International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

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 Volume 13, Issue 4 (April 2026), Pages: 155-163

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 Original Research Paper

Travel narrative texts in Indonesian language education: An examination of pedagogical relevance and media presence

 Author(s): 

Main Sufanti 1, *, Khabib Sholeh 1, Eko Purnomo 1, Sinta Tri Noviana 2, Olivia Septiana Setyo Wijayanti 1

 Affiliation(s):

1Indonesian Language and Literature Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Surakarta, Indonesia
2State Junior High School 3 Delanggu, Klaten, Indonesia

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8546-3228

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.04.015

 Abstract

This study examines the pedagogical status and perceived importance of travel narrative texts in Indonesian language education. Although this genre is widely available in public media, it is not well integrated into school instruction. A descriptive qualitative approach was used. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 32 Indonesian language teachers from junior and senior high schools in Central Java. These data were supported by document analysis of national Learning Outcomes (Capaian Pembelajaran, CP) and government textbooks, as well as observations of travel-related content in mass and social media. Data collection took place over three months, and the data were analyzed thematically through processes of reduction, organization, and interpretation. The findings show that most teachers do not teach travel narratives as a separate genre. Those who include them usually combine them with general narrative or descriptive lessons. Textbook analysis also shows a lack of clear explanations, sample texts, and learning activities related to travel writing, even though the CP framework supports experiential, reflective, and publication-oriented writing. In contrast, travel narratives are highly visible in newspapers and digital platforms, offering many examples that students encounter outside school. Teachers generally believe that this genre is valuable for developing narrative skills, descriptive accuracy, reflective thinking, and digital literacy. However, they report challenges such as limited teaching time and a lack of appropriate materials. The study concludes that travel narrative texts are culturally important but educationally underused, and it recommends stronger curriculum support through improved textbooks and teacher training.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

Travel narrative texts, Indonesian language education, Teacher perceptions, Curriculum gap, Digital literacy

 Article history

Received 6 December 2025, Received in revised form 13 April 2026, Accepted 15 April 2026

 Acknowledgment

Thank you to Diktilitbang PP Muhammadiyah for funding this research in the regular fundamental research scheme II with Contract Number 0259.851/I.3/D/2025. The authors also thank Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta for its support throughout all stages of this research. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations:

This study was conducted in accordance with established ethical standards for research involving human participants. Ethical approval was obtained from the relevant institutional review body at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta. 

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

Sufanti M, Sholeh K, Purnomo E, Noviana ST, and Wijayanti OSS (2026). Travel narrative texts in Indonesian language education: An examination of pedagogical relevance and media presence. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(4): 155-163

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