Drill and Reinforcement in Arabic Morphology Learning: a Case Study at an Islamic Elementary School

Abstract

This qualitative case study examines how drill and reinforcement were implemented in Arabic morphology (shorof) learning in Class 4-B at a Madrasah Ibtidaiyah, the forms of reinforcement used by the teacher, and students’ responses. Data were gathered through one classroom observation on 22 August 2026 and interviews with one teacher and three students; the class comprised 35 students. The data were interpreted using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The observed lesson involved the presentation of morphological patterns, collective and individual repetition, gradual exercises, verbal encouragement, non-verbal affirmation, and corrective feedback. Classroom observations indicated that students participated more readily during exercises when the teacher provided immediate verbal encouragement. This observation suggests a possible relationship between reinforcement and classroom participation, although the qualitative design does not establish a causal effect. The evidence also showed a distinction between reproducing tasrif patterns during guided practice and using them independently in meaningful sentences. The study therefore suggests retaining structured drills for practising forms while complementing them with contextual tasks, such as sentence construction and short dialogues. As a single-case study based on one observation, the findings are context-specific and do not establish broad effectiveness.