The representation of Islamic values in Indonesian language textbooks: a critical discourse analysis

Purpose This study examined how moral values were integrated into Bahasa Indonesia textbooks for junior and senior high schools in Indonesia, particularly in response to concerns about moral decline and the increasing emphasis on character education in the national curriculum. Design/methodology/approach The study employed Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of critical discourse analysis (CDA) to analyze textual, visual and pedagogical elements in selected textbooks. In addition, interviews with textbook authors were conducted to gain insight into the intentions behind content selection and moral framing. Findings The analysis reveals that both religious and secular virtues, such as honesty, piety, mutual assistance and justice are systematically embedded through narratives, poetry, imagery and classroom tasks. Textbook authors intentionally draw on classical literature, Islamic folktales and biographical texts to link ethical principles with students’ religious and social experiences. Moral education is shown to be multimodal, integrating textual, visual and instructional strategies to support ethical reasoning, cultural literacy and the formation of national–religious identity. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how moral education is strategically and multimodally embedded in language textbooks through discourse practices. It offers new insights into the role of Indonesian language education in shaping ethical values and identity through the intersection of curriculum design, discourse and cultural–religious contexts.