How Indonesian Junior High School EFL Textbooks Instill Moral Values? A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the moral values instilled in the Indonesian Ministry's Junior High School English language teaching book for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students based on Martin & White's (2005) theory of language evaluation, Kress & van Leuween's (2002) theory of visual grammar, Smetana's (2006) theory of the social domain, and Lickona (1991), and the approach of the study using critical discourse analysis. The research investigates the discourse strategies employed in the book to convey moral values and their impact on the target audience, including 1) analyzing the moral messages, 2) evaluating the relevance of moral messages, 3) assessing whether the moral message is effective, and 4) evaluating the effectiveness of moral education in English language textbooks. The limitations in this study are limitations on the data used—only one textbook from the Indonesian Ministry of Education—and this study will not discuss the effectiveness of textbooks in teaching English to EFL students. This research only focuses on analyzing the moral values contained in the textbook. This study contributes to the understanding of the role of moral education in foreign language learning and provides insights for educators in designing language teaching materials that incorporate moral values. The findings of this research will be beneficial for EFL teachers, curriculum developers, and researchers interested in language education and critical discourse analysis.