INDIKATOR SIKAP TERHADAP PEMBELAJARAN BAHASA ARAB DALAM KALANGAN PELAJAR MUSLIM MINORITI DI DUA BUAH SEKOLAH ISLAM DI KEMBOJA

Abstract

Learning is an inseparable part of education. Its existence is what drives the success of education, including language mastery. Effective learning supports effective language acquisition. However, various factors may contribute to the failure of language mastery among students, such as student attitudes, environmental support, and, even more so, when the language in question is a second language in a country where Muslims are a minority. Therefore, this study aims to identify students’ attitudes toward learning Arabic in a Muslim minority country, namely Cambodia. This study employed a quantitative approach involving two schools representing two provinces—Kampot as a rural area and Phnom Penh as an urban province. A questionnaire survey was administered randomly to 112 students from Form 3 to Form 6. The findings reveal that Muslim minority students in Cambodia demonstrated a positive attitude toward learning; they enjoy learning and are motivated to continue learning (M = 4.02). However, the overall level (M = 3.92), categorised as moderately high, is still influenced by attitudes and perceptions of difficulty regarding the Arabic language. Thus, this finding serves as an indicator that should be taken seriously by all educational stakeholders in Cambodia and other countries, particularly those with minority Muslim populations.