Professional Documents
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http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee
Received: 4th October 2017; Revised: 28th November 2017; Accepted: 28th December 2017
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to reveal the moral values in the narrative texts of English textbooks for
senior high school students published by the Ministry of Education and Culture and also the
English teachers‟ and students‟ responses at SMK Triguna Utama, South Tangerang City,
related to the topic under investigation. This research used content analysis design. The data
sources were the narrative texts in the English textbooks and teachers‟ and students‟
responses. The data were collected through documentation, interview, and questionnaire.
Data analysis procedures consisted of perusing, eliciting, coding, tabulating, interpreting,
drawing conclusions and validating. The research found that the English textbooks lacked
fables and gave a smaller portion to Indonesian local stories. Moreover, the narrative texts
were dominated by the value of kindness, while, fairness was included least explicitly in the
stories. These findings were supported by the views and preferences of the teachers and
students. Lastly, the teachers and students compactly argued that vocabulary is the greatest
barrier to teaching and learning narrative text, and the effectiveness of the school‟s
atmosphere in instilling moral values still needed further research.
Key Words: english textbooks; narrative texts; moral values; content analysis
ABSTRAK
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengungkap nilai-nilai moral dalam teks naratif buku teks bahasa
Inggris untuk siswa Sekolah Menengah Atas yang diterbitkan oleh Kementerian Pendidikan dan
Kebudayaan dan juga tanggapan guru dan siswa bahasa Inggris di SMK Triguna Utama, Kota
Tangerang Selatan, terkait dengan topik yang diselidiki. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain analisis
isi. Sumber datanya adalah teks naratif dalam buku teks bahasa Inggris dan tanggapan guru dan
siswa. Data dikumpulkan melalui dokumentasi, wawancara dan angket. Sedangkan, prosedur analisis
data meliputi pembacaan teks secara cermat, pemilahan data, penyandian, tabulasi, interpretasi,
penarikan simpulan dan validasi. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa buku teks bahasa Inggris tersebut
masih kekurangan fabel dan cerita lokal Indonesia. Selain itu, teks naratif didominasi oleh nilai
kebaikan, sementara nilai keadilan kurang tergambarkan dalam cerita. Temuan ini didukung oleh
pandangan dan preferensi para guru dan siswa. Terakhir, para guru dan siswa secara sepakat
berpendapat bahwa kosa kata merupakan penghalang terbesar dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran teks
naratif, dan efektivitas atmosfer sekolah dalam menanamkan nilai moral masih memerlukan penelitian
lebih lanjut.
Kata Kunci: buku teks bahasa inggris, teks naratif, nilai moral, analisis isi
How to Cite: Setiawan, I., Fahriany. (2017). Moral Values in Narrative Texts of English Textbooks for Senior High
School Students Published by the Ministry of Education and Culture. IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education),
4(2), 130-143. doi:10.15408/ijee.v4i2.5977
readers (Anderson & Anderson, 2003; various factors that influence the
Rosenstand, 2006; Buscemi, 2002; Pharr development of our moral values
& Buscemi, 2005; Benyamin, 2012). including parents, religious beliefs and
involvement, peers, media, and many
In line with that, character building
others (Marsh, 2010).
or often called as character education is
one of the main spirits of our national The implantation of moral values
education. It is stated that, ”education is in our education is, therefore, a crucial
a conscious and planned effort to issue. Moral education can be
enhance teaching-learning activities so inculcated implicitly and/or explicitly
that the students can actively develop within the curriculum used in the
their potentials to acquire religious- schools. In the classroom, teachers may
spiritual qualities, self-control, choose to nurture these values through
personality, knowledge, good the processes of perspective taking,
characters, and all they need as parts of storytelling, cultural transmission,
the society, nation, and country moral dilemmas, responsible decision-
(Constitutions of Republic of Indonesia making, service learning and
No. 20 about National Education community involvement (Cubukcu,
System, 2003).” Likewise, Halstead 2014). Once more, it is an urgent need
(2007) stated that teaching morality in and top priority to conduct a research
the light of Islam is a moral duty itself. on (moral) value-based education to
Morality (or ethics) is thus the main tackle all these deteriorating moral
core of Islamic teachings as well. crises of our students/pupils and to
enhance the quality of our national
In fact, our national educational
education and achieve its optimum
system has not reached its optimum
goals. One of the real efforts is through
goals including the character building
content analysis of the textbooks, i.e.
of the learners particularly and of the
narrative texts, in particular, inculcated
society in general. Ironically, we can see
with the moral values.
