The Required Professional Educational Competencies for Teachers of Arabic as a Foreign Language at the Faculties of Theology in Türkiye

Abstract

Education is rapidly advancing toward the future in light of the development of artificial intelligence and its far-reaching implications, a process that requires educational institutions to prepare teachers in ways consistent with the demands and skills of the twenty-first century. This requirement applies equally to programs for training teachers of Arabic for non-native speakers. Numerous studies have shown that current teacher-preparation programs tend to rely primarily on linguistic preparation (specialized academic training at the university level), while lacking structured curricula for professional pedagogical preparation and technological training. The problem becomes more complex when it is noted that many of these teachers are graduates of non-education faculties and therefore require professional pedagogical preparation, particularly in teaching methods and instructional skills. This need has been confirmed by evaluative studies of the performance of Arabic language teachers in Turkish universities. Accordingly, the present study aims to examine the current status of teachers of Arabic for non-native speakers in those universities and to identify the essential professional pedagogical competencies they require. Employing a descriptive methodology, the study seeks to construct a list of professional competencies that can be used to guide the direction of training programs so that they are grounded in teachers’ practical needs rather than in the planners’ theoretical and often ad hoc assumptions. Ultimately, the study aims to determine the pedagogical competencies necessary for the field of teaching Arabic to non-native speakers.