Attitudes of the Students at the Institutes of Fine Arts in Iraq Towards Implementing Active Learning Strategies in Arabic Language Courses and the Associated Challenges

The present study aimed to explore the attitudes of the students at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq towards implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses. It aimed to explore the associated challenges. A descriptive analytical approach was adopted. A purposive sampling method was used. The sample was selected from two institutes of fine arts in Al-Karkh, Baghdad, Iraq. To be specific, the researcher selected 125 male students from the Institute of Fine Arts for Males/ Morning Classes in Al-Karkh. He also selected 110 female students from the Institute of Fine Arts for Females/ Morning Classes in Al-Karkh. Questionnaire forms were distributed to those students. All these forms were retrieved and considered valid for analysis. SPSS program was used. It was found that respondents have positive attitudes towards implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq. It was found that AL strategies shall improve the respondents’ reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. However, it was found that AL strategies don’t provide students with equal chances in terms of participating in the lesson. It was found that implementing such strategies is difficult in the classrooms including a great number of students.


Introduction
Learning isn't about memorizing information, and facts only. In fact, it is a mental process which requires having students involved in this process. During the learning process, the students' emotions and intellect shall be engaged to acquire new knowledge, gain experiences and develop skills. Such skills may include: spiritual, social, cognitive and motor skills. The acquired knowledge shall be internalized and manifest through actions and behaviors (Lubis et al., 2009).
Several theories about learning were developed. For instance, the constructivist learning theory was developed to analyze and examine the learning process. It suggests that each person acquires new knowledge through discovering things by himself/herself (Norton, 2010). It is developed by Jean Piaget. It suggests that each learner constructs his/her own schema based on the information presented to him/her. It suggests that one learns through observing things and people in the surrounding environment and interacting with it. Through such observation and interaction, one shall add the acquired information to the schema of prior knowledge to reach the new knowledge. This theory suggests that learners learn differently because their prior experiences of learners differ from one learner to another. Therefore, learners perceive things and conceptualize concepts differently. In simple words, this theory suggests that knowledge is constructed based on the prior knowledge existing in one's mind (Alanazi, 2016).
In this regard, in order for the learner to learn effectively, he must search for information by himself/herself and understand it well. A learner must also discover things by himself/herself and exert effort to solve problems. He/she must also exert effort to come up with new ideas. In fact, he/she must strive for obtaining knowledge and learn new concepts. That shall make the acquired knowledge and concepts deeply rooted within the learner's minds (Chai et al., 2011). Therefore, instructors are advised to refrain from deliver knowledge students through the direct instructional approach. Instead, students should acquire knowledge by themselves. Therefore, instructor should serve only as a facilitator to the acquisition of knowledge through employing effective teaching methods. That can be achieved through letting students discover things by themselves to acquire knowledge (Berring & Heuvel, 2009).
Due to the significance of engaging students in learning, the term (active learning) emerged. Active learning refers to the process of having the students engaged actively in the learning process and letting them create knowledge by themselves. It aims at developing students' skills and thinking capabilities. Such skills may include: meta-cognitive, problem-solving and analytical thinking skills (Aksit et al., 2016).
Active learning refers to employing strategies that make students "do" things instead of "listening". It aims at turning them into active learners instead of being passive learners. It makes students discover, process and apply information by themselves. It offers students many opportunities to meaningfully talk and listen, read, write, and reflect on ideas, content, issues related to the academic material (Meyers and Jones, 1993:6). It refers to engaging students in activities that stimulate their thinking process about what they do. It lets students comment on the results (Bonwell & Eison, 1991).
Active learning (AL) strategies are implemented in language classroom. They can be used for learning native or foreign languages (Abu Hamdeh andAl-Khawaldeh, 2017 andMomani et al., 2016). They can be implemented for improving students' reading, listening, writing and speaking skills (Echevarria et al., 2003). AL strategies may include: problem solving, role playing, group discussion, brain storming, peer-teaching, cooperative learning, group work, discovery, inquiry, and field trips. They may include letting the student make demonstration or explanation and do homework by himself/herself (Mulatu & Bezabih (2018).
It has been suggested that students' academic achievement is positively affected by the level of their active participation in the learning process (Gardner et al., 1994). AL strategies improve students' critical thinking and communicative skills (Demirci, 2017). They improve students' communication with their peers and make the language learning process easier. They attract students to the language learning process and make them interested in learning language. They make students perceive the language being learnt as comprehensible (Kamarulzaman et al., 2018). They develop students' self-confidence, and promote a life-long learning approach. They develop students higher order thinking and leadership skills (Omar et al., 2012;Jamila & Maslawati, 2017) Although there are several benefits for active learning strategies, there are several challenges facing the process of implementing them. For instance, these strategies are difficult to implement in the classrooms including a great number of students. They are difficult to implement in the classroom that lack the required audio-visual equipment. They are difficult to implement because they require dedicating much time by teachers for pre-class preparation. Furthermore, teachers can't cover the whole targeted material when implementing these strategies in a regular manner (El-Salhi, 2013). In the light of the aforementioned information, the researcher aimed to explore the attitudes of the students at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq towards implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses and the associated challenges.

