From text to experience: augmented reality as a pedagogical medium for Adab Nusus learning

The teaching of Arabic literature at the pre-university level, particularly the Adab wa al-Nuṣūṣ subject within Malaysia’s Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) programme, continues to present significant pedagogical challenges. Students frequently experience difficulty engaging with and interpreting Arabic poetic texts due to abstract language, symbolic expression, and instructional practices that remain largely teacher-centred and text-bound. Drawing on growing evidence that immersive technologies can support learning in abstract and cognitively demanding domains, this study examines the pedagogical potential of Augmented Reality (AR) as a curriculum-aligned instructional medium for Arabic literature education at the STAM level. Guided by a Design and Development Research (DDR) methodology and grounded in constructivist learning theory, multimedia learning theory, and experiential learning theory, the study reports on the design, development, and preliminary classroom implementation of MySyair, an AR-based learning application aligned with the Malaysian Kurikulum Bersepadu Dini (KBD). The findings indicate that AR-supported visualisation and multimedia explanations can enhance students’ engagement, comprehension, and appreciation of Arabic poetry, while also supporting teachers’ instructional practices within formal classroom contexts. By extending the application of AR into curriculum-driven, school-level Arabic literary education, this study contributes a pedagogically grounded and design-based model for innovation in pre-university humanities education.