Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Serve the Arabic Language Through Digital Storytelling: A Study on Developing Educational Immunity within the Palestinian Curriculum

Abstract

This study originated from a complex educational reality faced by students in Palestine, where political circumstances and economic crises forced an emergency reduction in school days. This reduction led to achievement gaps revealed by national assessment reports issued by the Center for Educational Research and Development. In analyzing this decline, the researchers identified a direct correlation between low achievement in science and the decline in basic Arabic language skills (reading, comprehension, and assimilation); it became evident that the main obstacle to grasping abstract scientific concepts was the students' inability to decode the language of science and appreciate its texts.

This study presents a pioneering applied model embodied in the "Curricular Digital Reading Lab" initiative, which leveraged artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to harness the Arabic language in service of scientific content. The study aimed to transform the "Structure of Matter and its Properties" unit in the Palestinian curriculum from rigid texts into educational digital stories that adhere to the pillars of storytelling and linguistic accuracy. The program was implemented through an intensive remedial plan in collaboration between the fields of Science and the Library to ensure linguistic quality and correct grammatical inflections. Forty-eight (48) sixth-grade students were trained to use AI tools to draft creative texts that present science in a refined and engaging Arabic language.

Adopting a descriptive-developmental approach, the study highlighted the researchers' roles as leaders of digital transformation and content editors, as students transformed complex chemical concepts (such as atomic structure and physical properties) into integrated linguistic scenarios. The results demonstrated a tangible impact: the success rate on achievement tests rose to 71%, with 100% active participation in collective production, producing 38 individual digital stories published on YouTube as the first specialized Palestinian digital archive integrating science and the Arabic language through AI. The study concluded that digitally empowering Arabic language skills is the key to overcoming educational loss crises resulting from reduced school days, as digital storytelling contributed to enhancing educational immunity and self-directed learning. The researchers recommend adopting this model in Palestinian and Arab schools as a strategic approach to empowering the Arabic language in the digital transformation era.