The Weak Academic Achievement in Arabic Literature among Secondary Religious Students in Malaysia and its Causes: A Descriptive Field Study

The teaching of Arabic literature in religious schools in Malaysia is a reality that warrants a quick review to achieve the desired outcomes. It has been observed, through reviewing the curricula for teaching Arabic literature in these schools, that there is a significant gap between the objective and the means. The method used barely helps achieve the desired goal for several reasons, some related to the curriculum, others to the students' level, and sometimes even to the teachers. There are several academic objectives that this study seeks to achieve to address its subject matter: To identify the main difficulties and underlying causes behind the weakness of students at Maktab Mahmood in learning Arabic literature, and to propose comprehensive and practical solutions to remedy these apparent shortcomings among the students in their study of Arabic literature. To adopt and integrate all Arabic linguistic disciplines related to Arabic literature, such as literary criticism and Qur’anic rhetoric. The research problem lies in the lack of harmony between the Arabic literature curricula taught at the secondary level in Malaysia’s religious education system, particularly at Maktab Mahmood. This issue is evident in students’ weak performance in Arabic literature and their limited grasp of its poetic and prose texts, stemming from the wide gap between students and the prescribed curricula. The study will adopt a descriptive and inductive approach to identify the reasons behind the weakness of Maktab Mahmood students in Kedah in understanding and comprehending Arabic literature, as well as the role of the curriculum in contributing to this issue.