PBI UM Metro Student Successfully Defends Undergraduate Thesis on Moral and Pedagogical Values in The Midnight Library
Metro, 8 August 2026 – The English Education Study Program (PBI) of Universitas Muhammadiyah Metro proudly announces that one of its students, Aurell Putri Oktavia (Student Number: 22340004), successfully defended her undergraduate thesis entitled:
“A Meta-Analysis of Moral and Pedagogical Values in Matt Haig's (2020) The Midnight Library.”
The thesis defense marked an important academic milestone in Aurell's undergraduate journey. Through her research, she explored the moral and pedagogical values represented in Matt Haig’s bestselling novel The Midnight Library and investigated their potential contributions to English Language Teaching (ELT).
The research was conducted under the supervision of:
- Fitri Palupi Kusumwati, M.Pd. (Advisor)
- Dedy Subandowo, Ph.D. (Advisor)
The thesis examination was conducted by:
- Dr. Refai, M.Pd. (Examiner)
Research Overview
This study aimed to identify and analyze the moral and pedagogical values represented in The Midnight Library and to examine their implications for English Language Teaching. The research employed a quantitative meta-analysis using a frequency-based vote-counting technique.
Using a PRISMA-guided systematic review procedure, the researcher screened 142 identified records and selected 10 eligible studies as the primary data sources. To ensure the reliability of the findings, inter-rater reliability was measured using Cohen’s Kappa, resulting in κ = 0.84, which indicates an almost perfect level of agreement.
The analysis identified fourteen values, comprising:
- Nine moral values
- Five pedagogical values
Among these values, Self-Acceptance emerged as the most dominant value, appearing in 60% of the analyzed studies, followed by Resilience, which appeared in 40% of the studies. Other values were categorized as emerging or not reported. In the pedagogical dimension, Critical Thinking Development and Linguistic Input were the most frequently identified educational contributions.
The findings suggest that The Midnight Library offers rich moral lessons, particularly concerning self-acceptance and resilience, making it a valuable literary resource for English Language Teaching. Furthermore, the novel demonstrates strong potential as authentic learning material for promoting character education and affective learning in the classroom.
Thesis Abstract
This study aims to identify and analyze the moral and pedagogical values represented in Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library and to examine their implications for English Language Teaching (ELT). The research employed a quantitative meta-analysis using a frequency-based vote-counting technique. A corpus of ten primary studies was selected through a PRISMA-guided systematic procedure (from 142 identified records to 10 eligible studies). The values reported in each study were documented using a binary value-coding matrix (1 = present, 0 = absent), and their frequencies were classified into dominance tiers. Inter-rater reliability was measured using Cohen’s Kappa, yielding κ = 0.84 (almost perfect agreement). The analysis identified fourteen values, consisting of nine moral values and five pedagogical values. Self-Acceptance emerged as the dominant value (appearing in 6 of 10 studies, 60%), followed by Resilience as a secondary value (4 of 10 studies, 40%), while the remaining values were categorized as emerging or not reported. Pedagogical values appeared far less frequently, with only Critical Thinking Development and Linguistic Input reported. The findings indicate that The Midnight Library is particularly rich in moral values, especially self-acceptance and resilience, and holds strong potential as a source of authentic, character-building material for ELT, particularly for developing reading materials oriented toward affective learning and character education.
Keywords: English Language Teaching, Meta-Analysis, Moral Values, Pedagogical Values, The Midnight Library.
Congratulations
The English Education Study Program of Universitas Muhammadiyah Metro extends its warmest congratulations to Aurell Putri Oktavia on the successful defense of her undergraduate thesis. May this achievement become an important step toward future academic, professional, and personal success.
Congratulations and best wishes for your future endeavors!