Summary of possible universal moral values in language pedagogy: A systematic review

Moral value is one of the crucial elements in human development, where moral or civic education formed a substantial part of the focus on personal development. This study examined the inculcation of universal moral values (UMVs) using language in teaching and learning as a vehicle to instil the UMVs. It has been ascertained through previous research findings that there is a dearth of systemic review approaches used in examining the universality of moral values, and how they can be inculcated via language teaching and learning. Hence, the use of the systemic review approach in this study contributes significantly to the field of the research area, as it employed this type of approach to fill the gap in the field discipline. In this study, the relevant literature on UMVs in language pedagogy (teaching and learning) are analysed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement review method. Through the systematic review of Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, ProQuest, and Research Gate databases, it was identified that there were 29 related studies. The result revealed four main themes related to the inculcation of UMVs in students through language teaching and learning (LTL). The four main themes comprised: the role of a language teacher, the language curriculum content, language activities, and interactive language multimedia. The researchers forwarded several findings-based recommendations from this study that for future studies there should be an emphasis on UMV-related language analysis, and a parallel research technique be conducted such as contacting experts in the field and citation tracking.