Do English Language Textbooks Represent Cultural Diversity? A Critical Discourse Analysis

Authors

  • Winda Sari Universitas Sebelas Maret
  • Joko Nurkamto Universitas Sebelas Maret
  • Ngadiso Universitas Sebelas Maret

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58230/27454312.2130

Keywords:

cultural diversity, moral value, teachers’ perception

Abstract

The representation of moral value in English language textbooks remains an underexplored issue, especially in relation to cultural diversity. This study investigated how moral values, as indicator of cultural diversity, was represented in junior high school English textbooks. Data were collected through documentation of the English for Nusantara Grade VIII textbook and supported by semi-structured interviews with three English teachers. The study employed Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) based on Fairclough’s (2001) framework within a qualitative approach. Moral values were analyzed using six indicators proposed by Patel and Sharma (2021). The findings revealed that five of these indicators were present in the textbook, with responsibility being the most prominent. Other values such as honesty, fairness, compassion, and self-discipline appeared less frequently. Simplicity as the moral value also found in this study. The teachers emphasized the crucial role of integrating moral values to foster students' social behavior, including empathy, tolerance, respect, and collaboration. This study contributes to understanding how English textbooks promote cultural values and offers insights for enhancing the effectiveness of moral education in language learning.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Apple, M. W. (2014). Official knowledge: Democratic education in a conservative age (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Bozkurt, A., & Sharma, R. C. (2021). On the verge of a new renaissance: Care and empathy oriented, human-centered pandemic pedagogy. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 16(1), 1–7.

Canagarajah, S. (2018). Translingual practice as spatial repertoires: Expanding the paradigm beyond structuralist orientations. Applied Linguistics, 39(1), 31–54. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amx041

Crystal, D. (2012). English as a global language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Dastagir, M. G., & Rahman, M. M. (2020). Effectiveness of teaching strategies for moral education. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(12), 1–12.

Davidson, C., & Liu, Y. (2018). Representing cultures in EFL textbooks: A critical review. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 31(3), 225–243. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2018.1446156

Fairclough, N. (2001). Language and power (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.

Freeman, S., Theobald, R., Crowe, A. J., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2017). Likes attract: Students self-sort in a classroom by gender, demography, and academic characteristics. Active Learning in Higher Education, 18(2), 115–126.

Halliday, M. A. K. (2013). Halliday's introduction to functional grammar (4th ed., revised by C. M. I. M. Matthiessen). Routledge.

Huang, H. (2019). Ideological representation in EFL textbooks. Journal of Language and Politics, 18(1), 94–114. https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.17045.hua

Ibrahim, A. (2019). English textbooks and ideological implications: A study of EFL textbooks in Indonesian context. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 8(2), 393–403. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v8i2.13275

Kachru, B. B. (2016). The alchemy of English: The spread, functions, and models of non-native Englishes. Routledge.

Krippendorff, K. (2004). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.

Kusumaningputri, R., & Widodo, H. P. (2017). Promoting intercultural competence in English language teaching: The Indonesian cultural model. LLT Journal, 20(2), 243–259. https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.2017.200210

Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory into Practice, 34(3), 159–165.

Lai, E. R. (2013). The role of culture in language teaching and learning. Research Report. Pearson Education.

Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.

Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Noddings, N. (2013). Caring: A relational approach to ethics and moral education. University of California Press.

Patel, S., & Sharma, M. (2021). Role of moral values in education. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, 9(3), 569–573. https://doi.org/10.1729/IJCRT.235455

Risager, K. (2017). Representations of the world in language textbooks. Multilingual Matters.

Saldana, J. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.

Setyono, B., & Widodo, H. P. (2019). The representation of multicultural values in the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture-Endorsed EFL textbook: A critical discourse analysis. Intercultural Education, 30(4), 383–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2019.1548102

Tajeddin, Z., & Pakzadian, M. (2020). Representation of moral values in global and local ELT textbooks: A critical analysis. RELC Journal, 51(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688219863161

Widodo, H. P. (2018). A critical micro-semiotic analysis of values depicted in the Indonesian Ministry of National Education-endorsed secondary school English textbook. Intercultural Education, 29(4), 479–495. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2018.1465061

Xiong, T., & Peng, W. (2020). Ideologies of English in a globalized world: A critical discourse analysis of Chinese high school English textbooks. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 40(1), 40–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2019.1572598

Zins, J. E., Weissberg, R. P., Wang, M. C., & Walberg, H. J. (Eds.). (2004). Building academic success on social and emotional learning: What does the research say? Teachers College Press.

Downloads

Published

2025-05-29

How to Cite

Sari, W., Joko Nurkamto, & Ngadiso. (2025). Do English Language Textbooks Represent Cultural Diversity? A Critical Discourse Analysis. Didaktika: Jurnal Kependidikan, 14(2 Mei), 2675-2684. https://doi.org/10.58230/27454312.2130