Enhancing Arabic Vocabulary Acquisition through Mobile-Assisted Language Learning: A Quasi-Experimental Study in an Indonesian Madrasah
Meningkatkan Penguasaan Kosakata Bahasa Arab melalui Mobile-Assisted Language Learning: Studi Kuasi-Eksperimental pada Madrasah di Indonesia
Abstract
Purpose - This study examines the effect of integrating the Kaleela Arabic application into classroom instruction on seventh-grade Arabic vocabulary acquisition in an Indonesian Islamic junior secondary school (madrasah). This study addresses the continuing problem of limited Arabic vocabulary mastery among madrasah learners and the need for empirically examined mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) practices in Arabic education.
Design/Methodology/Approach - A quantitative quasi-experimental design with a nonequivalent control group was employed. The participants were 44 seventh-grade learners at MTs Al-Khairiyah, divided equally into an experimental group (n = 22) and a control group (n = 22). The experimental group received four weeks of teacher-guided instruction integrating the Kaleela Arabic application, whereas the control group received conventional vocabulary instruction. Data were collected through a 20-item Arabic vocabulary test administered as pre- and posttest. The instrument was validated through expert content review, item validity analysis (Pearson r), and reliability testing (Cronbach’s α = 0.843). Data analysis included Shapiro-Wilk normality tests, Levene’s homogeneity test, pretest equivalence testing, paired sample t-tests within each group, an independent sample t-test for post-test comparison, N-Gain analysis, and Cohen’s d-based effect size estimation.
Findings - Pre-test scores confirmed initial group equivalence, t(42) = 0.468, p = 0.642. A post-test comparison revealed a statistically significant difference between groups, t(42) = 3.284, p = 0.002, with a large effect size (d = 0.99). The experimental group obtained a mean post-test score of 78.18 (SD = 13.50) compared with 65.45 (SD = 12.20) for the control group. The average N-Gain of the experimental group was 0.57 (moderate category), whereas that of the control group was 0.33 (low–moderate boundary). Variation in individual gains highlights the mediating role of knowledge of prior vocabulary and teacher scaffolding.
Originality/Value - This study provides quasi-experimental evidence on the pedagogically integrated use of Kaleela Arabic for vocabulary acquisition in a madrasah classroom context. It extends MALL research by interpreting learning gains through theoretically grounded mechanisms: repeated exposure, retrieval practice, multimodal input, immediate feedback, and teacher scaffolding, rather than attributing improvement solely to the application.
Paper type - Research paper
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Copyright (c) 2026 Rika Nurmalia; Ahmad Rizki Nugrahawan; Fatmah Duerasor, Zaimul Hakim (Author)
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