Research on Arabic language education has largely focused on instructional strategies and curriculum implementation, while limited attention has been given to teachers’ agency in designing micro-curricula within interest-based learning programs. This study explores how teachers design and enact micro-curricula and how these practices contribute to student engagement and achievement in an interest-based Arabic learning program. Employing a qualitative case study, the research involved a program coordinator, two supervising teachers, and seven students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis, and were analyzed using thematic procedures adapted from Creswell’s qualitative framework. The findings indicate that teachers exercise substantial agency as micro-curriculum designers by developing learning content aligned with students’ interests, including af‘āl yaumiyyah, ibārah qaṣīrah, muḥādathah, khiṭābah, and qirā’at al-akhbār. The curriculum is enacted through communicative pedagogies, particularly the direct method, drills, and collaborative learning activities tailored to learners’ characteristics. These practices foster students’ communicative competence, self-confidence, and motivation to use Arabic actively. The effectiveness of the program is reflected in students’ success in securing thirteen awards in district- and provincial-level Arabic competitions. This study contributes to the literature by conceptualizing teachers as active micro-curriculum designers whose pedagogical decisions shape learner engagement and achievement in specialized Arabic learning contexts.
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