When Marginalized Secondary Students See Themselves in Their ELT Textbooks: Cultural Engagement, Learning Motivation, Identity Formation, and Intercultural Awareness in Culturally Responsive Classrooms Amid an Ongoing Insurgency in Southern Thailand

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of culturally responsive English language teaching (ELT) materials on student engagement, motivation, language identity, and intercultural awareness in Thailand's Deep South (TDS). TDS, a multilingual and predominantly Muslim subregion, remains marginalized in national education policy and practice. The study focuses on the PAKTANI English textbook, a locally developed resource that integrates regional culture, religious traditions, and learners’ experiences. Qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions, classroom observations, and reflective journals with 30 secondary students and 30 English language teachers in 30 private Islamic schools. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings suggest substantial benefits from incorporating local cultural symbols, religious values, and everyday experiences into ELT content. Students reported stronger emotional connections, greater motivation, and a sense of pride, viewing English as a language that reflected their lives rather than an external imposition. Engagement with culturally familiar content encouraged reflections on cultural commonalities and differences, contributing to intercultural awareness and fostering more humanized, inclusive learning spaces. These outcomes further emphasize the role of cross‐cultural awareness in supporting marginalized learners. The study stresses the need for institutional support to advance culturally responsive ELT resources, especially in pluralistic and historically marginalized contexts.