Frida Akmalia, Erna Andriyanti, Sulis Triyono
Teacher professional development in multilingual contexts requires approaches that move beyond short-term training and externally imposed curricula. Collaborative Action Research (CAR) provides a framework for professional learning situated in teachers’ own classrooms through cycles of inquiry, action, and reflection. While CAR has been widely applied in English and other world language education, its potential for Arabic language teachers is underexplored. This study examines how CAR supported professional learning among 12 Arabic teachers in multilingual secondary schools in East Java, Indonesia. Over one semester, teachers participated in three CAR cycles involving problem identification, intervention design, classroom implementation, and reflection. Data from observations, reflective journals, focus groups, interviews, and digital artifacts were analyzed thematically. Findings highlight four themes: (1) pedagogical innovation through technology and translanguaging; (2) deepening reflective practice from technical to critical inquiry; (3) evolving teacher identity and agency; and (4) building a professional learning community that reduced isolation and fostered collaboration. The study demonstrates CAR’s value as a transformative, teacher-led model for sustainable professional development. © 2026 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Department of Language Education, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
