Fostering critical literacy in secondary education through short stories in English

Abstract

The present study focused on the use of short stories as a pedagogical tool to cultivate critical literacy in secondary school students learning English as a foreign language, it was carried out in a public institution in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, Colombia. Its main objective was to describe short stories as a pedagogical tool to foster critical literacy in the teaching of English. This qualitative research was based on the sociocritical paradigm with an inductive method and a spiral design, using participatory action approach. A lesson plan was developed and executed that strategically incorporated short stories, assessing their impact through observations in field notes, recordings, and focus group discussions. The results highlighted the advantages of short stories in education: as a powerful pedagogical resource to foster critical perspectives on social and cultural reality, and as a useful tool to improve linguistic aspects. The short stories also proved to be motivating, enriching English learning and promoting a meaningful educational experience. In summary, the study underlined the effectiveness of short stories in boosting critical literacy and improving language skills, advocating for the exploration of critical literacy practices throughout secondary education and their integration from primary education.