BRINGING STORIES TO LIFE: ENHANCING STUDENT’S COMPREHENSION IN TEACHING NOVEL THROUGH ANIMATION

Abstract

Engaging students in novel reading continues to be a challenge in secondary education, particularly when traditional teaching methods are used. These approaches often lead to low levels of comprehension and participation. To address this issue, a classroom-based study was conducted to enhance Grade 10 students’ understanding and interest in learning novels by incorporating animation. It involved 35 students from a public school in Ozamiz City during the 2024–2025 academic year. Using a quantitative method, data were collected through a researcher-developed assessment given before and after the animation-based instruction was introduced. Before the intervention, most students scored below the satisfactory level—11 fell under the “Did Not Meet Expectations” category, 8 were rated “Fairly Satisfactory,” and only 4 reached the “Very Satisfactory” level. Not a single student achieved an “Outstanding” score, indicating low engagement with traditional teaching methods. However, after animation was implemented, student performance improved significantly. Twenty-three students reached the “Very Satisfactory” level, five were rated “Satisfactory,” and one student achieved an “Outstanding” score. The increase in performance was statistically significant, showing that the use of animation had a strong, positive effect on both comprehension and engagement. The study concludes that using animation in teaching novels can be highly effective, as it fosters a more inclusive, engaging, and lively classroom atmosphere. The use of animation in instruction not only enhances students’ understanding of literary texts but also fosters increased classroom participation. Based on these findings, it is recommended that educators consider integrating animation and other creative teaching strategies to enrich students’ learning experiences and improve their academic performance in Filipino literature.