"THE STORIES WE LIVE BY IN THE CLASSROOM: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONVICTION STORIES IN THE FEDERAL BOARD CLASS 9 ENGLISH CURRICULUM’’

Abstract

Eco-education plays an important role in shaping students’ perceptions of nature and their responsibilities toward the environment. This study examines the representation of environmental themes in the Federal Board Class 9 English textbook through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Arran Stibbe’s concept of environmental conviction stories from The Stories We Live By. It aims to analyze how environmental themes are represented, how language constructs the relationship between humans and nature. It investigates whether the textbook promotes eco-centric or anthropocentric perspectives. A qualitative research design was employed to analyze selected chapters through CDA to identify underlying discourses, values, and ideological assumptions embedded in the text. The focus was on how nature, animals, and environmental elements are linguistically represented and whether these representations encourage ecological awareness. The analysis reveals that environmental references appear across several chapters; however, they are mainly descriptive, aesthetic, or symbolic. Nature is frequently presented as a backdrop for human experiences, adventure, moral lessons, and cultural narratives rather than as an interconnected ecological system requiring protection and stewardship. The findings indicate that the human–nature relationship is predominantly framed from an anthropocentric perspective, where nature is valued mainly for its relevance to human interests. Some texts promote compassion toward animals and appreciation of natural beauty, explicit attention to environmental conservation, sustainability, biodiversity protection, climate change, and ecological responsibility is largely absent. The textbook provides limited opportunities for developing environmental literacy and action-oriented ecological consciousness among learners. The study concludes that ecological awareness and environmental stewardship re not prominently emphasized in the selected content. It therefore recommends the integration of eco-centric and sustainability-oriented narratives to strengthen students’ ecological consciousness and responsible citizenship.