Digital Narratives for Academic Success: Enhancing Student Achievement through Storytelling

Abstract

This study looked at how Digital Story-telling (DST) affected high school students studying English as a second language in terms of their learning motivationm, critical thinking, and academic achievement. This year-long study included 48 10th-grade students from two English courses using a quasi-experimental design with pretest and posttest assessments. Information technology-integrated instruction at two levels—lecture-style (for the comparison group) and DST (for the experimental group)—was the independent variable. In order to assess how well DST improves learning outcomes, both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. This included critical thinking and English language competence tests as well as questionnaire answers about learning motivation. The collected data underwent examination through descriptive analysis, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), and qualitative content analysis. Our findings show that participants in the DST group surpassed those in the lecture-style ITII group concerning critical thinking, learning motivation, and English proficiency. Insights gathered from interviews underscore the noteworthy educational impact of DST. Both the teacher and students expressed that DST elevated their understanding of course content, heightened their curiosity, and enhanced their critical thinking abilities—essential skills for equipping students for the dynamic challenges of the 21st century. Incorporating stories from Palestinian culture, rooted in the real-life experiences of students, has been successfully undertaken to enhance the cultural relevance of DST. This addition brings a valuable dimension to the research, providing a more comprehensive understanding of how DST impacts students' learning experiences. By integrating these authentic narratives, the study successfully captures the cultural richness and diversity inherent in the students' backgrounds, thereby enriching the overall research findings.