Whose Values Are We Teaching? A Critical Discourse Analysis of Moroccan EFL Textbooks

Abstract

The current study explores the representation of values in four EFL textbooks used in Moroccan secondary schools. The main focus is on how these materials align with national educational goals outlined in the National Charter of Education and Training. Data were collected through document analysis of the textbooks and their associated guides, alongside five focus group discussions and fourteen interviews with EFL teachers from the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Regional Academy. The use of critical discourse analysis allowed for the examination of both the explicit and implicit values conveyed in the materials. The main findings reveal a strong emphasis on universal values, particularly tolerance toward foreigners, and this seems to reflect the broader political context in which the textbooks were produced; following a wave of terrorist attacks in Morocco in 2003, textbook content appears to support national efforts to promote moderation and counter extremism. However, and despite the fact that the official educational discourse explicitly advocates the integration of local and Islamic values, these were largely absent from the analyzed textbooks. The study, then, reveals a gap between policy and practice, and this raises questions about cultural relevance and the role of EFL materials in values education in the Moroccan context.