Storytelling Approach Research Articles

Memory as Pedagogical Tool: The Role of Objectives and Narratives in Learning Through Literature in the Works of Orhan Pamuk

The works of Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, who is most known for his novels, explore complex ideas of cultural interaction, memory, history, and identity. Subjectivity and the construction of one’s own meaning are common themes in Pamuk’s narratives. The idea that students build their own knowledge through their own experiences and interactions is central to constructivist pedagogy, which this practice echoes. His writings could serve as educational tools to demonstrate how valuable it is to consider different viewpoints and apply critical thinking skills when building knowledge. The utilisation of stories in the classroom is consistent with his elaborate storytelling approach. The three pillars of transformational education—engagement, empathy, and critical reflection—are nurtured through storytelling. Teachers could use Pamuk’s writings as examples or as starting points for class discussions on cultural and personal identity. Discussions regarding the function of art and aesthetics in the classroom would benefit from reading works by Pamuk because of the profound emotional and aesthetic reactions they elicit. His books provide a window into the ways in which feelings impact education, self-discovery, and moral reasoning.

Storytelling in English Language Education in China: A Systematic Review of Empirical Research from the Past Decade (2014–2024)

The storytelling approach has been widely recognised as an effective pedagogical approach in English language education (ELE). In China, storytelling has received considerable attention as an instructional method, aligning with national policies emphasising innovative and interactive learning. However, while empirical research on storytelling in China’s ELE has grown, there is a lack of systematic reviews synthesising relevant studies in this context. This gap limits the understanding of how storytelling has been implemented and evaluated within China’s unique socio-cultural and educational settings. Thus, based on three databases (Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar), this systematic review addresses this gap by examining 24 empirical studies published in the past decade, from 2014 to 2024. The findings reveal storytelling is predominantly used in primary and secondary education, with fewer studies in tertiary and special education. Research interests span curriculum integration, material adaptation, stakeholder perceptions, and learning outcomes. Effective strategies primarily focus on the selection and adaptation of stories for instruction and the implementation of storytelling through methods such as guided reading, autonomous reading, and the use of multimodal support, though challenges such as inadequate teacher training, resource limitations, and misaligned activities with curriculum goals remain prevalent. With quantitative and qualitative designs underpinning most previous studies, the review highlights the importance of expanding the research agenda for a more comprehensive understanding. Implications for educators, curriculum planners, and policymakers include addressing resource gaps, enhancing teacher training, and fostering collaboration to optimise storytelling practices in China’s ELE.

MODEL STORYTELLING NARASI PARIWISATA REGENERATIF DI TAHURA NGURAH RAI PEMOGAN

This study examines the regenerative tourism product storytelling model at Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park (Tahura). Regenerative tourism focuses on environmental restoration, local community empowerment, and creating sustainable experiences that involve tourists. Through a storytelling approach, cultural values, history, and local wisdom narratives are used as key elements in designing unique and competitive tourism narrative products. The study uses a case study approach to deeply understand the social and ecological phenomena occurring at Tahura Ngurah Rai. Data collection techniques include interviews, observations, and literature reviews. The theory of historical commodification (G.J. Ashworth: 1999) serves as the main theory, supported by narrative theory (Gerard Genette, 1980) to design regenerative tourism product narratives based on storytelling. The findings show that the application of the storytelling concept in creating regenerative tourism narratives at Tahura Ngurah Rai not only enhances the economic value of tourism post-Covid-19 but also supports the regeneration of the mangrove ecosystem, community empowerment, and strengthens the image of tourist attractions based on local wisdom. This model provides strategic guidance for tourism managers in integrating sustainability, cultural, and local narrative elements as the foundation for developing tourism narrative products that have a positive ecological impact and gender empowerment.