The study's Objectives
The present study aimed to: 1)-Identify the attitudes of the students enrolled at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq towards implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses 2)-Identify the challenges hindering the process of implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq

The study's Questions
The present study aimed to answer the following questions: Q.1. What are the attitudes of the students enrolled at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq towards implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses? Q.2. What are the challenges hindering the process of implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq?

The study's Significance
The present study is significant due to the following reasons: -There aren't many studies that shed a light on the implementation of AL strategies at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq. Thus, this study fills a gap in the relevant literature. -This study enriches the knowledge of the Arabic language instructors at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq about the teaching methods and students' willingness to implement AL strategies at classroom. Thus, this study improves the quality of Arabic language education at these institutes -This study provides decision makers at the Iraqi Ministry of Education with knowledge about the effectiveness of active learning strategies in teaching Arabic language courses. That shall enable those decision makers to make decisions that improve the quality of Arabic language education at the aforementioned institutes.

Limits of the Study -Temporal limits:
The present study was conducted during the first semester of the academic year of 2019/2020 -Spatial limits: The present study was conducted in two institutes of fine arts in Al-Karkh, Baghdad, Iraq. These institutes are: the Institute of Fine Arts for Males/ Morning Classes in Al-Karkh & the Institute of Fine Arts for Females/ Morning Classes in Al-Karkh.
-Human limits: The present study targets the students enrolled at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq. 6. Definitions: 6.1. Theoretical definition: -Active learning: It refers to the process of having the students engaged actively in the learning process and letting them create knowledge by themselves. It aims at developing students' skills and thinking capabilities (Aksit et al., 2016).
-Attitude: It refers to an evaluative judgment that indicates the degree to which someone prefers a thing or a person (Crano and Prislin, 2006, p.347).

Operational definition:
-Active learning: It refers to the implementation of active learning strategies in Arabic language courses at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq. These strategies include: problem solving, role playing, group discussion, brain storming, peer-teaching, cooperative learning, group work, discovery, inquiry, field trips and letting the student make demonstration or explanation and do homework by himself/herself -Attitudes: They refer to the attitudes of the students enrolled at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq towards implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses. 7. Theoretical framework 7.1. Active learning Through active learning, students shall be engaged actively in the learning process. AL strategies improve students' critical thinking skills. They make students engaged actively in the process of building ideas, and facts and developing their skills. They improve students' retention of information and promote a better understanding for information. That is because AL strategies let students apply knowledge, solve problems, work in groups, and do group assignments. AL strategies make students interested in the course, especially when using role playing, games and etc.. (Kishore, 2017).
It should be noted that students remember 10% of the information they read and 20% of the information they hear. Students remember 30% of the information they see and 50% of the information they see and hear. However, students remember 90% of the things they do and the information they apply! Therefore, letting students apply knowledge through AL strategies shall improve students' retention of information and concepts. In addition, letting students know that the things they have learnt can be applied in the real world shall motivate them to learn more information (Kishore, 2017).
AL strategies involve carrying out goal-directed activities that let students search for information by themselves. They shall enable instructors to identify the gaps in the students' existent knowledge. They shall enable instructors to identify the skills that the students must develop. They shall motivate students to learn (Saylor and Ganea, 2018).

