Exploring the Use of the Mukhtasar ‘Ala Al-‘Arabiyyah li al-Nashi’in Textbook in Developing Students’ Arabic Reading Skills

Abstract

Arabic reading instruction requires appropriate teaching materials that can support students in developing reading fluency, vocabulary comprehension, grammatical awareness, and textual understanding. Although previous studies have demonstrated the potential of the Al-‘Arabiyyah li al-Nāshi’īn textbook in Arabic language learning, empirical evidence regarding the use of its locally adapted version, particularly Mukhtaṣor ‘Alā al-‘Arabiyyah li al-Nāshi’īn Jilid 2, remains limited. This study aims to explore the implementation of the Mukhtaṣor ‘Alā al-‘Arabiyyah li al-Nāshi’īn Jilid 2 textbook in developing students’ Arabic reading skills in class 2A-2 Mu’allimin at Madrasah Mu’allimin Mu’allimat Bahrul Ulum Tambakberas Jombang. Employing a qualitative case study design, data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with the Arabic language teacher and students, and document analysis of the textbook, learning activities, exercises, and assessment records. The data were analyzed thematically to identify patterns in the implementation of the textbook and the development of students’ reading skills. The findings reveal that the textbook was implemented through a gradual sequence of guided reading, vocabulary development, text comprehension, repeated practice, discussion, feedback, and assessment. These activities addressed key dimensions of Arabic reading, including reading fluency, vocabulary comprehension, identification of explicit information, grammatical awareness, and textual meaning construction. The study concludes that Mukhtaṣor ‘Alā al-‘Arabiyyah li al-Nāshi’īn Jilid 2 functions not merely as a source of reading texts but as an integrated instructional resource that connects linguistic knowledge with reading comprehension. The study contributes to Arabic language education by highlighting the pedagogical potential of locally adapted textbooks in responding to students’ specific Arabic reading needs.