Manadonese culture-based English teaching materials for Madrasah Ibtidaiyah students: A needs analysis

Indah Saud (a:1:{s:5:"en_US"s:11:"IAIN Manado"})
Moon Hidayati Otoluwa (Universitas Negeri Gorontalo)

Al-Lisan
Vol 11 No 2 (2026): Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal)

Background: In order to provide contextual, relevant, and culturally responsive learning, especially in primary school, it has become more crucial to incorporate local culture into English language instruction. The incorporation of Manadonese culture into English teaching materials, especially at the elementary madrasah level, has been the subject of little empirical research. As a result, it emphasizes the necessity of examining the needs of both teachers and students in order to provide pertinent instructional resources. Aims: The purpose of this study is to examine how teachers and students need to integrate Manadonese local culture into English language learning resources, and to identify cultural components that can help Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri (MIN) in Manado City, Indonesia creates contextual English teaching materials for fifth-grade pupils. Methods: This preliminary study represents the Analysis phase of the ADDIE instructional design model, selected because needs analysis provides essential information about learners’ characteristics, difficulties, and cultural resources as the foundation for developing relevant teaching materials. The participants were 51 students and two English teachers from MIN I and MIN II Manado. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews and analyzed descriptively. Results: The results indicate that students need additional contextualized learning materials since they have trouble understanding fundamental English items, especially nouns and adjectives. The creation of English resources based on local culture was endorsed by 95% of pupils. Concrete cultural content, such as customary games, regional cuisine, and tourism destinations, was preferred by the students. Teachers likewise had positive opinions on incorporating Manadonese culture, but they also mentioned difficulties with a lack of instructional resources and implementation support. Implications: This study contributes to the development of culturally responsive English teaching materials by providing empirical evidence of learners’ and teachers’ needs and identifying relevant cultural elements for contextual learning resources.