Effectiveness of an Arabic Reading Skills Enhancement Programme among Islamic Studies Students in Higher Education Institutions

Arabic reading competency is a fundamental requirement for Islamic Studies students because most academic references are written in Arabic. However, many first-year undergraduates encounter difficulties in comprehending Arabic texts despite having prior exposure to the language. To address this issue, the Arabic Reading Skills Enhancement Programme was implemented as an intensive induction programme introducing the ISTIQRAA' strategic reading model. The programme aimed to equip students with systematic reading strategies that were continuously practised throughout a fourteen-week Arabic Language Skills course. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the programme using authentic assessment evidence collected during the course. A quantitative programme evaluation design was employed involving 96 first-year Islamic Studies students enrolled in the Arabic Language Skills course at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA). Programme effectiveness was evaluated using Course Quality Improvement (CQI) data comprising reading and writing assessments, oral communication, presentations, peer assessment, listening assessment and e-portfolio, supported by students' post-programme feedback. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise students' performance across the assessment components. The findings indicated that students demonstrated satisfactory achievement in Arabic reading competency, oral communication and reflective learning through authentic assessment activities implemented throughout the semester. The findings suggest that the one-day enhancement programme functioned as an instructional catalyst by introducing the ISTIQRAA' strategic reading model, while sustained practice through authentic learning activities over fourteen weeks contributed to students' competency development. The study highlights the value of integrating strategic reading instruction with authentic assessment as a practical approach to strengthening Arabic language learning in higher education.

Arabic reading competency, ISTIQRAA', authentic assessment, programme evaluation, Arabic language teaching, higher education

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