Learning to Teach Arabic in Madrasahs: Pre-service Teachers’ Experiential Learning during Teaching Practicum

Abstract

Arabic language learning in madrassas requires pedagogical readiness among teachers who can integrate language mastery, learning methodologies, and an understanding of institutional contexts. This study aims to analyze the role of Teaching Practicum as a professional learning vehicle for prospective Arabic teacher students through an experiential learning perspective. This study uses a qualitative approach with a multisite case study design at the State Aliyah Madrasah in Kendari City. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and document studies. The data are analyzed through data reduction, presentation, and verification, complemented by a data validity test using triangulation. The results of the study show that the Teaching Practicum provides an authentic teaching experience in the Madrasah for students in the Arabic Language Education study program, accompanied by deep, continuous pedagogical reflection. Students reproduce learning practices in madrassas in a well-established manner through structural approaches, some of which have begun to adopt communicative and contextual approaches. The support of Mentor teachers, the quality of supervisory assistance, and the institutional conditions of the Madrasah have played a significant role in shaping students' professional learning experience. These findings suggest that the Teaching Practicum should be delivered through practical experience, but instead requires a reflective, integrated design. The research implication emphasizes the importance of a learning approach grounded in concrete experience and reflection in developing Arabic teachers' competencies in madrasah.