clearly now our country is still facing
unrelieved moral degradation of all Furthermore, there are a plethora
levels of the nation — to mention a few: of types and definitions of values
chronic corruption, collusion, nepotism, ubiquitously. According to Wibowo
horizontal conflicts, religious (2001), for instance, there are at least
intolerance, student brawls, illicit drug four known values that generally
uses, free sex, sexual abuses and still established and acted upon in our
many others. Undoubtedly, there are
Vocational High School) located on Km. Lastly, the data analysis procedures
2 Ir. H. Juanda Street, East Ciputat in this study involved the following
district, South Tangerang City, Banten steps, i.e., perusing, eliciting,
Province. The research was organized tabulating, coding, interpreting,
in grade X and XI (Accounting drawing conclusions, and validating
vocational program) of the school. (adapted from Krippendorf, 2004).
In addition, the primary research
resource was definitely the narrative FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
texts of four English textbooks for Presentation of Narrative Texts
senior high school students published inculcated with Moral Values
by the Ministry of Education and
The narrative texts of the English
Culture, i.e., Bahasa Inggris untuk
textbook series published by the
SMA/MA/SMK/MAK. Afterward, the
government were presented in four text
criteria of the participants whom the
types. In total, eight narrative texts
researchers involved in the research
were found in the textbooks presented
were those who took part in using those
in those four types of narrative texts.
English textbooks and taught and/or
learned the narrative texts inculcated
with moral values, i.e., the English
teachers and students from grade X to
XI of SMK Triguna Utama. The
researchers selected 15 students (as
samples) from each class (30 students in
total) to answer the questionnaire
sheets and 2 English teachers from both
grades to be interviewed. Chart 1. Total Frequency of Narrative Text
Types in Bahasa Inggris untuk
Moreover, the key instrument was
SMA/MA/SMK/MAK Kelas X and XI
the researchers since they possessed
background knowledge and theoretical
framework of the research. Besides, the Firstly, they were three narrative
other instruments used were interview texts in the form of folklores/folktalles,
and questionnaire questions to explore i.e., “Issumboshi,” a Japanese
and investigate the teachers‟ and folktale/fairytale (Furaidah et al.,
students‟ responses regarding the issue 2014b, pp. 49—51); “Strong Wind,” a
under investigation. folktale of a native American tribe
(Furaidah et al., 2014b, pp. 89—91); and by O. Henry, an American short story
“The Enchanted Fish,” a classic writer (Bashir, 2014b, pp. 47—49).
folklore/tale written by Grimm
Regarding those types of narrative
brothers, i.e., Jacob and Wilhelm
texts occurred in the textbook series,
Grimm, in 1812 (Bashir, 2014a, pp. 3—
from my point of view, it shows a
5).
balanced proportion of types of
Secondly, there was only one narrative texts appeared which
legend found in the English textbook emphasized on the folklore and short
series, that was, in Bahasa Inggris untuk story genres since both types are
SMA/MA/SMK/MAK Kelas X Semester 2. commonly written and/or read by the
The story was about “Malin Kundang”, a readers when they look for fictive texts
well-known Indonesian legend from as (reading) learning materials and/or
Padang, West Sumatra (Furaidah et al., for fun only. Nonetheless, fables which
2014b, p. 64). are also good and fun materials for
young learners were not found at all
Furthermore, there was a narrative
(Abrar, 2016; Verner, 2016). Besides,
in the form of a play in the English
Indonesian stories (e.g. its folklores or
textbook, namely Bahasa Inggris untuk
fables) should be given more
SMA/MA/SMK/MAK Kelas X
proportion since the current trend in
Semester 2, though this type of text was
TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign
excluded from the analysis due to
Language) that further emphasized
validating process as this research focus
using the local stories as the media to
on the text in a real sense — i.e., the
learn the target language. By presenting
play presented in the form of dialogue.
the authentic and meaningful materials,
The play was entitled Vanity and Pride
the students therefore while learning
(Bashir, 2004a, pp. 70—74).
the foreign language could also
The last, three narratives were effectively express their identities and
presented in the form of short stories. culture in the target language (Torun &
They were “Congratulation!" in chapter Yildirim, 2014; Kilickaya, 2004).