Challenges hindering the implementation of active learning (AL) strategies
There are several challenges hindering the implementation of AL strategies. Such challenges may include: a need for recruiting creative and innovative teachers. They include: the need to dedicate much time by teachers for preclass preparation (Miller, and Metz, 2014). They include: the lack of the needed instructional material and the insufficient time of the lecture (Momani et al., 2016) Such challenges may include: students' resistance to this type of learning strategies. Such resistance is usually shown by the students are don't accept change and the students who are used to passive learning strategies (i.e. direct instruction method). In addition, implementing the active learning strategies in a regular manner shall hinder the instructor from covering the whole academic material (Kishore, 2017) In addition, in case the active learning strategies are implemented in the classrooms including a great number of students, some students shall not be engaged in the learning process. Thus, active learning strategies are not effective in such classrooms. Furthermore, when conducting brainstorming activity, some students may fear expressing their ideas or feel shy to do that. Thus, AL strategies may not be effective for teaching shy students (Kishore, 2017). Implementing such strategies increase the teachers' workload, and some AL activities require much time by students to do (Mulatu & Bezabih, 2018). Momani et al. (2016) aimed to explore the attitudes of EFL Saudi teachers in Tabuk, KSA towards implementing active learning strategies in English language courses. The sample consists from 35 teachers. A two-part questionnaire was used for data collection. It was found that respondents have positive attitudes towards these strategies. In addition, these strategies improve students' communication with teachers and motivate students to learn. They provide students with access to academic material and references. They improve students' retention and recall of grammatical rules. They promote collaboration in classroom. They encourage students to express their opinions. They improve students' language skills (i.e. writing, reading, listening and speaking). They provide them with opportunities to practice language. They make students interested in the course and promote positive attitudes towards it. Mei et al. (2017) aimed to explore the attitudes of lecturers towards implementing active learning strategies Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol.11, No.13, 2020 for teaching Arabic language courses to non-native speakers. The sample consists from 10 lecturers who teach Arabic language courses to non-native speakers at Sultan Idris Education University in Malaysia. A questionnaire was used for collecting data. It was found that cooperative learning strategies play an effective role in improving language skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing). Such strategies promotes autonomy among learners in the learning process. They facilitate the process of understanding information. They increase the social interaction in the lecture hall. They improve the learning experiences of students.

Review of Empirical Literature
Abu Hamdeh and Al-Khawaldeh (2017) aimed to explore the effectiveness of implementing active learning strategies for developing the Arabic language reading and writing skills of third grade students in Jordan. An experimental approach was adopted. The sample consists from 70 female and male third grade students. Those students were divided into experimental and control groups. Pre-tests and post-tests were used for assessing the respondents' reading and writing skills. It was found that the active learning strategies play an effective role in improving the reading and writing skills of third grade students Mulatu & Bezabih (2018) aimed to explore the EFL teachers' attitudes towards active learning strategies in English language courses. The sample consists from 12 teachers and 60 students selected from secondary schools at Dawuro, Southern Nations, at Ethiopia. Data was collected from teachers through a questionnaire and form students through filling an observation checklist. Quantitative and qualitative approach were adopted. It was found that active learning strategies improve the quality of education. Such strategies enhance students' understanding of information and improve students' relationship with one another. They make students active learners and improve their self-confidence. They promote autonomy among learners in the learning process and offer students' more opportunities to practice language. They shall make students handle the responsibility of their own learning. Kamarulzaman et al. (2018) aimed to explore the impact of active learning strategies on students' attitudes towards learning English language. A questionnaire was used. The sample consists from 100 students who were selected during the academic year (2017/2018). Those students were selected from Teknologi Petronas University in Malaysia. It was found that students' attitudes are positive in this regard. Employing these strategies develop students' higher-order thinking skills. It provides students with equal chances in terms of participating in the lesson. It encourages students to participate and engage in the lesson. It serves as an interesting way for learning language. It promotes a better understanding for information. It improve students' retention of information. 9. Methodology 9.1. Approach A descriptive analytical approach was adopted. This approach is adopted by scholars to offer a sensory description for things. It may be adopted for exploring variables (Lawless and Heymann, 1999).

