Gender-Based Diagnostic Profiling of Elementary Students’ Character Dimensions in Rural Arabic Language Learning

Abstract

This study aims to describe the character development profile of elementary school students in rural areas in the context of Arabic language learning through diagnostic evaluation covering four main aspects cognitive, social-emotional, moral-spiritual, and cultural ethics. Data collection was carried out using a Likert scale measurement tool supported by classroom observations and semi-structured interviews to understand the social, cultural, and pedagogical dynamics that influence student character development. The data were analyzed descriptively and quantitatively to determine the distribution of achievement in each aspect of character based on gender, and thematic qualitative analysis was conducted to interpret the patterns of behavior and context that emerged from the observations and interviews. The research findings show that all aspects of character are in the fairly high category and balanced between male and female students, with percentages ranging from 24–28%. In the cognitive dimension, the percentage of female students (28%) is slightly higher than that of male students (25%), while in the socio-emotional dimension, both groups show almost the same results, namely 25–26%. The moral-spiritual dimension was at 24% for both genders, while cultural ethics showed a small variation, with males achieving 26% and females 22%. Through data triangulation, this study emphasizes that diagnostic mapping that combines quantitative and qualitative data can provide a more comprehensive picture of student character development and serve as a basis for designing more appropriate and context-sensitive learning interventions in rural areas.