Values transmitted through English textbooks and Islamic identity perception: reinforcement or alienation!
List of Authors
  • Merah Souad , Tahraoui Ramdane

Keyword
  • Values transmission, English language, textbooks, textbook analysis, alienation, reinforcement, Islamic Identity

Abstract
  • This paper aims to explore the nature of values transmitted in English textbooks -written in a different social and cultural context- and used by Muslim students. It also aims to investigate whether these values reinforce students’ perception of their Islamic identity or create feelings of alienation and confusion in their minds. An “Analysis Model” was developed based on little john’s (1998) textbook analysis model. The subject of analysis in this study is the English language textbook used at the International Islamic School Malaysia, Secondary for the 7th, 8th and the 9th grades for the academic year 2018-2019. The findings of the study have shown that these textbooks contain a wide range of values that vary from universal to Western. It was also found that; Western values of different sorts such as social, political, philosophical and cultural, were present in the English textbooks at a very high level of density. The Western value laden English textbook may potentially create confusion in Muslim students’ minds due to a probable contradictions with other cultural and religious values attained from other socializing agencies such as family, peers, religious institutions and even values channeled via other school subjects such as Islamic studies and Qur’an classes . It is expected; that this study will help understand the causes of alienation Muslim students face while dealing with Western values embedded in school’s textbooks. It will also help teachers and those who are responsible or concerned about Islamic education curriculum to realize that, there is a dire need to write English textbooks in order to establish a viable model of education able to compete with other educational systems.

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