ISSN : 2962-9195 E-ISSN : 2963-8992
Journal of Educational Management Research Vol.
05 No.
: 293-302
Available online at https://serambi.
org/index.
php/jemr Speech Acts and Educational Management Orientation: An Illocutionary Analysis of President Prabowo SubiantoAos Address at the 2025 MPR RI Annual Session Ummu Kalsum*.
Muh Hasbi.
Aslan Abidin Universitas Negeri Makassar.
Indonesia Email : ummuhamzah26@guru.
DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
61987/jemr.
ABSTRACT
Keywords:
speech acts, *Corresponding Author This study aims to analyze the types and communicative functions of illocutionary acts employed in President Prabowo SubiantoAos address delivered at the 2025 Annual Session of the PeopleAos Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI) and to examine their implications for national education management.
Using a qualitative descriptive approach grounded in SearleAos Speech Act Theory, the data were obtained from the official transcript of the presidential address and analyzed through systematic classification and interpretative analysis.
The findings reveal that representative and directive illocutionary acts dominate the speech, indicating the PresidentAos efforts to assert national conditions, legitimize strategic policy directions, and encourage collective participation, including in the education sector.
Commissive acts reflect governmental responsibility and long-term commitment to educational reform and human resource development, while expressive acts function to reinforce moral values, ideological orientation, and emotional engagement with stakeholders.
These results suggest that illocutionary acts serve as strategic tools in political communication and leadership discourse.
The study implies that understanding speech acts in presidential discourse is essential for education managers and policymakers, as such discourse shapes policy orientation, institutional governance, and the implementation of national education management strategies.
Article History:
Received: October 2025.
Revised: November 2025.
Accepted: December 2025 Please cite this article in APA style as:
Kalsum.
Hasbi.
, & Abidin.
Speech Acts and Educational Management Orientation: An Illocutionary Analysis of President Prabowo SubiantoAos Address at the 2025 MPR RI Annual Session.
Journal of Educational Management Research, 5.
, 293-302.
INTRODUCTION
General Issue in Society Language is not merely a neutral medium for transmitting information but a powerful form of social and institutional action that shapes public understanding, authority, and collective behavior (Alfarisi & Faiz, 2024.
Febriyanto, 2025.
Hadi & Masuwd, 2025.
Hidayati, 2024.
Shofuro.
In modern societies, political communication plays a crucial role in Journal of Educational Management Research This journal is an open-access article under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.
0 license.
A 2026, the author.
framing national priorities, legitimizing policy decisions, and guiding institutional practices, including those in the education sector.
From a pragmatic perspective, speech is performative.
utterances do not simply describe reality but actively construct it through intentions embedded in specific contexts (Hasani.
Hikmah et al.
, 2025.
Jamil & Sanusi, 2024.
Khotimah et al.
, 2.
Political speeches delivered by national leaders therefore function as strategic instruments that influence public trust, social cohesion, and policy acceptance.
This is particularly significant in democratic systems, where legitimacy is continuously negotiated through discourse.
Empirical studies have shown that leadership communication affects how policies are interpreted and implemented at institutional levels, including schools and educational organizations (Jihad.
Consequently, analyzing political speech from a pragmatic standpoint is essential for understanding how language operates as social action.
This study is important for society because it reveals how presidential discourse shapes governance narratives and indirectly influences educational management orientations and institutional responses (Dewi et al.
, 2025.
Nuriyah et al.
, 2024.
Rahmatillah & Andayani, 2025.
Wagner, 2.
General Problem Despite the central role of political communication in governance, many societal challenges arise from the gap between policy articulation and public understanding.
In Indonesia, policy directions announced at the national level are often perceived ambiguously by institutional actors, including education managers, school leaders, and administrators.
This ambiguity can lead to misinterpretation, weak policy implementation, and fragmented institutional responses.
Language, when strategically employed, can either clarify or obscure governmental intentions.
However, political speeches are frequently treated as symbolic rhetoric rather than as performative actions that carry obligations, directives, and commitments.
As a result, society may overlook the practical force embedded in political discourse.
