A Diagnostic Assessment of Character Dimensions in Rural Elementary Arabic Classrooms

Abstract

This study examines the cognitive and socio-emotional character dimensions of elementary school students in rural areas participating in Arabic language learning, using a diagnostic assessment framework. Data were collected from 49 students in grades 4 through 6 using a Likert-scale diagnostic instrument. Descriptive analysis showed a mean cognitive score of 17.39 (SD = 3.24) and a mean socio-emotional score of 36.55 (SD = 6.68), with the socio-emotional dimension showing both a higher level and greater variability. One-sample t-tests confirmed that both cognitive (t = 37.576, p < .001) and socio-emotional (t = 38.282, p < .001) scores were significantly above the test value, indicating meaningful internalization of both character dimensions across the sample. One-way ANOVA results, however, showed no statistically significant differences between grade levels for either dimension (cognitive: p = .900; socio-emotional: p = .129), indicating that grade progression alone did not account for variation in character development within this sample. These findings suggest that Arabic language learning activities contribute to character formation broadly across grade levels, with social-emotional competencies appearing more strongly and more variably developed than cognitive competencies, likely reflecting the influence of rural community and family context rather than grade-level maturation alone