From Panels to Proficiency: Exploring How Digital Comics Boost EFL Students’ Reading Engagement and Strategies

Abstract

EFL students often face challenges in reading comprehension, particularly due to low motivation and difficulties in understanding complex texts. Despite the growing popularity of digital comics as a form of extensive reading, limited studies have explored how they support students’ engagement and strategy use during reading. This study aimed to explore EFL students’ engagement with digital comics and identify the reading strategies they employ to aid their reading comprehension. A qualitative case study approach was used in this research, and the data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five third- and fourth-year students from the English Education Study Program at the University of Jambi. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the data. The findings revealed that students showed behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement while reading digital comics. They demonstrated frequent and flexible reading habits, strong interest in visuals and storylines, and mental efforts to overcome reading challenges. Additionally, students employed various reading strategies, including visualizing, making inferences, predicting, monitoring comprehension, re-reading, using translation tools, and taking notes. These findings suggest that digital comics can enhance students’ motivation, support their reading processes, and improve reading comprehension through engagement and strategic reading.