A Plus for Peace: A Storytelling Approach to Reputational Security

ABSTRACT This study uses narrative theory to explore discursive content strategy in Switzerland’s UN Security Council campaign, A Plus for Peace. I dissect Swiss government communications to ascertain what strategic narratives and logics of campaigning were employed as the campaign sought to secure votes in the General Assembly and repair domestic perceptions of Switzerland’s reputational security abroad. Results of a critical discourse analysis suggest the Swiss government focused A Plus for Peace on a synthesis of system and identity narratives, contextualizing Switzerland’s national identity and relative position in international affairs. This highlighted its history as a peace mediator, modern partnerships with non-state actors, and how its reputation for neutrality would build credibility for the Security Council and trust in the UN. Focusing on consistency, identity, and genuineness lent an authenticity to Switzerland’s storytelling, increasing the value its country reputation would bring to the Security Council. This also resolved a national political crisis by restoring domestic support for the country’s foreign policy. This case highlights the narrative structure of organizational storytelling embodying national identity and authenticity in a two-level, intermestic context of government public relations.

Sportify: Question Answering with Embedded Visualizations and Personified Narratives for Sports Video.

As basketball's popularity surges, fans often find themselves confused and overwhelmed by the rapid game pace and complexity. Basketball tactics, involving a complex series of actions, require substantial knowledge to be fully understood. This complexity leads to a need for additional information and explanation, which can distract fans from the game. To tackle these challenges, we present Sportify, a Visual Question Answering system that integrates narratives and embedded visualization for demystifying basketball tactical questions, aiding fans in understanding various game aspects. We propose three novel action visualizations (i.e., Pass, Cut, and Screen) to demonstrate critical action sequences. To explain the reasoning and logic behind players' actions, we leverage a large-language model (LLM) to generate narratives. We adopt a storytelling approach for complex scenarios from both first and third-person perspectives, integrating action visualizations. We evaluated Sportify with basketball fans to investigate its impact on understanding of tactics, and how different personal perspectives of narratives impact the understanding of complex tactic with action visualizations. Our evaluation with basketball fans demonstrates Sportify's capability to deepen tactical insights and amplify the viewing experience. Furthermore, third-person narration assists people in getting in-depth game explanations while first-person narration enhances fans' game engagement.

A Study on the Marketing Strategies of Mainstream Film and Television Companies: Taking Marvel as an Example

Marvel Entertainment, initially established in 1939 as Timely Publications, underwent a significant transformation in the 1960s under the creative guidance of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko. The introduction of relatable superheroes such as Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Avengers propelled Marvel to global recognition. These characters’ relatability, combined with their extraordinary abilities, allowed Marvel to transcend the comic book medium and expand into various entertainment domains. The pivotal moment in Marvel’s evolution came in 2009 when it was acquired by Disney for $4 billion, marking the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This strategic move was financed by a daring $525 million loan from Merrill Lynch, enabling Marvel to bring its film production in-house and maintain creative autonomy. This decision not only allowed for a more cohesive storytelling approach but also resulted in a significant share of profits, contributing to the creation of blockbuster films that shattered box office records and cultivated a devoted fan following. Central to Marvel’s enduring success is its business model, which hinges on cross-media integration. This approach has allowed Marvel to weave a rich tapestry of stories and characters across different platforms, including movies, television series, video games, and an extensive range of merchandise. The interconnected nature of the MCU has fostered a sense of continuity and depth, encouraging fans to engage with the brand across multiple touchpoints.

The marionette theatre: Decentering the all too human architect

This paper presents a philosophical reflection on a first-year design studio, conducted as an experimental deviation from traditional ‘all too human’ models of architectural education. The pedagogical approach ventures into broader ethical concerns surrounding the nonhuman and the art of building. In the studio, familiar human standpoints were decentered through the art of storytelling, drawing insight from discourses in posthuman education and nonhuman narratology which were interweaved into the design and performance of a marionette theatre. Throughout the term, the theme and its methodological and representational challenges were carried out in three main acts: the marionette, the theatre and the performance—with an intermission assignment posed as a point of critical reflection. At differing scales, each phase prompted different considerations related to nonhuman characters, the audience, performer and performance. Instead of assessing the studio’s outcomes within a positivistic framework, this paper presents portraits of student materializations from the semester. In this way, the results are framed heuristically, echoing the storytelling approach of the studio itself. Finally, a critical postscript reflects on a hypothetical direction for future studios.