Previous research in public administration indicates that ineffective communication contributes to reduced accountability and limited stakeholder engagement (Jihad et al.
, 2.
In the context of education management, unclear policy communication may hinder reform agendas, leadership alignment, and institutional governance.
Therefore, the general problem underlying this research lies in the limited analytical attention given to how presidential language functions pragmatically as a governance tool that shapes public and institutional action.
Empirical Phenomenon Empirically, political speeches delivered in formal constitutional forums, such as the Annual Session of the PeopleAos Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), represent critical moments of national agenda setting.
President Prabowo SubiantoAos 2025 address outlines key challenges related to national development, governance reform, and human resource advancement.
Journal of Educational Management Research Vol.
05 No.
: 293-302
Available online at https://serambi.
org/index.
php/jemr practice, these speeches are widely disseminated through media and institutional channels, influencing how policies are interpreted by government agencies and educational institutions.
However, observations indicate that stakeholders often focus on thematic content rather than the communicative force of the language For example, directives may be perceived as general statements rather than policy imperatives, while commitments may be interpreted as political promises without institutional consequences.
This phenomenon demonstrates a lack of pragmatic awareness in interpreting leadership discourse.
In educational settings, school leaders and policymakers rely heavily on national narratives to align institutional planning and management strategies.
Therefore, examining the illocutionary force embedded in presidential speeches is necessary to understand how language guides institutional behavior and governance practices in real-world contexts.
Literature Synthesis .
Previous studies have extensively explored political discourse from critical and sociolinguistic perspectives, emphasizing ideology, power relations, and discourse structures (Baharun, 2024.
Khoiroh.
Putri et al.
, 2024.
Rahmatillah & Andayani, 2.
From a pragmatic standpoint, research has shown that illocutionary acts play a vital role in institutional communication, including governance and education (Jihad, 2.
Studies grounded in speech act theory highlight how representatives, directives, commissives, and expressives function to assert authority, issue commands, and establish commitments (Searle, 1.
In leadership contexts, persuasive and value-laden language has been identified as a key factor in mobilizing collective action and reinforcing legitimacy.
Furthermore.
Hamdanah and Mardiah .
emphasize that effective leadership communication relies on moral and ideological appeals to influence audience alignment.
While these studies provide valuable insights, most focus on general leadership discourse or educational settings separately, without explicitly linking presidential political speech to education management implications.
Literature Synthesis .
and Research Gap Although prior research has contributed to understanding political and institutional discourse, several limitations remain (Halisoh & Sain, 2024.
Kumala & Nadya, 2024.
Sain et al.
, 2024.
Sain & Abdullah, 2.
First, pragmatic analyses of Indonesian presidential speeches are still relatively scarce, particularly those focusing on illocutionary acts as instruments of governance.
Second, existing studies often examine political discourse at a macro-ideological level, overlooking the micro-level communicative functions that translate speech into institutional action.
Third, limited attention has been given to the implications of political speech acts for education management, despite education being a strategic sector frequently referenced in national policy discourse.
Gee .
argues that language shapes Journal of Educational Management Research Vol.
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php/jemr collective cognition and institutional practices, yet empirical studies rarely operationalize this claim within the context of presidential communication.
Consequently, there is a research gap in integrating speech act analysis with education management perspectives.
Addressing this gap is important because it enables a deeper understanding of how national leadership discourse informs policy orientation, managerial decision-making, and institutional governance in State of the Art and Novelty The novelty of this study lies in its integrative approach, combining pragmatic speech act theory with education management analysis in the context of Indonesian presidential discourse.
Unlike previous studies that treat political speeches as symbolic texts, this research conceptualizes presidential language as performative action that carries managerial and institutional implications.
By focusing on illocutionary acts in President Prabowo SubiantoAos 2025 MPR RI address, this study advances the state of the art by situating political discourse within governance communication and education management frameworks.
It highlights how representative, directive, commissive, and expressive acts function not only to convey messages but also to guide institutional behavior and policy interpretation.
This approach is significant because it bridges linguistics, political communication, and education management, offering a more comprehensive understanding of leadership The findings are expected to contribute theoretically to pragmatic studies and practically to policy communication and institutional management.