Data Collection Methods
The researcher collected two types of data: -Primary data. It refers to the data collected through the questionnaire -Secondary data. It refers to the data collected through reviewing the relevant empirical and theoretical studies, and books.

Population and sample
The population consists from all the students who are enrolled at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq. A purposive sampling method was used. The sample was selected from two institutes of fine arts in Al-Karkh, Baghdad, Iraq. To be specific, the researcher selected 125 male students from the Institute of Fine Arts for Males/ Morning Classes in Al-Karkh. He also selected 110 female students from the Institute of Fine Arts for Females/ Morning Classes in Al-Karkh. Questionnaire forms were distributed to those students. All these forms were retrieved and considered valid for analysis. The response rate is 100%. Information about the sample is presented below:  16 20% of the respondents in the latter institute are enrolled in the plastic art department and 16% of the respondents in the latter institute are enrolled in the audio-visual art department. 16% of the respondents in the latter institute are enrolled in the design department. 16% of the respondents in the latter institute are enrolled in the Arabic calligraphy and decoration department. 16% of the respondents in the latter institute are enrolled in the theater department. 16% of the respondents in the latter institute are enrolled in the music department. 72% of the respondents in the latter institute are enrolled in the plastic art department and 15.45% of the respondents in the latter institute are enrolled in the audio-visual art department. 15.45% of the respondents in the latter institute are enrolled in the design department. 15.45% of the respondents in the latter institute are enrolled in the Arabic calligraphy and decoration department. 15.45% of the respondents in the latter institute are enrolled in the theater department. 15.45% of the respondents in the latter institute are enrolled in the music department.

Instrument
The researcher used a five point Likert questionnaire to collect data. This questionnaire consists from a cover page and three main parts. The cover pages identifies the goals of the questionnaire. It identifies the operational definition of the term (active learning). It suggests that the collected information shall remain confidential. The first part collects information about the department that the respondents are enrolled at. The second part collects data about the attitudes of respondents towards implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses. It was developed based on the following works: Kamarulzaman et al. (2018)

Validity of the instrument
The validity of the instrument was measured through passing the initial form of the questionnaire to two faculty members specialized in teaching methods. Those instructors work at Iraqi universities and have much expertise. They were asked to assess this form in terms of clarity, language, and relevancy. They suggested that the questionnaire is clear and free from any language mistake. They suggested that the items are related to the study's goals. However, one of the faculty members recommended deleting two items. Thus, the researcher deleted these items.

Reliability of the instrument
Cronbach alpha coefficient value was calculated by the researcher. This value is 0.842. That means that the questionnaire offers readers reliable and accurate results.

