Validation of professional competency model based on Islamic teachings of Arabic language teachers in Baghdad

Subject Areas :

Khulood Hashim Oudah Al-Geraani ¹ , Hamid Sina ² , Hadi Alabdolah ³ , Zohre Saadatmand ⁴

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Received: 2024-10-18 Accepted : 2024-12-18 Published : 2025-01-11

Keywords: professional competency, on Islamic teachings, Arabic language, teachers,

Abstract :

Introduction: teachers are one of the main pillars of the teaching-learning process, who play an important role in the quality generation or de-quality of the educational system, and in order to teach and create sustainable learning, the teachers of the educational system must have a series of knowledge and skills and be equipped with professional knowledge and competence. Various models have been presented for the professional competence of teachers. The main purpose of this research was to validate the model of professional competencies of Arabic teachers.

 

Methodology: The current research is applied research in terms of its purpose, and it was a descriptive survey in terms of the method of data collection. The statistical population of this research was 242 Arabic teachers of Baghdad, Iraq. The sampling method in this research was stratified random. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire, which was extracted from a qualitative study of professional qualifications model design. To analyze the data, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation analysis (model fitting) based on partial least squares were used.

 

Findings: The results showed that all the components and items raised around the four main dimensions of teachers' professional qualifications, including the dimensions of belief in God, belief in science, self-belief and belief in people, were approved and the designed professional qualifications model was suitable.

 

Conclusion: If the teachers can acquire the necessary qualifications in these four comprehensive themes, they can have an acceptable professional performance in Arabic language education, and on the other hand, this model has the necessary credibility to be used in the Arabic teacher training system.

 

References:

References
Balakrishnan, S. (2005). Competency based education system. National Symposium on Engineering Education, 90-96.
Bürgener, L., & Barth, M. (2018). Sustainability competencies in teacher education: Making teacher education count in everyday school practice. Journal of cleaner production, 174, 821-826.
Dumitru, G. (2015). Teacher‘s Role as a Counsellor. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 180, 1080-1085.
Doležalová, J. (2015). Competencies of Teachers and Student Teachers for the Development of Reading Literacy. Social and Behavioral Sciences. 171: 519–525.
Ganjali, A., Teymourian, M., and Abdul Hosseinzadeh, M. (2013). A study of the criteria of merit in the Qur'an. Quarterly Journal of Islam and Management Research, Volume 3, Issue 1, Volume 7, pp 11- 19. (in Persian).
Kim, K and Kwon,K.(2023). Exploring the AI competencies of elementary school teachers in South Korea. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 4 (2023) 100137.
Momdjian, L., Manegre, M., & Gutiérrez-Cólon, M. (2024). Digital competences of teachers in Lebanon: a comparison of teachers’ competences to educational standards. Research in Learning Technology, 32.
Prasertcharoensuk, T., Somprach, K. L., & Ngang, T. K. (2015). Influence of teacher competency factors and students’ life skills on learning achievement. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 186, 566-572.
Runge, I,. Lazarides,R., Rubach,Ch., Richter , D., Scheiter ,K. (2023). Teacher-reported instructional quality in the context of technology-enhanced teaching: The role of teachers’ digital competence-related beliefs in empowering learners. Computers & Education 198 (2023) 104761.

Full-Text:



Khlood Hashem et al: Validation of professional competency model based on Islamic teachings …

ISSN (print): 2588-5731 E-ISSN: 3060-6535

 

Validation of professional competency model based on Islamic teachings of Arabic language teachers in Baghdad

Khulood Hashim Oudah Al-Geraani¹, Hamid Sina2*, Hade Alabdolah3, Zohre Saadatmand4

 

Received Date: 10/06/2023                Accepted Date: 07/10/2023

Pp: 32-42

Abstract

Introduction: teachers are one of the main pillars of the teaching-learning process, who play an important role in the quality generation or de-quality of the educational system, and in order to teach and create sustainable learning, the teachers of the educational system must have a series of knowledge and skills and be equipped with professional knowledge and competence. Various models have been presented for the professional competence of teachers. The main purpose of this research was to validate the model of professional competencies of Arabic teachers.

