Texts and Tasks in Indonesian Language Textbooks: Do They Support Indonesian Students in the International Reading Literacy Test?

Abstract

Several international tests on reading literacy consistently showed poor scores for Indonesian students. Textbooks are one of the teaching tools that can contribute to the development of students’ reading literacy. However, no research has examined textbooks’ capacity to develop students’ reading literacy skills, especially those assessed on international tests. The current study investigated the carrying capacity of texts and tasks in Indonesian language textbooks to develop students’ reading literacy skills, particularly those evaluated on international tests. The data were obtained from six Indonesian language textbooks used by junior and senior high school students in Indonesia. These textbooks are officially recommended by the government and are widely used in middle schools in Indonesia. The content analysis combined with the performance framework in the International Student Assessment was used to reveal the text and task dimensions of the Indonesian Language textbooks. The results of the study show that in the aspect of text, textbooks have conformity with the international test, but are weak in infographics which are not problematic. Likewise, the underlying contexts of the texts are not evenly distributed. In the task aspect, the dominant cognitive processes are to search for and locate information, but are limited in understanding, evaluating, and reflecting on the contents of the text. The response format is dominated by essay-type tests that do not adequately account for objective tests. From this, it can be concluded that the texts and tasks of the Indonesian textbooks do not correspond to the texts and tasks of the international reading literacy tests. This study recommends the need for adjustments in establishing guidelines for developing and evaluating textbooks to develop students’ reading literacy at the international level.