Research Problem and Argument Based on the foregoing discussion, the research problem of this study concerns how illocutionary acts are employed in President Prabowo SubiantoAos 2025 MPR RI address and what communicative functions they perform within political leadership and governance contexts.
The central argument of this research is that presidential speeches function as strategic governance instruments, where illocutionary acts are deliberately used to assert authority, legitimize policy directions, mobilize participation, and establish commitments that influence institutional practices, including education This study assumes that understanding the pragmatic force of political discourse enables stakeholders to better interpret policy intentions and align institutional actions accordingly.
By analyzing the types and functions of illocutionary acts, this research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of leadership communication and its role in shaping governance and education management strategies.
Journal of Educational Management Research Vol.
05 No.
: 293-302
Available online at https://serambi.
org/index.
php/jemr RESEACH METHOD This study employed a qualitative research design using a descriptive case study approach.
The case study design was chosen because it allows for an indepth and contextualized examination of language use within a specific institutional and political setting.
President Prabowo SubiantoAos address at the 2025 Annual Session of the PeopleAos Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI) was selected as the case due to its constitutional significance and its role in articulating national policy directions, governance commitments, and leadership priorities.
A qualitative approach is particularly appropriate for pragmatic analysis, as it enables the researcher to interpret meanings, intentions, and communicative functions embedded in utterances rather than merely quantifying linguistic forms (Fanani & Hidayah, 2024.
Khomsiah et al.
, 2024.
Mokhtar et al.
, 2024.
Wahid et al.
, 2.
The data source of this study was the official transcript of President Prabowo SubiantoAos speech delivered at the 2025 MPR RI Annual Session.
Data collection was conducted through document analysis.
The transcript was carefully read multiple times to ensure comprehensive understanding and Utterances containing explicit illocutionary force related to policy statements, directives, commitments, appeals, and expressions were identified and selected as data.
This technique enabled systematic extraction of relevant linguistic units while maintaining the original context of the speech.
Data analysis followed an interactive qualitative analysis model consisting of data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing or verification.
First, data condensation was carried out by reducing and categorizing the selected utterances based on SearleAos taxonomy of illocutionary acts, namely representative, directive, commissive, expressive, and declarative acts (Alfarisi & Faiz, 2024.
Basri et al.
, 2024.
Febriyanto, 2025.
Hadi & Masuwd, 2025.
Shofuro.
Second, the categorized data were organized and displayed in analytical tables to facilitate comparison and interpretation.
Finally, conclusions were drawn through interpretative analysis by examining the communicative functions of each illocutionary category within political leadership and institutional governance contexts, and these conclusions were continuously verified to ensure analytical consistency and credibility.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The findings indicate that representative acts constitute the most dominant type of illocutionary acts in President Prabowo SubiantoAos address at the 2025 Annual Session of the MPR RI.
These acts primarily function to assert national conditions, describe global and domestic challenges, and articulate governmental priorities.
Through representative acts, the President constructs a Journal of Educational Management Research Vol.
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php/jemr coherent narrative of national resilience and positions himself as a legitimate and credible authority.
This supports earlier findings that representative acts play a central role in institutional discourse by shaping shared realities and legitimizing leadership authority (Jihad, 2.
In political communication, such acts are crucial for establishing epistemic control over how national conditions and policy directions are understood by the public.
The prominence of representative and directive acts is consistent with international studies on political discourse, which emphasize that leaders rely heavily on assertive statements and persuasive appeals to frame realities and mobilize collective action (Charteris-Black, 2.
Representative acts allow leaders to define problems and priorities, while directive acts guide public and institutional responses.
This combination reflects a strategic balance between authority and persuasion, reinforcing the argument that leadership discourse operates through carefully selected speech acts rather than overt power enforcement (Adeoye & Munawwaroh, 2025.
Fawaid et al.
, 2024.
Iman et al.
Jannah, 2025.
Lawal, 2024.
Mannan & Shulhani, 2024.
Musthofa & Yakin.
Directive acts are frequently realized through inclusive expressions such as invitations, encouragements, and calls for cooperation rather than explicit This rhetorical strategy aligns with principles of collaborative governance, where leadership communication emphasizes shared responsibility and collective agency (Jihad et al.
