Phonology and Maharah Kalam in Scopus Publications: Content Analysis and Development Trends

Education is considered a crucial necessity in creating a competent society in the 21st century (Lutta, 2021). The absence of adequate education, as asserted by (Krieken, 2018) renders students ill-equipped to navigate the demands of this era. Within the realm of education, effective communication assumes paramount significance. Communication serves a pivotal role in the learning process by facilitating interaction and conveying educational messages, comprising instructional content from educators to learners, ultimately striving towards the attainment of educational objectives (Mahadi, 2021). One necessary field of study in learning is phonology. Phonology and maharah kalam (speaking skills) are inseparable components in Arabic language learning (Stokes, 2022). Notably, intonation emerges as a critical element influencing speakers in articulating meaning in alignment with their communicative intentions. However,Solami (2022) contends that students must first acquire a foundational understanding of grammar before delving into the intricacies of intonation. This holds particularly true in situations where speakers employ deliberate pacing or find themselves under pressure. As learners, students often hear Arabic language speakers pronouncing words or sentences without proper intonation or with uniform intonation in all sentences; this is a common mistake for fluent Arabic or Indonesian speakers, making the meaning ambiguous and discordant even if the sentence is correct in principle. Consequently, the imperative of comprehending and acknowledging the urgency within the educational framework becomes paramount. One of the foremost objectives in learning the Arabic language is to enhance an individual's speaking proficiency. The emphasis on oral skills should not and must not imply the neglect of other facets within the realm of language communication. However, given that one of the instructional goals in teaching Arabic is to cultivate proficiency in spoken Arabic. Arabic language instructors must formulate effective strategies for imparting these skills (Rahmah, 2021) to achieve learning competence. The more someone practices what they have learned while acquiring Arabic speaking skills, the stronger their proficiency becomes. The learning process commences with the student's interest in a particular subject. As students persistently engage in practicing and reinforcing Arabic vocabulary while articulating Arabic sentences (Rahmah, 2021). In Indonesia, the discussion regarding phonology has already been extensively addressed (Cahill, 2022), spesifically in the context of Arabic language (Alrumhi, 2021). Several studies focus on the analysis of the significance of phonological errors in Arabic language learning (Fuadiyah & Taufiq, 2020; Najah & Agustina, 2020; Wulandari, 2020) including the influencing factors (Sari & Makrufah, 2021). There are also studies that explore the science of phonology in Arabic language learning, particularly concerning intonation, stress, and pitch (Sari & Makrufah, 2021). Nevertheless, there is no research that attempts to discuss and review the information reported in these studies. Using content analysis on several accredited Scopus scientific journals, this research aims to gather diverse information and engage in a comprehensive discussion on the science of phonology and Arabic language learning. In detail, this study aims to address the science of phonology in Scopus journals in the context of Arabic language learning. Furthermore, this study determines which affiliations contribute to phonology and maharah kalam (speaking skills) in Scopus journals. The research also delves into how researchers approach keyword searches in the realm of phonology and Arabic language learning within Scopus journals. Additionally, it investigates the evolution of the development of phonological studies in maharah kalam learning over the years. In several aspects, this study differs from previous research that focused on phonology and maharah kalam. Firstly, this research is concentrated on all articles published in all Scopus indexed journals. Secondly, the study is specifically designed to investigate a number of articles related to the science of phonology and maharah kalam as its primary focus. Thirdly, it incorporates various parameters and comparisons as part of the data analysis. Such studies are still relatively scarce in Indonesia, making it particularly intriguing for researchers to delve deeper and uncover facts from the discovered data. Several studies related to the development and utilization of phonological science have been conducted. However, no research has comprehensively attempted to review and analyze the information reported in previous studies. By applying content analysis to several Scopus indexed scientific journals, this study recommends further research. Firstly, there is a need for increased publications on the themes of phonological science and maharah kalam. Secondly, further investigation into the University of Haifa is suggested due to its dominance in this field, considering that the country is not one where Arabic is the first language. Lastly, it is advisable for researchers, particularly those from Indonesia, to examine and delve into the fields of phonological science and maharah kalam.

