The use of graphic short stories in improving inferential reading skills

Abstract

This quantitative study aimed to determine the impact of graphic short stories on the inferential reading skills among Grade 7 students at a private university in Iloilo City. The research focused on the three Most Essential Learning Competencies from the Department of Education (DepEd) English Curriculum: (1) inferring the main idea, (2) inferring supporting details, and (3) predicting outcomes. Student reading levels were assessed using an adapted scale from the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil- IRI), which classifies comprehension skills into frustration, instructional, and independent levels. A purposive sample of 30 Grade 7 students was selected for the study. Frequency count, percentage, mean, and standard deviation calculations were utilized as statistical tools for quantitative data analysis. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Sum test, a non-parametric statistical method, was utilized to evaluate the data with a significance level set at 0.025. The findings revealed that before the use of graphic short stories, the students’ inferential skills, as measured by their ability to infer the main idea, supporting details, and outcomes, were predominantly at the frustration level. With the introduction of graphic short stories, these skills improved, advancing to the instructional level. When both of the scores were compared, the results showed that there was a significant improvement in the inferential reading skills of the students when graphics were included in the short stories.