Arabic Language Learning Motivation Among Female Students in Jigawa State Colleges of Education

Women's participation in formal Arabic language education in northern Nigeria has grown significantly in recent decades, yet the motivational factors driving female students' engagement with Arabic as an academic and religious subject remain insufficiently researched. This study investigates the motivation types and motivational intensity among female students enrolled in Arabic language programmes at two colleges of education in Jigawa State, exploring the relationship between motivation, gender-specific sociocultural factors, and academic achievement in Arabic. Using a quantitative survey methodology, the research administers a validated Arabic Learning Motivation Scale to 280 female students in Dutse and Hadejia colleges of education. Supplementary in-depth interviews with 25 students explore the personal narratives behind motivational profiles. Factor analysis identifies four motivational constructs: religious-devotional motivation, social identity motivation, vocational motivation, and academic intrinsic motivation. Findings show that religious-devotional motivation is overwhelmingly the strongest driver among female respondents, followed by social identity motivation linked to community respect for Arabic literacy. Vocational motivation, associated with prospects in teaching and Islamic banking, is growing but remains secondary. The study recommends that Arabic programmes in colleges of education explicitly articulate diverse vocational pathways for female graduates to diversify motivational foundations. Keywords: Arabic learning motivation, female students, Jigawa State, gender, colleges of education.