Ludic pedagogy and The Classroom Story: exploring classroom engagement through comics-based research self-study

Abstract

The central question guiding this work is how arts-based, narrative-driven pedagogy can foster creativity, agency, and engagement in the classroom. Rather than positioning students as research subjects, this work has a focus on the teacher-researcher’s evolving understanding of practice, possibility, and professional identity. The researcher integrates analysis and expression through the creation of comics. Comics-based research (CBR) as a self-study methodology is employed to critically reflect on and reimagine classroom practice. Grounded in arts-based research (ABR), CBR offers a creative, multimodal approach to inquiry and expression that aligns with the author’s teaching philosophy and long-term pedagogical exploration. Connected with Ludic Pedagogy, The Classroom Story is a role-playing, story-driven approach to teaching. It allows the author to investigate, in a sustained manner, how imaginative, collaborative, and multimodal playful learning environments have shaped their own growth as an educator. By presenting the research analysis in comic form, this thesis offers educators an accessible and visually compelling resource for professional reflection and pedagogical innovation.