Peer Learning Strategies in Improving Reading Skills of Kitab Kuning at Darullughah Wadda’wah Islamic Boarding School, Pasuruan

Abstract

This study aims to describe the difficulties experienced by female students in learning to read kitab kuning and to analyze the role of peer learning strategies that emerge in the nightly study activities at Darullughah Wadda’wah Islamic Boarding School, Pasuruan. The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach. Data were collected through observations of learning activities, interviews with female students and teachers, and documentation. Data were analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with credibility strengthened through source and technique triangulation. The findings indicate that difficulties in reading kitab kuning are not limited to mastery of nahwu, sharaf, vocabulary, and vowel determination, but are also influenced by motivation and patterns of classroom interaction. Formal learning that tends to be teacher-centered and dominated by sorogan provides some students with more opportunities to listen to explanations than to practice actively with peers. This condition may contribute to boredom and limited participation. In contrast, during nightly study, students spontaneously form small halaqah groups to read texts, ask questions, correct one another’s reading, explain grammatical rules, and assist each other in translation. Peer learning functions as a more communicative, safe, and participatory learning space. Such interaction increases opportunities for practice, provides immediate feedback, strengthens motivation, and builds students’ confidence. The findings suggest that peer learning should not be viewed merely as an additional activity, but as an informal learning ecology that complements formal instruction and supports the gradual development of kitab kuning reading competence.