Development and Evaluation of an Ecolinguistics-Based Transformative Writing Textbook for University Students in Yogyakarta

Abstract

Indonesian language-education students need writing instruction that combines textual accuracy with critical interpretation of how language frames ecological problems. A documented needs audit found fragmented course materials, a theory-to-task pattern with limited reflective dialogue, and weak integration of linguistic evidence into environmental topics; the baseline writing mean was 66.47, with 10 of 17 students (58.82%) in poor or failing categories. This research developed and evaluated Menulis Transformatif Berbasis Ekolinguistik (MTBE), an ecolinguistics-based transformative writing textbook, using the ADDIE research-and-development model in Indonesian Language and Literature Education contexts in Yogyakarta. The analyzable dataset included one subject-matter validator, one media/learning-design validator, three students in a formative usability trial, 19 students in a response survey, two lecturers/practitioners, 17 students with complete pretest-posttest writing and reflective-journal data, and a 15-student control class. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Shapiro-Wilk tests, paired- and independent-samples t tests, and Cohen's d. The five-chapter textbook operationalizes an ecological trigger–ecolinguistic analysis–critical reflection–transformative dialogue–literacy action cycle. After revision, material feasibility reached 96.00% and media/design feasibility 94.00%; limited-trial practicality increased from 2.10 to 3.74/4. Writing performance increased from 66.47 to 87.35, t(16) = -5.071, p < .001, d = 1.230, while the experimental class scored higher than the control class (87.35 vs. 78.33), t(30) = 2.530, p = .017, d = .896. Reflective journals averaged 78.53. The findings support the textbook's feasibility and contextual promise for writing-based literacy, while small samples and measurement constraints limit broader causal claims.