Master's students’ perceptions of cultural diversity in junior high social studies textbooks

Intan Nur’ainiza Sitorus; Amika Wardana; Anik Widiastuti; Agustina Tri Wijayanti

doi:10.64014/jik.v22i3.128

Master's students’ perceptions of cultural diversity in junior high social studies textbooks

Intan Nur’ainiza Sitorus ^{Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta,} , Amika Wardana ^{Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta,} , Anik Widiastuti ^{Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta,} , Agustina Tri Wijayanti ^{Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta,} ,

29 August 2025 · Vol. 22 No. 3 (2025): Inovasi Kurikulum, August 2025 · Articles

DOI https://doi.org/10.64014/jik.v22i3.128

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Abstract

Indonesia’s cultural diversity demands fair and inclusive representation in educational materials, especially in junior high school Social Studies (IPS) textbooks. This study aims to examine the representation of cultural diversity in IPS textbooks and explore the perceptions of Social Studies Education master’s students, both those with and without teaching experience. Using a descriptive quantitative approach, data were collected through a structured questionnaire developed from relevant literature and validated by experts. The data were analyzed using a Likert scale and presented in percentages to identify students’ perception trends. The results show that IPS textbooks include narratives on cultural diversity, mainly related to religion and respect for differences. However, the students perceive that cultural representation remains uneven, particularly in terms of ethnicity, traditions, local languages, and regional perspectives. The textbooks tend to emphasize dominant cultures while underrepresenting minority ones. Multicultural values are mostly presented in general terms, lacking inclusive and detailed content. This highlights the need to enrich the narratives to better reflect the true diversity of Indonesian society.

Abstrak

Keberagaman budaya yang sangat kaya di Indonesia menuntut adanya representasi yang adil dan inklusif dalam materi pembelajaran, khususnya dalam buku teks Ilmu Pengetahuan Sosial (IPS) tingkat SMP. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menggali representasi keberagaman budaya dalam buku teks IPS serta menelaah persepsi mahasiswa magister Pendidikan IPS terhadap materi tersebut, baik yang telah mengajar maupun yang belum. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif deskriptif dengan pengumpulan data melalui angket terstruktur yang disusun berdasarkan kajian literatur dan divalidasi oleh pakar untuk memastikan relevansi dan keterukuran butir pertanyaan. Teknik analisis data dilakukan menggunakan skala Likert, kemudian hasil diklasifikasikan dan dipersentasekan untuk mengetahui kecenderungan persepsi responden. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa buku teks IPS SMP telah memuat narasi keberagaman budaya, terutama terkait agama dan ajakan untuk menghargai perbedaan. Namun, menurut mahasiswa magister Pendidikan IPS, representasi keberagaman budaya dalam buku tersebut masih belum merata, khususnya dalam aspek etnis, adat, bahasa daerah, dan perspektif lokal. Buku cenderung menonjolkan budaya dominan dan kurang memberi ruang pada budaya minoritas. Nilai-nilai multikultural lebih banyak disampaikan dalam bentuk pernyataan umum, bukan dalam konten yang benar-benar inklusif, sehingga masih diperlukan perluasan dan pendalaman narasi agar dapat mencerminkan keberagaman sosial masyarakat Indonesia secara utuh.

Kata Kunci: buku teks; keberagaman budaya; pendidikan IPS; persepsi mahasiswa

Keywords : cultural diversity , social studies education , student perception , textbook

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