Pedagogical Practices Supporting Arabic Communicative Competence in Malaysian Religious Secondary Schools

Arabic communication is a central outcome of language learning, yet many students in Malaysian religious secondary schools experience difficulty using Arabic confidently and meaningfully. This study investigated pedagogical practices that support Arabic communicative competence in religious secondary schools in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. A qualitative case-study design was employed involving 12 teachers of al-Lughah al-‘Arabiyyah al-Mu‘asirah (Arabic subject in religious school) from three schools. Participants were selected purposively based on their qualifications and teaching experience. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically through familiarisation, initial coding, theme development, review, definition, and reporting. Trustworthiness was strengthened through expert validation, participant confirmation, an audit trail, and triangulation. Four themes emerged: communicative approaches, teaching strategies, teacher professionalism, and implementation challenges. Effective practices included interaction-based activities, explicit emphasis on speaking, strategic use of Arabic and Malay, technology integration, varied instructional methods, student-centred learning, and purposeful teaching materials. Teachers’ Arabic proficiency, pedagogical competence, lesson planning, and professional disposition also shaped the quality of instruction. However, inadequate infrastructure, limited Arabic-speaking environments, and students’ restricted vocabulary, confidence, and motivation constrained implementation. The findings show that communicative competence is supported not by a single technique but by alignment among meaningful interaction, comprehensible input, structured participation, adaptive scaffolding, teacher expertise, and enabling school conditions. Arabic instruction should therefore provide sustained opportunities for purposeful speaking, progressively increase comprehensible Arabic use, integrate digital and non-digital resources, and differentiate support according to learner readiness. Institutional support remains essential for sustaining communicative practice beyond individual teacher effort across classrooms and school settings.