Between images and language: comics as a teaching resource for reading comprehension in a rural context

Authors

  • Dominga Mabel Cogollo Osorio University of Technology and Education, Estados Unidos Author
  • Clara María Solano Hernández University of Technology and Education, Estados Unidos Author
  • Luz Mary Agudelo Torres University of Technology and Education, Estados Unidos Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64325/IJIP.v3i2.53

Keywords:

reading comprehension, comics, multimodality, rural education, pedagogical mediation

Abstract

Reading comprehension in rural contexts requires pedagogical strategies sensitive to the characteristics of the environment and the diverse ways in which meaning is constructed. This study aimed to analyze the potential of comics as a didactic resource for reading comprehension in third-grade students at a rural educational institution in the municipality of Canalete, Córdoba, Colombia. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach with a hermeneutic orientation. Eight third-grade students and eight primary school teachers participated. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and pedagogical workshops and organized using a narrative matrix for interpretation. The findings revealed difficulties in formulating inferences and arguing interpretations, as well as the potential of comics to articulate verbal language, image, and narrative sequence during reading activities. Students used the visual and sequential components to help organize and interpret the content. It is concluded that comics constitute a relevant pedagogical tool for expanding ways of interacting with texts, although their potential depends on intentional and contextualized teacher guidance.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Brinkmann, S., & Kvale, S. (2015). InterViews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Cassany, D. (2006). Tras las líneas: Sobre la lectura contemporánea. Anagrama.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2024). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Duke, N. K., & Cartwright, K. B. (2021). The science of reading progresses: Communicating advances beyond the Simple View of Reading. Reading Research Quarterly, 56(S1), S25–S44. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.411

Gadamer, H.-G. (2004). Truth and method (J. Weinsheimer & D. G. Marshall, Trans.; 2nd rev. ed.). Continuum.

García Chacón, B. E., González Zabala, S. P., Quiroz Trujillo, A., & Velásquez Velásquez, Á. M. (2002). Técnicas interactivas para la investigación social cualitativa. Fundación Universitaria Luis Amigó.

Kress, G. (2010). Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203970034

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2020). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Ministerio de Cultura, & Ministerio de Educación Nacional. (2021). Plan Nacional de Lectura, Escritura y Oralidad (PNLEO) «Leer es mi cuento» 2018–2022. https://www.mineducacion.gov.co/1780/articles-411450_recurso_01.pdf

Ministerio de Educación Nacional. (2018). Plan Especial de Educación Rural: Hacia el desarrollo rural y la construcción de paz. https://www.mineducacion.gov.co/1759/articles-385568_recurso_1.pdf

Solé, I. (1992). Estrategias de lectura. Graó.

Tseng, Y.-H. (2025). Motivating rural EFL students in multimodal teaching. Linguistics and Education, 87, Article 101425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2025.101425

Villa-Castro, T. M., García-Herrera, D. G., Cárdenas-Cordero, N. M., & Erazo-Álvarez, J. C. (2020). El cómic como estrategia para fomentar la lectura comprensiva. Cienciamatria, 6(1), 485–511. https://doi.org/10.35381/cm.v6i1.343

Wallner, L., & Eriksson Barajas, K. (2020). Using comics and graphic novels in K-9 education: An integrative research review. Studies in Comics, 11(1), 37–54. https://doi.org/10.1386/stic_00014_1

Downloads

Published

2026-08-01

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Cogollo Osorio, D. M., Solano Hernández, C. M., & Agudelo Torres, L. M. (2026). Between images and language: comics as a teaching resource for reading comprehension in a rural context. International Journal of Innovation and Pedagogy, 3(2), 53. https://doi.org/10.64325/IJIP.v3i2.53