Methodology: The current research is applied research in terms of its purpose, and it was a descriptive survey in terms of the method of data collection. The statistical population of this research was 242 Arabic teachers of Baghdad, Iraq. The sampling method in this research was stratified random. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire, which was extracted from a qualitative study of professional qualifications model design. To analyze the data, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation analysis (model fitting) based on partial least squares were used.

Findings: The results showed that all the components and items raised around the four main dimensions of teachers' professional qualifications, including the dimensions of belief in God, belief in science, self-belief and belief in people, were approved and the designed professional qualifications model was suitable.

Conclusion: If the teachers can acquire the necessary qualifications in these four comprehensive themes, they can have an acceptable professional performance in Arabic language education, and on the other hand, this model has the necessary credibility to be used in the Arabic teacher training system.

 Key Words: professional competency, on Islamic teachings, Arabic language, teachers

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[1] . PhD candidate in Educational Administration, Isfahan(Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

2. Assistant Professor, department of Educational Administration, Fasa Branch, Islamic Azad University, Fasa, Iran (Corresponding author: [e-mail])

3. Assistant Professor, department of Educational Administration, Fasa Branch, Islamic Azad University, Fasa, Iran

4- Associate Professor, department of Educational Administration, Isfahan(Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

 

Introduction

Meritism in Islam is rooted in justice and monotheistic worldview (Ganjali, Timourian, Abdul Hosseinzadeh, 2012). In the Holy Quran, the criterion of merit is that a person has an inner commitment; That is, faith and refinement of the soul are first. Those who are qualified to take charge of affairs are competent. Besides this factor, which is called commitment, expertise and skill are another condition. In many verses of the Holy Quran, these two factors are together and side by side; some indicators of commitment are piety and faith, which are the most important factors in people's competence. Meritism would be incomplete without considering this factor. Today's global labor market needs human resources that have multiple skills instead of manpower that has a specific expertise, so that in this way, it is not only a burden for the organization, but also a diligent help in accompanying the organization with the rapid changes in the surrounding environment. This has led to the emergence of a central management literature under the title of competencies (Doležalová, 2015).

The main pillar and dominant of the structure of education is its human resources, that is, teachers. In today's society, the goal of education is not only the transfer of cultural heritage and human experiences to the new generation, but the mission of education is to create favorable changes in the attitudes, cognitions, and ultimately the behavior of people, and in accomplishing this mission in the education and training of teachers. They have a fundamental and very important role, because in addition to the role of guidance and support, they are responsible for transferring culture and creating favorable changes in children, teenagers and young people. (Dumitru, 2015). Teachers are one of the main pillars of the teaching-learning process, which play an important role in the quality of the educational system, and to teach and create sustainable learning, teachers must have a set of knowledge and skills, and be equipped with professional knowledge and competence (Prasertcharoensuk et al, 2015).

Although teachers' professional skills may not match the teaching context and cultural conditions, the development of these skills can play an important role in teachers' professional growth and students' academic progress (Bürgener & Barth, 2018). In order for such teachers to be at the disposal of the education system, the process of attracting, training and employing human resources must be systematic and based on specific and predefined goals. The lack of a suitable model for the training of education teachers has caused chaos and confusion in the way of training and provision of human resources in the education system, which is a significant reduction in their efficiency and effectiveness, and it is feared that this gap over the years The future has caused a sharp and sudden drop in the quality of teachers and human resources, which is the most important factor in the process of educating students, and as a result, it will intensify the problems of education (Balakrishnan, 2005).

