Cultural representation in Arabic textbooks
Unveiling intercultural gaps and pedagogical implications in Indonesian Islamic higher education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23311603 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sutaman Sutaman (0000-0003-3564-8926, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim), Aidillah Suja (0000-0001-6223-6359, Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Negeri Sultan Abdurrahman Kepulauan Riau), Syarifaturrahmatullah Syarifaturrahmatullah (0009-0002-3904-998X, Institut Agama Islam Negeri Manado), Moh Buny Andaru Bahy (0009-0001-1047-6905, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim), Marajo Marajo (0009-0004-2242-5496, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim), Shobirin Shobirin (0009-0004-1120-0558, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 1-20 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-23 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Multicultural Education Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2005-615X • E-ISSN: 2377-0031 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/2005615x.2026.2705691 |
| OpenAlex | W7170178113 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
Cultural representation in Arabic textbooks is essential for fostering students’ intercultural awareness, yet critical studies in Indonesian universities remain limited. This study examines cultural representation in six Arabic textbooks in Indonesian Islamic universities and their contribution to students’ intercultural awareness. Using Krippendorff’s content analysis of verbal and visual texts, the study applies a framework of cultural elements (people, products, practices, perspectives) and cultural types (source culture/SC, target culture/TC, international target culture/ITC), supplemented by a semi-open questionnaire with six lecturers. Results show an imbalanced representation: products dominate while practices and perspectives remain underrepresented; SC and TC appear more frequently than ITC. This confirms that Arabic textbooks are still oriented toward linguistic skills rather than intercultural competence. Pedagogical implications include reflective and comparative assignments, the integration of cross-contextual authentic materials (ITC), and the strengthening of lecturers’ roles as cultural mediators—providing a basis for improving textbook design to support intercultural competencies.
Arabic · Cultural competence · Cultural diversity · Higher education · Indonesian · Islam · Islamic culture · Representation (politics) · Arabic Language Education Studies · Education and Islamic Studies · Qur’anic Interpretation Studies
Content Analysis
Using Formal and Informal Curricula to Improve Interactions Between Home and International Students
Language and culture
Araucanía Chilean EFL Teachers’ Beliefs Regarding Their Intercultural Mediator Role
Navigating inconsistencies
Cultural Representation in Chinese University English Language Teaching Textbooks
Forms of culture in the implementation of school reform efforts
Globalizing higher education through internationalization and multiculturalism
Cultural identity in the arabic language textbooks of arab elementary schools in Israel
A visual semiotic analysis of multicultural values in an Indonesian English textbook
Quranic Understanding among Non-Native Speaker of Arabic
Conceptualisation of culture and research methods in studies of language teaching materials
When ‘struggling with English’ becomes ‘passivity’
Critically engaging with cultural representations in foreign language textbooks
Dominance of Anglo-American cultural representations in university English textbooks in China
Representation of cultures in national English textbooks in China
| Highly cited | No |
|---|