A Preliminary Study of Arabic Text Reading Skills Instruction Based on Effective Reading Strategies

Abstract

Arabic is the main medium of acquisition and mastery of various fields of knowledge written in Arabic. Thus, students need to be more skilful to understand the Arabic text so that the acquisition of knowledge in their field of study can be improved. However, the practice of teacher-centred teaching and the use of "grammar translation" at the school level has caused many students in the field of Islamic studies in Institutions of Higher Learning in particular, to face difficulties in understanding Arabic reading materials accurately and quickly. This factor has constrained their reading extensively due to the fading of motivation to comprehend the reading texts in Arabic. Studies have proven that the use of effective reading strategies is one of the methods that can help readers understand reading material more accurately and quickly. However, the use of effective reading strategies among Arabic language students and teachers is at a disappointing level. This preliminary study aims to implement the instruction of Arabic text reading skills based on the use of effective reading strategies. This study was conducted through classroom observations, analysis of teaching evaluation reports, and documentary evidence. The effectiveness of the teaching model was obtained from quantitative data through student assessment measurement reports involving 105 students of the Bachelor of Usuluddin, UniSZA. The qualitative data obtained were analyzed descriptively based on selected themes, while quantitative data were analyzed using Excel software. The findings of this study are expected to promote a new model of teaching Arabic, which can produce students who are proficient in Arabic effectively. These findings are also expected to confirm that learning Arabic strategically can improve reading skills which is a pillar of knowledge acquisition as the Malaysia National Education Policy states: "ensure that every Muslim student has the opportunity to learn the field of Islamic studies and Arabic in a quality manner.