The research background also indicates that no related research has been done in the statistical population under study. Some of the research done in other situations are as follows: Momdjian et al, (2024) conducted a research entitled digital qualifications of teachers in Lebanon: comparison of teachers' qualifications with educational standards. This study applied the Digital Competencies Framework for Lebanese Schools and Teachers to examine teachers' digital competencies and their alignment with Ministry of Education and Higher Education standards. The results showed that while the practice of school teachers meets all the indicators of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, there is a significant need to train school teachers in the use of digital tools and resources to promote collaboration in the learning process. The findings emphasized the importance of digital competencies in schools and the need for continuous training and support for teachers in this field. Kim and Kwon (2023) in a research entitled extracting the competence components of artificial intelligence of elementary teachers in South Korean schools reached the conclusion that there are 22 competences related to artificial intelligence in knowledge, skill and emotional dimensions. Competencies provide a practical framework for teachers in order to acquire skills and knowledge necessary for education and training based on artificial intelligence. Runge et al (2023) in a research titled educational quality reported by teachers in the field of advanced technology education: the role of competence-related beliefs in empowering learners, concluded that the results of the two-factor confirmatory factor analysis model with one factor Overall support defined as empowering learners as well as two sub-dimensions representing differentiation and actively engaging learners.

Based on the researcher's search of sources and information banks, unfortunately, not much research has been done focusing on the assessment of teacher's professional qualifications from the sources of the Holy Quran and Islamic traditions, and there is a deep research gap in this field.

 As mentioned, despite the necessity of research in the field of teaching competencies of Arabic language teachers, few researches have been conducted focusing on the calculation of professional competency components from the verses of the Holy Quran and Islamic narrations. On the other hand, among many foreign studies, only a few of them have addressed the teaching competencies in order to compile the competency model. It seems that there are still unknown components about the competencies based on the teaching process of Arabic language teachers, which can be calculated by referring to the verses of the Holy Quran and the narrations of the infallible ones. According to this issue, the basic question of the current research is:

- What is the validity of the professional competency model of secondary school Arabic language teachers?

 

Methodology

    The research method in the descriptive quantitative part was survey type. The statistical population in the quantitative part included teachers of Arabic language education in the city of Baghdad, who will be selected by stratified random sampling method and based on the Krejsi Morgan table, the required sample. The number of teachers was 650, of which 300 were men and 350 were women, and 242 were randomly selected based on Morgan and Krjsi's table. The tool for collecting information in this research was a researcher-made questionnaire, which was prepared and made after the model was compiled and based on the extracted components of the model in the qualitative stage. This questionnaire has 12 dimensions and 56 questions that are graded using the Likert scale. To check the designed questionnaires, these questionnaires were given to 30 faculty members and professors of universities and higher education centers in Baghdad and they were asked to express their opinion about each item in the questionnaires based on specific judgment criteria. In this process, members commented on each item in the questionnaire using similar words that represent the judgment criteria. Then, by analyzing the opinions of the members and calculating the average percentage of agreement, content validity (CVR) was calculated for each item. As valid items, those with CVR values ​​higher than 33% were recognized. The answers of the members were coded as follows: A: necessary, B: useful but not necessary, C: unnecessary. Finally, according to the number of 30 people, the obtained average was calculated as 94%, and according to the CVR standard table, if the CVR score was higher than 33%, the subject was considered suitable. With Cronbach's alpha method, the overall reliability of this tool was estimated at 87 percent, which shows its reliability in the studied situation.

Research Findings

Descriptive findings of the quantitative part (demographic characteristics)

Table (1) shows the gender frequency of respondents to the questionnaire.

 

 

Table 1 Description of respondent’s gender

Gender distribution of respondents
Gender	frequency	Percentages
Female	131	54%
Male	111	46%
Total	242	100%

 

As can be seen in the research sample, 46% of the respondents are male and 54% are female.

In the analysis using PLS software, repeated methods are used to conceptualize a hierarchical model of manifest variables. In this method, a hidden variable of higher order can be constructed by all manifest variables (objects of lower order). This hierarchical model of variables is defined and analyzed using path analysis and partial least squares structural equation modeling methods. This method is used due to the ability to evaluate hierarchical models with few samples and no need for normal data distribution assumptions and no sensitivity to measurement values.

Structural model

 In this part of the model, the relationships between hidden variables are examined. This model is known as structural model or shaping model. In this model, the causal relationships between hidden variables are examined and evaluated in order to check the conceptual or theoretical architecture of the model. To evaluate hierarchical models using reflective model methods, the factor loadings must be appropriately large so that the indicators are well loaded to the hidden variables. . Values ​​above 50 for factor loadings are used as a generally acceptable threshold for loading indicators into hidden variables. Finally, by using the structural model, one can estimate the path coefficients and factor loadings and test the assumptions made in the model. This process includes estimation of factor coefficients and evaluation of causal relationships between variables in the model. As can be seen in the diagram below, the second category of the model is the structural equations, which are the relationships between the hidden variables and are used to test the hypothesis. According to the model, in the coefficient estimation mode, factor loadings and path coefficients can be estimated.