Statistical analysis and criteria
To analyze the obtained data, the researcher used SPSS program and calculated standard deviations and means. He calculated frequencies and percentages. He calculated Cronbach alpha coefficient. For classifying means, specific criteria were adopted by the researcher. These criteria are presented through table 4. Total 4.08 0.52 Positive High It was found that respondents have positive attitudes towards implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses. That is because the overall mean is 4.08. It was found that AL strategies shall improve the respondents' reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. That is because the means of statements 1, 2, 3, and 4 are: 4.94, 4.86, 4.75, and 4.73 respectively. It was found that AL strategies develop students' higher-order thinking skills, because the relevant mean is 4.81. The latter result is consistent with the result concluded by Kamarulzaman et al. (2018). It may be attributed to the nature of AL activities which stimulate students to propose ideas, solve problems, make decisions and think in a critical manner. That participates in improving students' higher-order thinking skills.
It was found that AL strategies don't provide students with equal chances in terms of participating in the lesson, because the relevant mean is 2.14. The latter result is inconsistent with the result concluded by Kamarulzaman et al. (2018). It may be attributed to the fact that some AL activities don't ensure that all students shall participate in the lesson. It was found that AL strategies increase students' interest in Arabic language courses because the relevant mean is 4.52. The latter result is consistent with what's suggested by Kishore (2017). It may be attributed to the fact that some AL activities which make students enjoy the learning process. Such activities include: games that may require using grammatical rules.
It was found that AL strategies improve the students' retention of Arabic language-related information, because the relevant mean is 4.63. The latter result is consistent with the result concluded by Kamarulzaman et al. (2018). It may be attributed to the fact that students retrain the information they apply by themselves. It was found that AL strategies promote a better understanding for Arabic language-related information because the relevant mean is 4.35. The latter result is consistent with the result concluded by Mulatu & Bezabih (2018). It was found Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol.11, No.13, 2020 79 that AL strategies don't improve students' self-confidence because the relevant mean is 2.04. The latter result is inconsistent with the result concluded by Mulatu & Bezabih (2018). It may be attributed to the fact that implementing AL strategies in the classrooms including a great number of students shall not provide all students with chances to speak. Thus, students with low self-confidence may not obtain a chance to speak and engage in the lesson.
It was found that AL strategies improve students' relationship with one another, because the relevant mean is 4.51. The latter result is consistent with the result concluded by Mulatu & Bezabih (2018). It may be attributed to the fact that some AL strategies include carrying out group works that require cooperation. That shall increase the interaction between students and improve their relationships with each other. It was found that AL strategies improve students' academic achievement, because the relevant mean is 4.34. The latter result is consistent with what's suggested by Gardner et al. (1994).
It was found that AL strategies improve the learning experiences of students, because the relevant mean is 4.60. The latter result is consistent with the result concluded by Mei et al. (2017). It was found that AL strategies don't enable instructors to identify the gaps in the students' existent knowledge because the relevant mean is 1.98. The latter result is inconsistent with what's suggested by Saylor and Ganea (2018). It may be attributed to the fact that implementing AL strategies in the classrooms including a great number of students shall not provide all students with chances to speak or engage in the lessin. Thus, it shall be difficult for the instructor to identify the gaps in the student's existent knowledge, if he/she didn't speak or engage in the lesson.

Discussion and Results
Related to the second question: Q.2. What are the challenges hindering the process of implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq?
The results of related to the second question are presented through table 7. Total 4.53 0.39 Positive High It was found that the severity of the challenges hindering the process of implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq is high. That is because the total mean is 4.53. It was found that implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses isn't suitable for teaching shy students, because the relevant mean is 4.72. The latter result is consistent with the result concluded by Mulatu & Bezabih (2018). It may be attributed to the fact that some AL activities require speaking before the whole class which is considered difficult for shy students.
It was found that such implementation is difficult because it requires carrying out much pre-class preparation by the instructor, because the relevant mean is 4.83. The latter result is consistent with the result concluded by El-Salhi (2013). It was found that such implementation is difficult because the duration of the lecture isn't enough. That's because the relevant mean is 4.56. The latter result is consistent with the result concluded by Momani et al. (2016). It was found that such implementation is difficult in the classrooms including a great number of students, because the relevant mean is 3.78. The latter result is inconsistent with the result concluded by El-Salhi (2013).
It was found that implementation such strategies in a regular manner is difficult because it hinders instructors from covering the whole academic material, because the relevant mean is 4.91. The latter result is consistent with the result suggested by Kishore (2017). It was found that such implementation is difficult because it requires recruiting instructors who are creative and innovative, because the relevant mean is 4.43. The latter result is consistent with the result concluded by Momani et al. (2016).Finding such teachers is difficult.

Conclusion
It was found that respondents have positive attitudes towards implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq.. Such strategies improve students' retention of Arabic Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol.11, No.13, 2020 80 language-related information and increase students' interest in these courses. They develop students' higher-order thinking skills. They promote a better understanding for Arabic language-related information and improve the learning experiences of students. However, it was found that AL strategies don't provide students with equal chances in terms of participating in the lesson. Such strategies don't improve students' self-confidence.
The severity of the challenges hindering the process of implementing active learning strategies in Arabic language courses at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq is high. Such challenges include: the inadequate duration of the lecture and the need to carry out much pre-class preparation by the instructor. In addition, such strategies aren't suitable for teaching shy students.

Recommendations
The researcher recommends: -Providing all classes at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq with all the ICT equipment that instructors may need for implementing AL strategies.

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Providing instructors at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq with training courses about active learning strategies and activities.

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Making adjustments to the curricula of Arabic language courses at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq in order to for instructor to employ active learning strategies.

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Conducting other studies about the effectiveness of implementing AL strategies for teaching art courses at the institutes of fine arts in Iraq.