The Effectiveness of a Textbook Based on Multicultural and Contextual Understanding as a Learning Material for Scientific Writing

A multicultural and contextual-based textbook is scientific writing learning material that presents multicultural and contextual-based language materials for Buddhist college students. This study aimed to describe the effectiveness of a multicultural and contextual understanding-based textbook in improving the scientific writing skills of Buddhist college students. The data collection was carried out by employing mixed methods of statistical analysis, interviews, observations, and document analysis. The research data were obtained by using test results or the products of students' writing skills. The research samples were 101 students of a Buddhist college in the Central Java Province, Indonesia. The study results revealed that a textbook based on multicultural and contextual understanding as learning material for scientific writing could effectively improve the scientific writing skills of Buddhist college students. The results of statistical analysis using the One-way ANOVA test showed Fcal > Ftable (47.74 > 3.09). Thus, there were significant differences in the ability to write scientific papers in the experimental group of students. These results indicated that a multicultural and contextual-based textbook as teaching material for scientific writing for students of Buddhist college was more effective than books that lecturers have used. It was later reinforced by the results of interviews with students and lecturers.