The Practice of Peer Tutoring in Morphosyntax Learning at the Madrasah Diniyah of Al-Azhar Islamic Boarding School

Abstract

Morphosyntactic competence is an essential foundation for understanding Arabic texts, particularly kitab kuning, in the pesantren educational context. The complexity of Arabic grammatical structures (nahwu and sharf) requires santri to develop independent mastery of linguistic rules amid the emergence of artificial intelligence-based learning technologies. This study aims to describe the implementation of morphosyntactic learning through peer tutoring, analyze its contribution to santri’s morphosyntactic competence, and identify factors supporting the sustainability of this learning practice. This study employed a qualitative approach with a case study design at Madrasah Diniyah Pondok Pesantren Al-Azhar, Sumenep Regency, from April to June 2026. Nine informants were selected through purposive sampling, consisting of the head of Madrasah Diniyah as the key informant, one morphosyntax tutor, two supervising teachers, and five fourth-grade santri. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation, then analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The findings show that peer tutoring was implemented through nadham memorization and recitation, grammatical correction and explanation, discussions, classical Arabic text-reading demonstrations, and learning reinforcement through muroja’ah, with Nailul Amal as the main learning resource. This practice contributed to strengthening santri’s morphosyntactic competence by encouraging active participation and collaborative learning interactions. Its sustainability was supported by the pesantren learning culture, continuous reinforcement, contextual learning materials, and tutors’ adaptability to learners’ diverse abilities. The study concludes that peer tutoring can be an effective strategy for strengthening Arabic morphosyntactic learning by integrating collaborative approaches with traditional pesantren educational practices.