The aspects considered in this paper for analysis encompass both quantitative and qualitative dimensions. Quantitative analysis involves the fields of study, publication years, language of publication, journal distribution, and information related to research constituents (authors, countries, universities/institutions, and publications). Qualitative analysis takes into account thematic areas and keyword/term mapping. Recognizing the significance of bibliometrics and keyword analysis, this work introduces an in-depth analysis of author keywords in the specific domain of self-healing concrete. Subsequently, an analysis is conducted, and the results are reported, as indicated in the following section. This type of research methodology closely resembles that employed by Alzard et al., (2022) Bibliometric approaches are commonly employed by researchers to examine various facets of research that contribute to the intellectual and social landscape. (Guleria & Kaur, 2021). This bibliometric research aims to discern the productivity of research elements, including authors, countries, journals, universities, or affiliations. Furthermore, it unveils the bibliometric structure encompassing interactions among these elements. The data collection process typically involves three stages: data retrieval, loading and conversion of data, and data cleaning. In the first stage, data retrieval involves extracting bibliographic information from Scopus, one of the largest databases for academic abstracts and citations. This data retrieval yielded 256 documents, including journal articles, conference papers, and books, published worldwide between 1980 and 2022, sourced from the Scopus database (Derviş, 2019). The second stage of data collection involves loading and converting the bibliometric database obtained into a format compatible with the bibliometric tool in use. The database employed in this analysis is formatted in BibTeX, chosen for its compatibility with the R package "Bibliometrix." In the final stage, quality assurance measures are applied, recognizing that the quality of outcomes is contingent on data integrity (Campra et al., 2022). To conduct accurate bibliometric analysis, suitable software is essential. Numerous tools and software packages are capable of performing bibliometric analysis, encompassing both visual and quantitative analysis, either individually or in combination. Options include "CiteSpace," "CitNetExplorer," "VOSviewer," and "Bibliometrix." Bibliometrix, developed as open-source software by Aria and Cuccurullo in 2017, distinguishes itself from other solutions by providing swift analysis and establishing data matrices for performance analysis and scientific mapping of bibliographic collections. Furthermore, the latest application, Biblioshiny, is designed for scholars with minimal or no coding background. Biblioshiny is a web-based application accessible through R-studio. In this research, the latest version of the R package Bibliometrix is utilized via the web-based application, Biblioshiny (Abbas,et all., 2022).

Table 1. Main data from 1980-2022, using the keywords "phonology Arabic" Description Results MAIN DATA INFORMATION Timespan Sources (Journals, Books, etc) Documents Annual Growth Rate (%) Document Average Age Average citations per doc 1980:2022 173 256 7.39 8.3 9.215 References 12187 DOCUMENT CONTENTS Keywords Plus (ID) Author's Keywords (DE) AUTHORS Authors Authors of single-authored docs AUTHORS COLLABORATION Co-Authors per Doc International co-authorships % 429 717 400 124 1.82 12.89% Source: Accessed from www.scopus.com Based on Table 1 above, a total of 256 documents were found, comprising journals, articles, documents, and books. There is an annual increase in the number of articles by 7.39%, with an average article age of 8.3%. The average citation count is 9.215, with a total of 12,187 references. Additionally, there are 429 additional keywords in the document content, and 717 keywords from the authors. The number of authors for this theme is 400, with 124 single authors and a collaboration rate of 1.82%. The percentage of international co-authorship is 12.89%. In addition to presenting information about the authors, this research also indicates document types, which include articles, books, book chapters, scientific conferences, review conferences, prints, and reviews. Document types 1 5 21 13 20 15 Artikel book conference paper review conference review 181 book chapter erratum Figure 1. Document types With a total of 256 documents, the dataset comprises 181 journal articles, 13 books, 20 book chapters, 21 conference papers, 5 review conference papers, 1 print, and 15 reviews. Figure 2. Article citations each year Based on Figure 2, it can be observed that the average cited articles from 1980 to 2022 underwent irregular changes. This is evident in the significant increase from 2008 to 2010, contrasting with the decrease observed in 1990-1992. Table 2. Affiliations contribution Affiliation Articles University of Haifa University of Jordan University of Florida Columbia University New York University Simon Fraser University Beijing Normal University University of Southern California Hebrew University King Saud University 19 11 6 5 5 5 4 4 3 3 The predominant contribution in research on this theme is led by academic institutions. According to the data, the highest campus affiliation in the articles on this theme is the University of Haifa with a total of 19 articles. The second-highest affiliation is the University of Jordan with 11 articles. This is followed by the University of Florida, Columbia University, and King Saud University with varied numbers of published articles. Figure 3. Authors contribution Figure 4. Sub-content development trends in the last 10 years

In this investigation, an examination was conducted on a total of 256 documents, comprising articles centered around the subject of phonology and Maharah kalam. These articles were published in internationally indexed Scopus journals spanning the years 1980 to 2022. The yearly progression of publications may be deemed moderate, yet a discernible upward trajectory is evident in citation counts. The irregularity in annual publication figures is conspicuous, notably in the considerably divergent types of documentation, as exemplified by a notable increase in the publication of articles. Among the 400 documents present in the Scopus database, 181 were discerned to take the form of journal articles. The University of Haifa emerged as the predominant institutional affiliation associated with the publication of articles within this thematic realm. Regarding authorship, Amayreh MM. asserted dominance with 9 articles. In the scrutiny of sub-contents over the preceding decade, with a specific focus on the lower left quadrant as "Emerging or Declining Themes" and the lower right quadrant as "Basic Themes," the observation was grounded in two pivotal facets: (1) a low density level indicating potential novelty and (2) a heightened level of centrality coupled with low density, signifying limited research attention and substantial implications for broader research contexts. This study further recommends, firstly, an increase in publications on the themes of phonology and Maharah kalam. Secondly, there is a need for further research on the University of Haifa due to its dominance in this field, considering that the country is not one where Arabic is the first language. Finally, it is advisable for researchers, especially those from Indonesia, to delve into and deepen their understanding of the fields of phonology and Maharah kalam.