Voices from the Coast: Exploring Students and Teachers' Perspectives on Optimizing English Literacy through Contextual Digital Comic-Based Approach (DCBA)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to find out how junior high school students and teachers in coastal areas view about the use of the Digital Comic-Based Approach (DCBA) to improve their English literacy. Using a qualitative-dominant Research and Development (R&D) methodology and grounded in contextual learning theory, this study investigates the effects of digital comics that are based on local culture and real-life scenarios on students' motivation, engagement, and comprehension in learning English literacy. In-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and classroom observations were used to gather data for the study, which was carried out at SMPN Satu Atap 19 Konawe Selatan, a coastal school in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, with few resources and a C accreditation. Strong student involvement, contextual relevance, and the usefulness of DCBA in improving English literacy in a marginalized educational setting are revealed by the findings. Increased motivation, a stronger sense of cultural connection, and improved comprehension of English-language material were reported by both teachers and students. According to the findings, DCBA provides a workable and culturally relevant teaching approach that is appropriate for the development of coastal literacy