Using Visual Storytelling to Improve Learning Outcomes in Primary and Secondary Education
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Visual storytelling combines visual representation, narrative organization, academic language, and revision to support curriculum learning. This study examined the effects of a curriculum-aligned visual-storytelling program on comprehension and academic achievement (co-primary outcomes) and on visual literacy and communication (prioritized secondary outcomes). We conducted a cluster-randomized mixed-methods trial in six public schools from one mixed urban-peri-urban district, involving 24 intact primary and secondary classes and 384 students. Twelve classes received visual-storytelling instruction, and twelve received active conventional instruction, for 12 weeks. Baseline-adjusted multilevel models accounted for class clustering and the finite number of clusters. At post-test, the adjusted advantage was 5.4 points for comprehension (95% CI [2.5, 8.3]; g = 0.44) and 4.9 points for achievement (95% CI [2.0, 7.8]; g = 0.40). At the eight-week follow-up, the corresponding differences were 4.1 points (95% CI [1.1, 7.1]; g = 0.32) and 3.6 points (95% CI [0.7, 6.5]; g = 0.29). We assessed visual literacy, communication, imagination, engagement, and motivation at baseline, post-test, and follow-up; visual literacy and communication showed the largest secondary effects. Multiple imputation, complete-case, and cluster-robust sensitivity analyses yielded comparable conclusions. School-stage interactions were exploratory and imprecise. Artifact and qualitative evidence provided interpretive support for program implementation, particularly sequence coherence, image-concept alignment, audience interpretation, and revision. The main limitation was the sample's concentration in six schools, which limited subgroup precision and broader generalization. The findings indicate that visual storytelling can strengthen curriculum learning when multimodal production is explicitly connected to disciplinary content, assessment criteria, and individual academic explanation.
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