four of Bahasa Inggris untuk
SMA/MA/SMK/MAK Kelas X Semester 1
Moral Values in Narrative Texts
(Furaidah et al., 2014a, pp. 45—46);
“Letter to God,” a short story written by Subsequently, having discussed the
a Mexican writer, Gregorio López y presentation of the types of narrative
Fuentes (Bashir, 2014a, pp. 92—95); and texts, this study also tried to elaborate
“The Last Leaf" is a short story written the moral values in those narrative
http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v4i2.5977
136-143
P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license
IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 4 (2), 2017
texts. In this analysis, five main moral nine times or 5.8%. Though, this value
values were analyzed to categorize all is indeed an important value as well to
moral values which came up in the be learned and exemplified by the
narrative texts, i.e., kindness, respect, students through reading narrative
responsibility, honesty, and fairness, texts implied with it. Moreover, in
and attempted to be uncovered from terms of citizenship, this value is a
the stories in the English textbook crucial one since the society that lacks it
series. would not succeed (Tay & Yıldırım,
2009; Rachels, 2003; Welsh, 2014). In
conclusion, all these key moral values
and narrative texts which present them
should be taken into account
considerately by the textbook writers,
users, teachers, and students, and, at
best, be provided with a balanced
proportion as well.
key moral values that were applied and moral values found in the textbooks,
discussed throughout this study, they specifically in the narrative texts. The
thought that those are vital in educating two moral values apparently
and instilling into their students as by dominated the highest and lowest
acquiring those morals the students can frequencies of the moral values
be good people and they can live well appeared and preferred; they were
and harmoniously in the society. kindness as the highest frequency and
fairness as the lowest one.
Regarding their methods in
teaching narrative texts, Mrs. DN,
explained that she preferred to use
(audio-visual) media in teaching
narrative texts (surely instilled with
morals). On the other hand, slightly
Chart 3. Students‟ Preferences on the
different from the first view shown by
Key Moral Values
the second English teacher in grade XI,
On the other hand, the he thought that discussion and question
questionnaires were also distributed to and answer were preferred best.
gather students' preferences of the key
Generally, like other teaching-
moral values that should be placed
learning activities, there are some
more importance among others.
barriers or obstacles in succeeding to
Though in terms of values lexically,
inculcate those values to the students as
they did not express them explicitly, the
experienced by the interviewed English
researchers have attempted to look for
teachers. Vocabulary still seemed to be
their meanings and synonyms that
the greatest barrier as admonished by
matched most those key values based
both English teachers and students in
on the devised checklist. The results of
teaching and learning narrative texts,
the respondents' answers in order are
and, therefore, the students felt difficult
as follows: kindness, as much as 72%
to understand the texts and to infer the
(21 respondents); respect, 52% (15
moral values from them and applying
respondents); honesty, 41% (12
them in daily lives.
respondents); responsibility, 34% (10
respondents); and fairness, 10% (3 Henceforth, the atmosphere of the
respondents only). Respectively, these school is also one of the influencing
results are slightly similar to those of factors in instilling the good characters
the previous finding discussing the key into their students. The good
atmosphere can indeed affect the order by three other moral values, i.e.,
success of instilling moral values and respect, responsibility, and honesty.
therefore create good students. However, the value of fairness is
Conversely, the bad atmosphere cannot included at the very least explicitly in
surely guarantee the character building the stories provided in the English
of the students, but, can influence bad textbooks.
characters to them, and the learning
Subsequently, the lack of the value
objectives could not be achieved.
of fairness is also evident in the
Nonetheless, good testimonies were
perceptions and preferences of the
shown by the English teachers and
English teachers and their students.
some students related to the
atmosphere of the school in cultivating Fourth, in terms of narrative text
the values, there were still many teaching and learning process, the
factors/aspects to be investigated to teachers and students in unison agreed
assure the success of the cultivation of that vocabulary is the most unrelieved
moral values for their students (see barrier they encounter.
Lickona et al., 2007). The last, despite the availability
and completeness of facilities and
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION morally induced activities at SMK
Triguna Utama, it could not guarantee
Based on the findings and efficiency nor effectiveness of the moral
discussion of the research, several education at the school. Serious and in-
conclusions could be made as follows. depth efforts have to be taken to assure
Firstly, among the various types of the effectiveness of the cultivation of
narratives presented in the English moral values.
textbooks (i.e., folklores/folktales, a Based on the aforementioned
legend, a play, and short stories), fables conclusions, some suggestions and
and Indonesian local stories have recommendations could be offered to
unfortunately the least places in the expectedly enhance the quality of
textbook series regarding their ability contents of the English textbooks and to
and authenticity to draw the readers' ascertain the success of the values
interest and motivation. inculcation to the students.
Secondly, it was found most The English textbook authors
significantly the value of kindness in should provide a more proportional
the textbook series and followed in portion of narrative texts, particularly
the stories from Indonesian rich local alleviate those weaknesses to achieve
culture which could be meaningful and maximum instructional objectives and
authentic teaching materials for the to enhance moral education in the EFL
learners, and the inclusion of the fables context at last.
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