Table 2. The results of confirmatory factor analysis of factor loading, validity and reliability in the key policies and processes component.

Examining the validity and reliability of the components
components	Number of question	Standard coefficient (operating load)	Composite reliability	Cronbach's alpha coefficient
faith		65/0	88 %	83 %
		50/0
		79/0
		77/0
		76/0
Ethics		82/0	87/0	82/0
		79/0
		64/0
		69/0
		65/0
		73/0
Central program		87/0	92 %	88 %
		88/0
		86/0
Circuit technology		86/0	90/0	83/0
		86/0
		85/0
specialization		87/0	87/0	78/0
		78/0
		84/0
		70/0	94/0	93/0
		84/0
		83/0
guidance		88/0
		83/0
		86/0
Compassion		76/0	92/0	88/0
		88/0
		84/0
		86/0
		87/0
		76/0
humility		90/0	91/0	86/0
		84/0
empathy		72/0	94/0	92/0
		91/0
		81/0
		89/0
		82/0
		85/0
good manners		76/0
		89/0
		81/0
		74/0	94/0	93/0
		85/0
		80/0
		74/0
		85/0
		80/0
self confidence		90/0
		83/0
		87/0	92/0	88/0
		84/0
self-knowledge		87/0
		76/0	89/0	81/0
		93/0

 

Factor loadings are significant at the 95% confidence level: 

(01/0 >p) و (96/1 < t)

Table 3 elements and components of the second order structural model

Second order variables			Values		Quality index
exogenous	endogenous	factor load	The value of T	Coefficient of determination	Model prediction
Belief in God	faith	87/0	75/56	85/0	35/0
	Ethics	79/0	53/29	88/0	32/0
Believing science	Program based	80/0	83/14	88/0	48/0
	Circuit technology	88/0	53/28	88/0	47/0
	specialization	89/0	39/25	79/0	40/0
Believing people	guidance	95/0	41/77	90/0	44/0
	Compassion	75/0	89/141	91/0	46/0
	humility	91/0	34/31	88/0	43/0
	empathy	81/0	36/69	84/0	46/0
Self-confidence	self confidence	94/0	89/141	94/0	49/0
	good manners	79/0	34/31	89/0	52/0
	self-knowledge	89/0	49/15	79/0	32/0

 

 

 

 

Diagram 1 Hierarchy and items related to each variable with path coefficient

 

According to the theoretical principles, the factor load can be less than five tenths. The higher the factor load of the items, the greater their contribution to the measurement of the relevant variable, and on the contrary, if the factor load is low, the items do not have a good ability to measure the variable. According to the above figure, it can be said that in the model in question, all obvious variables they are included in the model with a factor load higher than fifty percent. This indicates a very favorable level for measuring variables. In other words, the observable indicators are well loaded to the latent variables, and this indicates the appropriate quality of the structural and measurement model. The significance of the path coefficients only shows the relationships, not their intensity, the result that the path coefficients are higher than 2.58 indicates the validity of the relationships at the 99% confidence level. The coefficient of determination (R-squared) is one of the five main model fit criteria in the partial least squares method. This index shows how much of the changes in the model's dependent variables are explained by the independent variables. This criterion is usually provided for the endogenous variables of the model, and its value is equal to zero for exogenous structures. To interpret the value of R-squared, Chin (1998) has defined three values ​​of 0.19, 0.33 and 0.67 as criteria for model fit. These values ​​indicate the weak, medium and strong fit of the structural part of the model, respectively. In other words, the higher the value of the coefficient related to the endogenous structures of the model, the better the fit of the model. The coefficient values ​​of this model are in a very acceptable range.

