decision to introduce ethnic-associated characters as representation of the multi- ethnicity in Indonesia needs to be examined thoroughly so that it will not result in
a drawback despite its noble expectation. Considering the accessibility of the researcher and the wide range of the
problems, the researcher limits the problems of the research to the depiction of the ethnicity in the textbook When English Rings a Bell for SMPMTs Kelas VIII, as
the researcher believes that the topic is one of the most urgent and recurrent issues in Indonesia. In regard to this matter, the researcher applied qualitative content
analysis on the linguistic aspect of the textbook using the theory of interpersonal metafunction, proving that the textbook mainly contains the language of
interaction dialogs and monologs with the roles of speakers and listeners mostly involve the six newly-introduced characteristics who come from six different
ethnic groups. The decision to analyze the textbook deeper into the linguistic aspect of within-clauses functional linguistics, rather than merely count the
number of dialogs produced by the ethnic-determined characters, is in order to find out whether the textbook suggests any stereotyping of certain ethnic
characters unconsciously through its dialogs. Acknowledging that there is a possibility of ethnic inequalities in the depiction of multi-ethnicity in the textbook,
this research expects to clarify such possibility so that it may lead to the betterment of textbook design and material development in the area of
representation of multi-ethnicity in textbooks.
C. Research Objectives
Based on the background of the research and the research focus described above, the research objective is identified as follows:
1. To investigate the representations of the six featured ethnic characters in the textbook When English Rings a Bell for SMPMTs
Kelas VIII as conveyed by their selection of speech functions. 2. To reveal the significance of the markedness in mood realizations of
the speech functions to the representation of the six featured ethnic characters in the textbook When English Rings a Bell for SMPMTs
Kelas VIII.
D. Significance of the Research
This research is expected to be beneficial to education and linguistic- related parties both theoretically and practically:
1. Theoretical significance Theoretically, this research is expected to contribute to:
a. the theories of multicultural curriculum in its implementation particularly in textbooks.
b. the theories of sociolinguistics regarding language and ethnicity. c. the theories of material development, especially the content
selection for model texts in textbooks.
2. Practically, this research will be beneficial for: a. English teachers for High School in utilizing, assessing, and
evaluating materials in textbooks. b. the university students of linguistics major particularly in the field
of Systemic Functional Linguistics and its relation to linguistic content analysis.
c. the material developers and textbook designers in developing model text which implements multicultural curriculum.
d. other researchers who conduct a study on the topics related to ethnicity andor textbooks as references.
9
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Curriculum 2013
As the new Curriculum 2013 has been set to be implemented in a number of selected schools starting July 15, 2013, many people are being
skeptical due to the opinion which sees that the new curriculum came out of the blue. In response to this, Muhammad Nuh as the Minister of Education and
Culture at the moment 2009-2014 said in an interview that the planning of the development of the Curriculum 2013 has been mentioned in the RPJM Middle-
term Development Plan 2010-2014, which means that it has been proposed and evaluated since 2009 Nuh, 2012. A new curriculum regulation is necessarily to
be in development within 2010-2014 in order to adhere to the RPJM. Therefore, it is implied that the Curriculum 2013 is not a newly developed curriculum, rather it
has been developed in several consecutive years. Suggesting the same idea as the 2004 KBK Competency Based
Curriculum, the Curriculum 2013 perfected the former curriculum which was left unfinished due to the enforcement of the implementation of the new KTSP 2006
curriculum at that time. The idea is looking at the learning process as the developing of learner’s competencies with the materials as media, rather than the
learning of materials with learner’s competencies regarded as secondary aspects. As opposed to the KTSP curriculum which determined the subjects first of all and
then followed by the competencies, the new curriculum advances the
competencies for then the subjects adapt to the competencies. The Curriculum 2013 also underlines that competencies are not to be taught but to be developed.
This concept became the origin of the core competence. There are four changed elements in the Curriculum 2013 which are
realized in four standards: passing competence standard, process standard, content standard and assessment standard. One which makes a fundamental
difference which affects the other differences compared to the former curriculum and quite revolutionary considering the nature of the previous curricula ever
existed in Indonesia is the concept of core competence. Core competence acts as the ladder towards the achievement of passing competence standard. The core
competence is not bound by the school subjects as it does not represent any particular subjects, rather it forms a horizontal interdisciplinary relationship
among the school subjects. The core competences for all school subjects within the same level of grade are the same, while the relationship of the core
competences between levels of grade is a continuous relatedness. The core competences are then elaborated and interpreted differently by each school subject
in the form of basic competences. This resulted in the holistic approach which, according to Nuh 2012, is called thematic-integrative approach.
When asked about the reason behind the need of having a new curriculum, Nuh 2012a refers to two international surveys about student’s
competence: Trends in International Math and Science by Global Institute in 2007 and Program for International Student Assessment by Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development in 2009. Both studies agreed that Indonesian
