Integrating Toontastic into Reading Lessons: A Descriptive Study of Students’ Engagement and Comprehension in Senior High School
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v13i2.6978Keywords:
Toontastic, Reading Comprehension, Students’ EngagementAbstract
This research explores the integration of Toontastic, a digital storytelling application, into reading lessons to enhance students’ engagement and reading comprehension in aSenior high school (SMA) setting. The obejective of this research is to find out how the integration of Toontastic into reading lessons influence students’ engagement and reading comprehension in Senior High School. Employing a qualitative descriptive method, the research involved classroom observations, student interviews, and analysis of digital storytelling products created by 24 eighth-grade students over a four-week period. The findings reveal that Toontastic significantly improved students’ behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. Learners actively participated in story construction, expressed enthusiasm, and demonstrated deep interaction with the reading materials. Furthermore, students’ digital stories indicated improved comprehension of narrative texts, including accurate retelling, interpretation, and vocabulary use. The research highlights the value of digital storytelling as a learner centered approach that supports both engagement and textual understanding. It concludes with practical recommendations for educators and suggestions for further research, particularly in integrating technology into literacy instruction. This research contributes to the growing field of interactive media in education by providing insights into how digital tools like Toontastic can transform conventional reading practices.
References
Alharbi, M. A. (2021). Developing reading comprehension through metacognitive strategies: A study on EFL learners. International Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 3(2), 45–58.
Amalia, R., & Lubis, M. (2024). Exploring the impact of digital storytelling on EFL learners' motivation and language performance. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 15(1), 78–89. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1501.09
Anggriani, L., & Mulyadi, D. (2023). Student engagement in digital learning environments: A case study in narrative reading. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 4(2), 112–123.
Azizah, N., Rachmawati, I., & Santosa, R. (2022). From comprehension to reflection: Rethinking reading instruction in Indonesian high schools. Indonesian Journal of EFL Education, 9(2), 45–57.
Coiro, J., Kiili, C., & Castek, J. (2019). Advancing reading comprehension of multimodal texts in the 21st century. The Reading Teacher, 73(3), 307–314. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1824
Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2013). Teaching and Researching Reading (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Handayani, A., Rahayu, D., & Prabowo, R. (2024). Fostering communication and media literacy through digital storytelling in vocational education. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Education, 6(1), 33–47.
Hidayati, T., & Pardede, P. (2020). Reading comprehension in EFL secondary education: Challenges and pedagogical implications. Journal of English Language Teaching and Literature, 5(1), 21–33.
Huda, M., Nuryanti, S., & Bakhtiar, M. I. (2023). Contextual engagement in digital learning: A qualitative exploration in EFL classrooms. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 7(2), 89–105. https://doi.org/10.24176/jerp.v7i2.401
Indrawati, S., & Sutopo, D. (2023). Implementing the Merdeka Curriculum: Opportunities and challenges in Indonesian education. Indonesian Journal of Curriculum and Educational Technology Studies, 11(1), 12–27.
Indriani, D., & Harahap, Y. (2021). Multimodal learning through digital storytelling: Enhancing students’ reading and speaking skills. Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Indonesia, 9(1), 55–67.
Indriani, R., & Harahap, F. (2021). Enhancing students' narrative skills through digital storytelling using Toontastic. Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics, 6(1), 84–94.
Kemendikbudristek. (2022). Panduan Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka. Jakarta: Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi.
Kusumawardhani, A., & Fauzan, A. (2020). The impact of traditional reading instruction on students' comprehension development. Journal of Language Pedagogy, 4(2), 29–41.
Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2020). New literacies and social practices: Reframing literacy in digital age. Language and Education, 34(2), 95–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2020.1703650
Liu, Y., Wang, H., & Xu, Y. (2020). Digital storytelling as a tool for student engagement in EFL reading classes. Language Learning & Technology, 24(2), 20–35.
Mauildah, L., & Prasetyo, D. (2022). Designing reading materials for the Merdeka Curriculum: A digital-based approach. Journal of Educational Innovation, 8(2), 113–126.
Nasution, A., & Pramudita, T. (2022). Digital narratives and literacy: An ethnographic perspective of classroom storytelling. Journal of Literacy Studies, 14(1), 61–75.
Nambiar, R., Hashim, H., & Yunus, M. M. (2020). Task-based language teaching in digital storytelling: The Malaysian context. Arab World English Journal, 11(2), 125–139. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol11no2.9
Nurhayati, D. A. W., & Kusumawati, M. (2023). Fostering EFL students' engagement through multimodal tasks: A case study in Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 13(1), 45–56.
Nurhayati, I., & Kusumawati, A. (2023). Multimodal texts to boost EFL learners’ reading engagement and comprehension. Journal of Language and Literature Education, 5(1), 58–66.
Masruddin, M., & Nasriandi, N. (2022). Lexical and Syntactical Errors Performed by Junior High School Student in Writing Descriptive Text. IDEAS: Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature, 10(1), 1094-1100.
Masruddin, M., Amir, F., Langaji, A., & Rusdiansyah, R. (2023). Conceptualizing linguistic politeness in light of age. International Journal of Society, Culture & Language, 11(3), 41-55.
Papadakis, S., Kalogiannakis, M., & Zaranis, N. (2022). Improving literacy skills through mobile digital storytelling: A systematic review. Education and Information Technologies, 27(1), 1–20.
Putri, F. A., & Sari, R. N. (2021). Traditional Reading Instruction in Indonesian Secondary Schools: A Challenge for Innovation. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 12(1), 144–151.
Rahmawati, D., Syafrizal, & Munir, R. (2020). Challenges in implementing communicative reading approaches in rural high schools. J-SHMIC Journal, 7(1), 25–39.
Rahimi, M., & Yadollahi, S. (2022). Scaffolding EFL reading comprehension through digital multimodal texts. Journal of Language and Education Research, 5(3), 134–147.
Sari, K., & Nugroho, A. (2020). The effectiveness of digital storytelling on students' English learning outcomes. Journal of English Education and Technology, 2(2), 66–77.
Setiawan, H. (2023). Developing vocational students’ reading literacy for industrial needs. Journal of Language and Vocational Studies, 5(1), 18–30.
Sun, L., & Gao, F. (2021). Dimensions of student engagement in EFL settings: A literature review and implications for practice. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 30(6), 501–512.
Syahrial, S., & Harahap, R. (2021). Technology-integrated literacy practices in the Merdeka Curriculum era. Jurnal Teknologi Pendidikan, 23(1), 54–66.
Walsh, S. (2021). The role of interaction in task-based language teaching: Insights from classroom discourse. Language Teaching Research, 25(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168819897296
Warhani, R., & Saputra, F. (2022). Enhancing narrative skills through Toontastic digital storytelling. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, 7(1), 39–51.
Wulandari, R., & Astuti, E. (2022). Exploring students’ multimodal literacy through storytelling projects. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 13(2), 109–120.
Yuliana, D., & Nugroho, F. (2023). Digital creativity in vocational English learning: Case study of Toontastic implementation. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 13(1), 144–155.
Zhang, S., & Liu, Y. (2021). Critical literacy and reading pedagogy in EFL context: Challenges and solutions. ELT Journal, 75(3), 289–297. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccab006
Zhang, Y., & Chen, L. (2020). Student engagement and reading comprehension in online EFL learning environments. Journal of Language and Education, 6(2), 25–38.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sri Rahayu, Rahmawati Upa, Paldy, Hafirah Patang

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access)