Not Just Books for Boys: Gender, Reading Comprehension, and Student Experience With Graphic Novels

• In Event: 44.071 - Research in Reading and Literacy SIG III

Abstract

There have been few studies examining the efficacy of graphic novels in ELA classrooms and fewer still investigating gender in regard to graphic texts. This paper shares findings from a quantitative study examining the impact of gender on students’ (1) comprehension of a graphic novel—an adaptation of Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”—and (2) experiences with and opinions of graphic novels. Student scores on a reading comprehension test were analyzed using t-tests, and survey responses were analyzed via descriptive statistics. Females scored significantly higher than males, and the scores of females tended to improve across grades (i.e., females in 12th grade outperformed their younger female peers). Furthermore, females, overall, appeared to hold more positive opinions of graphic texts.

Authors

• Mike P Cook, Auburn University

• Brandon Lee Sams, Auburn University