The Representation of Moral Values In the Elt Textbook Entitled "English for Nusantara" For Junior High School Students

Abstract

This research examined what moral values are represented in the nationally prescribed English textbook for the seventh grade junior high school students published by the Ministry of Education and Culture by using the visual semiotics of Roland Barthes. Essentially, this study was intended to provide important notions about moral values needed in the English teaching and learning process, especially textbooks as a medium of education for the students, the teachers, and the upcoming researchers. This research examines moral values as one of the moral discourses in textbooks. Its design uses critical discourse analysis (CDA), and this study collected the visual artifacts that provide information about moral values in the ELT textbook by using the documentary method. The data was analyzed using two layers of visual semiotics of Barthes, denotation, and connotation, to describe the representation of moral values in the nationally prescribed ELT textbook for the seventh grade students. The analysis reveals 16 visual artifacts that depict moral values aligned with the Pancasila Student Profile, including faith, devotion to God, cooperation, global diversity, independence, critical thinking, and creativity. However, the results show that these values are not equally represented in the educational materials, leading to an imbalance in students' moral development. The textbook places a stronger emphasis on religious practices and personal character, while values such as independence, critical thinking, and creativity appear less frequently and are presented with limited depth. This unequal representation may limit students' ability to develop independent thinking skills and adapt to complex real-world challenges.