Enhancing academic excellence: a case study on Arabic proficiency levels among the Irk Students and their perceptions on studying Al-Naḥw Wa Al-Ṣarf in CFS IIUM

One of the common core courses under the Arabic and Islamic Studies (AIS) module that has been introduced and implemented since 2023 is Al-Naḥw wa Al-Ṣarf. The introduction of the course to the Foundation of Islamic Revealed Knowledge (IRK) students at the Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), took place due to a curriculum review exercise during said year. As IRK students take Arabic-medium Islamic studies courses, the course's introduction aims to increase their proficiency in the language. This study aims to evaluate the Arabic language competency of IRK students who took Al-Naḥw wa Al-Ṣarf course during their first semester of the academic year. This research utilised a quantitative study, with a survey research design to investigate the perspectives of IRK students regarding Al-Naḥw wa Al-Ṣarf course as well as the significance of enrolling in the course for improving their academic achievements. A survey questionnaire titled "IRK Students' Perception on Studying Al-Naḥw wa Al-Ṣarf Course" using a Google Form was given to all IRK students to learn about their perceptions of the course. The data demonstrated that taking Al-Naḥw wa Al-Ṣarf course enhances students' comprehension of the IRK core courses. Furthermore, the majority of students agreed that learning the course adds value for IRK students. As a result, IRK students' Arabic proficiency increases when they study Al-Naḥw wa Al-Ṣarf course.