REPRESENTATION IDEATIONAL MEANING OF NATIONALIST VALUES IN THE GRADE XI MADRASAH ALIYAH ARABIC LANGUAGE TEXTBOOK: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the ideational meaning of nationalist values in a Grade XI Madrasah Aliyah Arabic language textbook through the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) framework. The study was motivated by concerns about the weakening of students’ sense of nationalism, as reflected in the emergence of intolerance, social injustice, declining social concern, and weakening national unity amid globalization and rapid cross-cultural exchange. The study employed a qualitative approach by integrating qualitative content analysis with Halliday and Matthiessen’s Systemic Functional Linguistics, particularly the transitivity system. Data were obtained from clauses representing nationalist values in the qirā’ah and ḥiwār texts of the Arabic language textbook authored by Hasan Saefuloh. The data were analyzed by identifying and interpreting processes, participants, and circumstances through the transitivity system. The findings showed that patriotism was primarily represented through mental and material processes, construing affective attachment to Indonesia and actions associated with national territory and identity. Pluralism was predominantly represented through relational and material processes, constructing Indonesian identity as non-exclusive while depicting diverse religious practices. Environmental concern occurred less frequently and was mainly represented through mental processes expressing positive attitudes and desires toward natural beauty. These findings indicate that nationalist values were not merely presented as explicit themes but were constructed through grammatical choices that organized experiences, actions, and identities. The study implies that SFL-based analysis can support the development and evaluation of Arabic language textbooks as media for systematically embedding nationalist values in language education.