Arabic Digital Literacy Among Islamic Studies Lecturers in Colleges of Education in Oyo State

The integration of digital tools into Arabic and Islamic studies instruction at colleges of education requires lecturers to develop digital literacy competencies that extend beyond general computer skills to encompass Arabic-specific software, online resources, and digital communication in Arabic. This study assesses the Arabic digital literacy of Islamic studies lecturers in colleges of education in Oyo State, examining their proficiency in using Arabic-enabled digital tools, accessing online Arabic-language scholarly resources, and integrating digital Arabic content into their teaching practice. Using a descriptive survey design, the research administers a validated Arabic Digital Literacy Assessment questionnaire to 80 lecturers across three colleges of education in Oyo and Iseyin, covering competency domains of Arabic software operation, Arabic internet resource use, digital Arabic content creation, and online communication in Arabic. Supplementary focus group discussions with 20 lecturers explore attitudinal barriers to digital Arabic literacy development. The study finds that while basic Arabic word processing skills are widely possessed, competencies in using online Arabic corpora, digital manuscript databases, Arabic language learning platforms, and scholarly communication tools in Arabic are significantly limited. Attitudinal barriers including fear of technology and perceived irrelevance to local teaching contexts are documented alongside structural barriers of infrastructure and training access. Keywords: Arabic digital literacy, Islamic studies lecturers, colleges of education, Oyo State, educational technology.