Examining the relationship between teacher’s theoretical beliefs and classroom practices in teaching Arabic

Abstract

Theoretical knowledge is crucial for effective Arabic language teaching. However, it must align with teachers’ beliefs to influence classroom practices and impact learning outcomes, as teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices dynamically influence one another. This study aims to explore the theoretical beliefs of Arabic language teachers regarding to the approach to learn Arabic and to examine the relationship between teachers’ theoretical beliefs and their classroom practices. This study used a quantitative approach with a correlational method to investigate the theoretical beliefs of Arabic teachers regarding to the approach to teaching Arabic and the relationship between these beliefs and classroom practices. The research population consists of 37 teachers with 5 qualified teachers to be observed in their classroom practices based on the purposive sampling. Data were collected through questionnaire and observation, and Spearman’s Rank Correlation analysis was used to analyze the data. The results show that 1) Arabic language teachers have three different types of theoretical beliefs there are Dominant, Dual, and Multiple Beliefs in which Dual beliefs are more dominant than the other beliefs. 2) There is a positive relationship between the theoretical beliefs of Arabic teachers and their classroom practices. This study highlights the importance of pedagogical implications for the education of Arabic language teachers. It also to recommends that teacher training programs are designed to supply necessary skill to instructors to explore diverse theoretical and methodological approaches to Arabic language teaching, with an emphasis on the importance of a positive relationship between belief and practice.