Motivasi Belajar dan Pembentukan Preferensi Gaya Belajar Mahasiswa Tingkat Awal Program Studi Arab

Abstract

This study aims to identify the motivation and learning styles of first-year students in the Arabic Studies Program at Universitas Indonesia and analyze the role of motivation in shaping these styles. A mix methods approach was used, with the research subjects consisting of 69 students from the 2025 cohort selected through purposive sampling. Research data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 10 students of diverse educational backgrounds, as well as a literature review relevant to the research topic. Findings show that intrinsic motivation predominates, with auditory and kinesthetic emerging as the primary learning styles, supported by visual and tactile modalities. Motivation directs the formation of these styles across Dörnyei and Ottó's (1998) three phases (preactional, actional, and postactional), where strong intrinsic motivation fosters proactive methods while extrinsic motivation yields reactive patterns. Ultimately, the interaction between motivation and learning style is reciprocal and dynamic, as chosen styles yield positive experiences that continually reinforce intrinsic motivation