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Abstract
This study analyzes the difficulties of learning Arabic among students of the Islamic Family Law Program at STDI Imam Syafi’i Jember and identifies the factors influencing these difficulties. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and documentation involving students, Arabic lecturers, and academic staff. Informants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The findings reveal that students experience difficulties in understanding qawaid (Arabic grammar and morphology), mastering vocabulary, and reading Arabic texts. Psychological barriers, particularly low self-confidence in using Arabic, also hinder learning. In addition, differences in educational backgrounds and the lack of an Arabic-speaking environment significantly affect students’ learning processes. This study contributes theoretically to qualitative research on Arabic language learning and provides practical recommendations for Islamic higher education institutions to develop more contextual and adaptive Arabic learning strategies suited to students in Sharia-related study programs.
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References
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References
Adila, V. N. (2022). Konsep pembelajaran bahasa Arab berbasis pendekatan humanistik perspektif Paulo Freire. Shaut Al Arabiyyah, 10(1), 69–76. https://doi.org/10.24252/saa.v10i1.25437
Ainul Uyun, D. (2025). Jurnal bahasa Arab dan pendidikan bahasa Arab. Loghat Arabi: Jurnal Bahasa Arab dan Pendidikan Bahasa Arab, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.36915/la.v6i1.407
Alkasirah, N. A. M., Mohamad, M., Sanmugam, M., & Ramdas, G. (2026). Development of mobile application-based digital drama for Arabic language to improve students’ vocabulary. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 20(2), 1240–1249. https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v20i2.23655
Bahri, M. Z. (2014). Teaching religions in Indonesian Islamic higher education: From comparative religion to religious studies. Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies, 4(2), 155–188. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijims.v4i2.155-188
Cresswell, J. (2024). Introduction. Journal of Clinical Urology, 17(1_suppl), 2–3. https://doi.org/10.1177/20514158241252244
Hanifah, U., Binti Adam, Z., Faizin, M., Miftakhul Jannah, I., & Hanafi, Y. (2024). Accelerating the digitalisation of learning post-COVID-19 era to improve the pedagogical competence of pre-service Arabic teachers. Cogent Education, 11(1), Article 2413241. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2413241
Kamal, H. (2025). Teaching Arabic today: Challenges, strategies, and opportunities in Islamic higher education. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 24(10), 644–659. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.10.31
Kartini, K., Nawas, K. A., & Tanal, A. N. (2026). Learning outcomes of Arabic pedagogy via classical Islamic texts: A systematic review of the Indonesian pesantren tradition. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 25(2), 953–984. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.2.42
Leung, T. T.-C., Boush, F., & Al Kaabi, M. (2026). An eye-tracking study on the interword spacing effect in Arabic. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 55(3), Article 41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-026-10217-0
Mohammed, J. M. D.-A., Idris, M. E. M., Abdalla, H. O. H., Mohamed, M. E. A., Eldouma, S. A. A., & Ibrahim, M. A. E.-S. (2026). Integrating translation into Arabic language programs in U.S. higher education for curriculum reform and student competencies. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 16(3), 899–911. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1603.20
Muslim, B., Zikrina, Z., & Mukhlisah, M. (2023). Taṭwîr kitāb al-qirā’at al-rasyîdah li tarqiyyah mahārah al-qirā’ah ‘inda al-ṭālibah bi istikhdām al-kitāb al-elektrûny al-tafā’uliy fi al-madrasah al-mutawassiṭah Insān Qur’āny Aceh Besar. Jurnal Ilmiah Islam Futura, 23(2), 347. https://doi.org/10.22373/jiif.v23i2.19489
Nasution, S., Asari, H., Al-Rasyid, H., Dalimunthe, R. A., & Rahman, A. (2024). Learning Arabic language sciences based on technology in traditional Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia. Nazhruna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 7(1), 77–102. https://doi.org/10.31538/nzh.v7i1.4222
Rohman, A., Maksum, A., & Wargadinata, W. (2025). The spiritualization of Arabic grammar: Theological meaning-making of nahwu in a salaf pesantren in Indonesia. Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam, 15(2), 483–507. https://doi.org/10.15642/teosofi.2025.15.2.483-507
Sharma, D. (2025). Achieving success in education sector through effective learning experience in education sector. In C. M. Crawford & T. T. Gee (Eds.), Motivating engagement, belonging, and success in higher education student experience (pp. 159–194). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-8089-5.ch006
Suarlin, S., Elpisah, E., Nurwajidah, N., & Nurfadila MY, N. M. (2021). Pengaruh pola asuh orang tua terhadap hasil belajar siswa pada pembelajaran Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan di sekolah dasar. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Indonesia, 7(4), 631-641.
Zarytovskaya, V. N. (2026). Arabic homographs: Systemic language difficulties in text perception. Vostok. Afro-Aziatskie Obshchestva: Istoriia i Sovremennost, (1), 184. https://doi.org/10.31696/S086919080034971-5
Zulkhairi, Z., Azhari, A., Taufiq, A., & Zikrullah, M. (2026). Processing Arabic idioms: A psycholinguistic study of second language learners. Ampersand, 16, Article 100263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amper.2026.100263