, 2.
From an institutional perspective, particularly in education management, such directives are significant because they encourage alignment between national policy discourse and institutional practices without imposing coercive control.
Clear yet inclusive directives support participatory leadership and foster institutional commitment to policy implementation (Rusydi, 2.
Commissive acts appear in statements expressing promises and future commitments related to national development, food security, and human resource improvement.
These acts function to demonstrate governmental accountability and reinforce public trust by projecting continuity and In governance communication, commissive acts serve as linguistic mechanisms that bind leadership discourse to future action, thereby enhancing policy credibility.
Within education management, such commitments are particularly relevant as they signal long-term investment in human capital development and institutional sustainability.
Expressive acts are employed to convey gratitude, concern, and appreciation toward institutional actors and the Indonesian people.
These acts humanize political leadership and strengthen emotional and ideological bonds between the President and the audience.
As Rusydi .
argues, expressive Journal of Educational Management Research Vol.
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php/jemr language reflects moral and cultural values embedded in institutional discourse, reinforcing legitimacy through ethical and affective engagement.
Although declarative acts occur less frequently, their function is crucial in reaffirming constitutional authority and formal governmental stances, thereby reinforcing institutional legitimacy within a constitutional framework.
Table : 1 Classification of Illocutionary Acts in President Prabowo SubiantoAos Address Type of Illocutionary Act Sample Utterance Communicative Function Representative Indonesia remains resilient amid global Asserting national condition Representative Human resource development is a national Stating policy orientation Directive Let us strengthen cooperation among all Encouraging collective action Directive I invite institutions to act transparently.
Mobilizing institutional Commissive The government will continue prioritizing Expressing commitment Expressive I express my appreciation to all Conveying gratitude Declaration This address reaffirms our constitutional Legitimizing authority The classification presented in Table 1 illustrates that illocutionary acts are systematically employed to perform governance functions rather than merely convey information.
The dominance of representative and directive acts indicates that the speech is oriented toward constructing shared understanding and guiding institutional behavior.
In the context of education management, this suggests that national leadership discourse plays a formative role in shaping how educational institutions interpret policy priorities, leadership expectations, and managerial responsibilities.
Furthermore, the interaction between different types of illocutionary acts demonstrates that presidential discourse operates as an integrated communicative strategy.
Representative acts establish the rationale for policy directions, directive acts encourage institutional alignment, commissive acts secure future orientation, and expressive acts reinforce moral legitimacy.
This pattern confirms that political speeches function as strategic governance tools that integrate authority, accountability, and persuasion.
Therefore, understanding illocutionary acts in presidential discourse is essential for policymakers, education managers, and institutional leaders seeking to translate national narratives into effective organizational practices.
Journal of Educational Management Research Vol.
05 No.
: 293-302
Available online at https://serambi.
org/index.
php/jemr CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that President Prabowo SubiantoAos address to the 2025 MPR RI Annual Session strategically employs illocutionary acts as instruments of political leadership and governance communication.
The dominance of representative and directive acts reveals how presidential discourse functions not only to convey information but also to construct authority, frame national realities, and mobilize collective and institutional Commissive acts highlight governmental accountability and long-term commitment, particularly in relation to national development and human resource advancement, while expressive acts reinforce moral values, ideological alignment, and emotional engagement with institutional stakeholders.
The key insight of this study lies in understanding that political speeches operate as performative acts that shape policy interpretation, institutional orientation, and governance practices, including those related to education management.
In terms of scholarly contribution, this research advances pragmatic studies by integrating speech act theory with political discourse and education management perspectives, offering an interdisciplinary framework for analyzing leadership communication.
By focusing on an Indonesian presidential address, the study enriches empirical research in non-Western political contexts.
Nevertheless, this study is limited to a single speech and relies solely on textual analysis, without incorporating audience reception or comparative data.
Future research may expand the scope by examining multiple presidential speeches, employing mixed-method approaches, or exploring how illocutionary acts influence policy implementation and leadership practices in educational REFERENCES