English Comics As Reading Materials And Intervention In Improving Students’ Reading Comprehension

Abstract

With the engaging blend of visuals and texts, comics have emerged as promising tools for enhancing reading comprehension in primary classrooms. This study examined how incorporating English comics as reading materials and interventions impact students' reading comprehension. It also determined students' perceptions on the use of English comics to improve their reading comprehension. Explanatory sequential design was employed. Specifically, classroom action research was utilized in the quantitative phase. Pre-and post-test assessments were used to determine differences in students' reading comprehension performances. For the qualitative phase, a semi-structured interview was used to determine students' perceptions of the comics. The study involved 20 Grade 5 students at Palabayan Elementary School (PES), Tinoc, Ifugao, Philippines. Quantitative results showed significant improvement in the students' reading comprehension after using the comics. Qualitative findings divulged four main themes: comics design, the impact of comics on reading comprehension, challenges encountered, and suggestions for improvement of the comics. Students indicated the positive influence of visually appealing design elements and well-designed picture and text alignment. Accordingly, it helped improve their reading comprehension and increased their pleasure in reading. Challenges encountered include visual and textual overload, as well as students' limited vocabulary. Students’ recommendations include improving the clarity of the comics, adding more pictures for visual appeal, and enhancing the designs of the comics. Nonetheless, this study implies the impact of English comics and supports their utilization as reading materials and an intervention tool for enhancing young students' reading comprehension.