Predictive Association of Muhafazhah Mufradat Participation Intensity with Arabic Reading Comprehension at Mambaus Sholihin

Abstract

This study examines the effect of the intensity of participation in muhafazhah mufradat activities on the Arabic reading skill (maharah al-qira'ah) of santri at Mambaus Sholihin Islamic Boarding School. A quantitative ex post facto correlational design was employed. The population consisted of 112 santri participating in the structured Arabic language program, from which 85 respondents were selected using proportionate stratified random sampling. The independent variable was measured using an 18-item Likert-scale questionnaire supported by attendance and target-completion records, while reading skill was measured using a 30-item Arabic reading test covering vocabulary-in-context, sentence comprehension, main ideas, explicit and implicit information, and grammatical interpretation. Instrument validity was established through expert judgment and item-total analysis; reliability coefficients were 0.87 for the intensity scale and 0.82 for the reading test. Descriptive analysis showed that the mean intensity score was 78.34 (SD = 8.92), while the mean reading score was 81.12 (SD = 7.64). Pearson correlation indicated a strong positive relationship between the variables (r = 0.684, p < 0.001). Simple linear regression produced the equation Y = 35.29 + 0.585X, with R² = 0.468, F(1,83) = 72.97, p < 0.001. Thus, the intensity of participating in muhafazhah mufradat explained 46.8% of the variance in maharah al-qira'ah. The findings indicate that consistent attendance, repetition, target completion, and active retrieval of memorized vocabulary contribute meaningfully to reading comprehension, although grammar knowledge, reading strategy, and prior linguistic competence remain important additional factors.