İlahiyat Fakültelerinde Arapça Hazırlık Eğitiminde Akademik Başarıyı Belirleyen Faktörler: Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Özelinde Veri Temelli Bir İnceleme
Factors Influencing Academic Achievement in Arabic Preparatory Education at Faculties of Theology: A Data-Driven Study at Ondokuz Mayıs University
Yazar: Kartal, Mustafa; Büyükkeleş, Muhammed Ali
Dergi: Dinbilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi, Vol. 26 No. 1, 2025
Anahtar kelimeler: Arabic Language and Rhetoric ; Arap Dili ve Belagatı ; Arap Dili,Arapça Öğretimi,Akademik Başarı,Öğrenci Hazırbulunuşluğu ; Arabic Language,Arabic Language Teaching,Academic Achievement,Student Readiness

Bu çalışma, Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi (OMÜ) İlahiyat Fakültesi Arapça hazırlık sınıflarındaki eğitim sürecini, karşılaşılan sorunları ve öğrenci başarı düzeylerini istatistiki veriler ışığında incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu araştırma, literatürdeki pek çok çalışmadan farklı olarak yalnızca öğrenci-öğretici merkezli anket verileriyle sınırlı kalmamış, öğrencilerin somut başarı puanlarını gösteren istatistiksel verilerden ve saha uygulamalarından yararlanmıştır. Bu bağlamda araştırma, hazırlık eğitiminin sorunlarını daha nesnel ve tutarlı bir şekilde tespit edebilmeyi ve bu sorunlara yönelik çözüm önerileri getirmeyi hedeflemektedir. Çalışmada, literatürde değinilen sorunlar genel bir çerçevede değerlendirilmiş daha sonra bu sorunlar istatistiksel veriler ve saha gözlemleriyle birlikte ele alınarak nitel araştırma yöntemi takip edilmiştir. Çalışmanın bulguları, literatürde zikredilen problemlerin giderilmesi durumunda dahi Arapça hazırlık eğitiminde bazı problemlerin devam ettiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Ayrıca daha nitelikli ve hedefine ulaşan bir eğitim sürecinin, öğrencilerin akademik başarı ve hazırbulunuşluk düzeyleriyle doğrudan ilişkili olduğunu göstermektedir.

Arabic language education constitutes a central component of the curriculum in the Faculties of Theology in Türkiye, as proficiency in Arabic is essential for accessing primary Islamic sources such as the Qur’an and Sunnah. Arabic preparatory programs, which were suspended in the late 1990s, were reintroduced in 2009 and have since played a significant role in theological education. Despite the expanding body of research on Arabic preparatory education, many existing studies rely primarily on perception-based data obtained through student or instructor surveys. This study aims to contribute to the literature by providing a data-driven and practice-oriented evaluation of Arabic preparatory education at the Faculty of Theology of Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU). The primary objective is to examine the structural characteristics, instructional practices, and student achievement levels at OMU and identify the factors underlying persistent challenges. Unlike studies that focus primarily on subjective evaluations, this research incorporates statistical data on students’ actual academic performance alongside qualitative field observations. In doing so, it seeks to offer a more objective assessment of preparatory Arabic education. The study adopts a mixed-methods research design. Data collection consists of three components: (1) a literature review, (2) quantitative analysis of student achievement data from the university’s information system, and (3) qualitative field observations of the instructional process. The statistical analysis covers the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 academic years, examining variables such as gender, high school background (Imam Hatip versus General High School), and education type (First versus Second Education). Findings indicate that a considerable proportion of students, including Imam Hatip graduates, begin the program with insufficient linguistic readiness. Data further demonstrate the significant impact of instructional modality. During the 2022–2023 academic year, when instruction was partially online, the overall success rate was 48%. In the 2023–2024 year, following the return to complete face-to-face education, this rate increased to 58%. This improvement was particularly pronounced among students without prior Arabic exposure, highlighting the importance of classroom interaction. One of the most significant findings challenges the widespread assumption that prior Arabic education is the primary determinant of success. Instead, academic readiness and study discipline, reflected in university entrance scores, play a more decisive role than prior language exposure. Students enrolled in First Education consistently outperformed those in Second Education, regardless of background. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the need to align preparatory programs with students’ actual proficiency levels, prioritize essential language skills, and adopt realistic, needs-based approaches to achieve sustainable educational outcomes.