CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the Study

In the twentieth century, many developing countries have experienced
growth in the educational facilities available to them due to the entry of
institutions from the West and also adapted curriculum. Some believe that this
process is an invaluable opportunity for the people of the developing
countries to raise their skills and standards of education. Others fear that it is
merely a modern version of cultural imperialism that will lead to the creation
of a universal, ultimately Western society. One aspect of the globalization of
education has been the creation of twinning projects between one Western
and one non-Western university .Through Globalization of education, which
is being knowledge transfer from the Western countries into developing
countries, is intended to improve the skills and capabilities of the people
receiving it.
The existence of International school in developing country is one of
the sign of globalization in education. This condition has made an increased
in importance of English at school especially in International school. English
is not only being used when English lesson are being thought at classroom,
but it is the main language that widely use for communication at school.
Following this trends in globalization in education, International
school is now being exist in big city in Indonesia, including Medan. The
International school in Medan Mostly use Singaporeans curriculum and
books to reach their international standard. Singaporeans text book are easily
adapted in Indonesia because the English used on those books is easier rather
than books from US and UK. Some primary school in Medan even following
PLSE(Primary Levels Singaporeans Exam) to get Singaporean primary
school certificate. Secondary level students mostly following IGCSE
(International General Certificate of Secondary Education) test to get their
International certificate both O level and A level.
Within many lesson that being thought at school science is one of
students favorite yet the hardest to understand as well. Science textbook is not
only about text, the meaning making process in science discourse requires the
deployment of language, mathematical symbolism, and visual images. Each

1
of this resources intersiometically contributes to the construction of meaning
through the meaning potential of that resource, and intersemiotically these
resources function to make meaning (OHalloran, 2007). This functionality
varies in accordance with the education level of textbooks. The higher the
level of the books, the more words are used but at the same time the more
mathematical symbolism and visual images are used, because words alone
fail to convey meaning completely. In primary level the existence of visual
images to convey meaning to the students is significantly needed. Symbolism
and images can visually and directly show science concepts and relations that
language needs to explain at length. They also help to concretize the abstract
concepts of science and relations which are resulted from linguistic
explanation.
The deployment of language, mathematical symbolism and visual
images which are used to construct meaning in science textbook has widely
analyzed using Systemic Functional -Multimodal discourse analysis.
The assumption that meanings are made, distributed, interpreted and
remade, through many representational and communicational resources, of
which language is but one, is key to multimodality (Kress and van Leeuwen,
2001). The concept of multimodality attends to the visual in configurations
across gesture, gaze, body posture, sound, writing, music, speech and so on
(for a full discussion of multimodal theory see Kress and van Leeuwen, 2001;
Norris, 2004; Jewitt, 2006). As a result of decades of classroom language
research, much is known about the resources of language yet considerably
less is understood about the potentials of other forms of representation.
However, detailed studies have helped begin to describe the resources and
organising principles of image (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2006), sound (Van
Leeuwen, 1999), writing (Kenner, 2004; Kenner and Kress, 2003), and how
these all work together in multimodal ensembles (see Kress et al, 2001, 2005;
Flewitt, 2006).
Multimodality asserts that all modes are partial. Each contributes to
the production of knowledge in distinct ways and therefore no one mode
stands alone in the process of making meaning, rather each plays a discrete
role in the whole: hence the need to attend to all. (Jewitt, 2007)

2
 There is a significance difference between Indonesian science
textbook and International or Singaporean science textbook, when students
read International or Singaporean textbook they will found a range of color
full visual images and some text to convey meaning of science concepts,
while Indonesian textbook has more text and few visual images.

Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and focusing on the

Systemic Functional -Multimodal Discourse Analysis (SF-MDA) the writers
analyzed both International science textbook and National science textbook to
find the way of these textbooks convey science concept and to find
similarities and differences between those science textbooks.

1.2. Problem of the study

By looking at the difference of International science textbook and
Indonesian science textbook and using the Systemic Functional -Multimodal
discourse analysis (SF-MDA), there are four questions that are going to be
discussed:
1. How visual images in science textbook convey the science
concept?
2. How text related to visual images in science textbook convey the
science concept?
3. What are similarities and differences between International
science textbook and National science textbook?

1.3. The Objective of the study

The objectives of doing this study are:
1. To find how the visual images in science textbook convey the
science concept.
2. To find how the text related to visual images in science textbook
convey the science concept.
3. To find similarities and differences in primary International and
National science textbook.

1.4. Scope of the study

This study is limited by analyzing My pals are here! Science 5A
textbook published by Marshall Cavendish Education Singapore for the
International science textbook and Bilingual science for elementary school

3
 year V semester 1 published by esis for the National science textbook in
chapter about circulatory system.

1.5. Significance of the study

The significance of this study are intended to give information about
the way International and National science textbook for primary school
convey the science concept and also to find the similarities and differences
between them using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) focusing on Systemic
Functional-Multimodal Discourse Analysis (SF-MDA), readers will also
know about the importance of visual images to convey the science concepts
in science textbook for primary level. Practically this research can give
contribution to the following party:
a. Students
This research is significant to give information about the study
of CDA focusing on SF-MDA in science textbooks, particularly, how
visual images can influences the understanding of science concepts.
b. Lectures
This research can be used as an additional material to the study
of CDA focusing on SF-MDA in science textbooks to help them to
teach how visual images can influences the understanding of science
concepts.
c. Other researchers
The result of this research can stimulate them in conducting
further research in CDA focused on SF-MDA, especially for
analyzing printed media such as news paper, magazines, and
paintings.