Also, the criterion of the model's predictive power, which also determines the predictive power of the indicators related to the structures, three values ​​of 0.020, 0.15 and 0.35 have been determined regarding the intensity of the model's prediction, which in the research the present value of all variables shows that it was very acceptable. Also, the value of RMSR in this model was 0.076, which is an acceptable value of less than 0.80, so this model has a very good fit.

If the value of composite reliability is more than 70 percent, it indicates good internal stability for measurement models. Cronbach's alpha correlation coefficient is a type of internal consistency reliability measurement that, similar to factor analysis, determines the relationship and correlation between items. The use of Cronbach's alpha coefficient is one of the more common methods for evaluating reliability, which is the most widely used in reported studies. The general rule for Cronbach's alpha coefficient is that its value should be at least 70 percent to have good reliability. In the above model, the values ​​of Cronbach's alpha coefficient are above 90%, which indicates the appropriateness of the reliability level in this research. These high values ​​show that the measurement models have very good internal stability. In this model, all of them were above 90 percent, which indicates the appropriateness of the coefficients in this research.

Discussion and conclusion

    The results showed that all the components and items raised around the four main dimensions of teachers' professional qualifications, including the dimensions of belief in God, belief in science, self-belief and belief in people, were approved, and the designed professional qualifications model had a suitable fit. The model of professional qualifications of Arabic language teachers is a four-dimensional model with a focus on God, self, people and science, if teachers can acquire the necessary qualifications in these four comprehensive themes. On the other hand, this model has the necessary credibility to be used in the Arabic teacher training system. Most of the models and professional qualification models designed for teachers have been extracted using non-Arabic sources, so they have not taken into account the appropriateness of the local and geographical conditions of Iraq.

 The educational system of Iraq is influenced by the religious and Islamic worldview. The above researches, which refer to the value and religious components, are due to the fact that they are focused on the moral and religious aspect of the teaching profession.

One of the reasons for not paying attention to the professional qualifications of Arabic teachers in Iraq is that the researchers have not consulted experts in the field of Arabic language education to calculate the components of professional qualifications. On the other hand, less research has been done in this country focused on the use of religious and Islamic sources, including the Holy Qur'an, hadiths and hadiths, to extract the components of teachers' professional qualifications. Therefore, a finding of this research that can be taken into consideration in formulating models of professional qualifications for teachers of different academic courses in Iraq.

There are some limitations in this research, such as this research focused on Arabic language teachers, so the components of the extracted professional qualifications may be applicable to other teachers, including teachers of mathematics, physics, and other secondary education fields. It does not have an all-round application and should be considered as a guiding model whose aspects are suitable for the audience.

References

Balakrishnan, S. (2005). Competency based education system. National Symposium on Engineering Education, 90-96.

Bürgener, L., & Barth, M. (2018). Sustainability competencies in teacher education: Making teacher education count in everyday school practice. Journal of cleaner production, 174, 821-826.

Dumitru, G. (2015). Teacher‘s Role as a Counsellor. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 180, 1080-1085.

Doležalová, J. (2015). Competencies of Teachers and Student Teachers for the Development of Reading Literacy. Social and Behavioral Sciences. 171: 519–525.

Ganjali, A., Teymourian, M., and Abdul Hosseinzadeh, M. (2013). A study of the criteria of merit in the Qur'an. Quarterly Journal of Islam and Management Research, Volume 3, Issue 1, Volume 7, pp 11- 19. (in Persian).

Kim, K and Kwon,K.(2023). Exploring the AI competencies of elementary school teachers in South Korea. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 4 (2023) 100137.

Momdjian, L., Manegre, M., & Gutiérrez-Cólon, M. (2024). Digital competences of teachers in Lebanon: a comparison of teachers’ competences to educational standards. Research in Learning Technology, 32.

Prasertcharoensuk, T., Somprach, K. L., & Ngang, T. K. (2015). Influence of teacher competency factors and students’ life skills on learning achievement. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 186, 566-572.

Runge, I,. Lazarides,R., Rubach,Ch., Richter , D., Scheiter ,K. (2023). Teacher-reported instructional quality in the context of technology-enhanced teaching: The role of teachers’ digital competence-related beliefs in empowering learners. Computers & Education 198 (2023) 104761.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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