00

This study engages with the ongoing theoretical debate between the technological solutionism prevalent in digital education (Morozov, 2013) and critical pedagogical perspectives that question the socio-technical implications of technology integration (Fenwick et al., 2015). In nursing education, this manifests as a tension between evidence-based advocacy for digital tools, such as instructional videos, and the imperative to foster pedagogical depth that cultivates critical thinking and clinical reasoning. However, scant research has systematically examined how the structured fusion of a robust pedagogical model such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL) with video-based scaffolding reconfigures the learning ecology, thereby affecting both procedural competency and learner agency. This article addresses this gap by asking: How does a systematically developed Video-Supported PBL model influence nursing students’ clinical skill acquisition and critical thinking? Using a design-based research (DBR) approach, the study developed, validated, and empirically tested the “MEDIFA” model, integrating expert validation and pretest/posttest analyses with 30 students. The findings demonstrate significant quantitative gains in clinical competency (N-Gain = 0.76) and reveal a qualitative shift toward self-regulated learning, in which students strategically used on-demand videos for mastery while engaging in collaborative problem-solving. The analysis further shows a reconfiguration of the instructor’s role from primary demonstrator to facilitator of reasoning, mediated by the digital scaffold. The article argues that this integration creates a synergistic learning system where cognitive load management via video enables deeper participation in situated, practice-based communities (Lave & Wenger, 1991), thereby bridging a key conceptual divide in the literature. It contributes a validated instructional model and a refined theoretical synthesis, offering a more nuanced framework for designing and evaluating technology-enhanced learning in competency-based professional education.