Exorcising heteronormative trauma with The ConVersion: queer collaboration in (autoethno)graphic performance

ABSTRACT Relaying an especially traumatic encounter with heteronormative violence in the form of a non-consensual conversion, our performance theorizes and stages collaboration as a means of communicating trauma beyond the individuated capacities of a sole performer. We figure our collaborative effort an (autoethno)graphic performance to capture its dual embrace of graphic approaches to storytelling and performative approaches to autoethnographic inquiry, wherein one performer’s written narrative coalesces with another performer’s illustrations to critically re-story the past. In queering author/illustrator relational dynamics, our processual discovery of performance through collaboration conjures a mode of queer worldmaking while offering a temporary reprieve from heteronormative trauma.

TangibleTale: Designing Tangible Child–Parent Interactive Storytelling for Promoting Eating Behaviors

Tangible narrative allow children to interact with physical objects and provides an immersive storytelling approach to influence their cognition and behavior. However, research on using tangible narratives to encourage behaviors in children remains limited. To improve children’s eating behaviors, we combined narrative transportation theory with behavior change principles to conduct a design study, called TangibleTale. Specifically, we conducted a formative user study (N = 12 pairs) to identify the characteristics of children’s engagement with tangible narrative and their interactions with parents, which were then incorporated into a design workshop (N = 12) to develop an interactive product comprising tangible elements and an accompanying app. With the produced outcomes, we conducted a comparative experiment (N = 24 pairs) in a home setting to verify and explore the role of tangible narrative in child–parent mealtime interaction. Finally, we formulated design guidelines for a tangible narrative that can serve as a reference to assist in creating more impactful products that foster positive behavioral growth in children.

Preliminary findings of storytelling in schools as a pre-heatwave intervention to enhance children's behaviour to improve thermal comfort

Younger schoolchildren in particular are at risk of overheating in school due to two key factors. Firstly, children have a preference for lower temperatures than adults, and yet schools are designed and operated using adult thermal preference guidance. Secondly, younger schoolchildren often lack the confidence to change their behaviour in a school setting (remove a jumper, more away from direct sunlight, drink more water etc.) without prompting from the teacher. This paper reports a pilot study of a storytelling approach to enable schoolchildren to enhance their behaviour to improve their thermal comfort. A control: intervention study was undertaken across eight classes, in two schools in Hampshire, UK, with KS1 (national curriculum Key Stage 1, age 6–7) and KS2 (Key Stage 2 age 7–9) children. A new story, “The Hottest Day at School” was developed, where actions to improve thermal comfort were introduced, read by the teacher to children of intervention classes prior to a heatwave. The thermally influenced actions and feelings of schoolchildren were assessed during the heatwave event via a sticker log activity which each child completed. Fisher's exact and Pearson's chi-squared tests indicate statistically significant differences in the actions of KS1 children in particular. Whilst acknowledging the preliminary nature of the findings, the paper suggests that the storytelling approach does enable children to adapt their behaviour to enhance thermal comfort.

Materiality of Memorialisation: Mapping Migrant Women's Landmarks in Europe

This article investigates the memorialization of migrant women across transcultural landscapes, and analyses results from the Register of Migrant Women Landmarks in Europe (hereinafter RMWLE), central to the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) action project “Women on the Move” (CA19112 – WEMov). It serves as reference for subsequent research based on data from this Register, for which data collection is continuing. The RMWLE registers toponyms, such as monuments, plaques, streets and other infrastructures named after women with a significant history of migration. It honours aspects rarely prioritized in memorialisation agendas, which are skewed towards men’s stories, and towards the more linear biographies of sedentary figures whose European, national, and regional memorialisation have remained uncomplicated by migration. This Deep Data study reveals recurring patterns at the level of Europe in the memorialisation of these women migrants. The diversity of stories, the richness and the prominence of landmarks devoted to men compared to women is a subject well-covered in memorialisation studies. This unbalance is compounded by the data from our register which shows landmarks on women migrants that are sometime tokenized, often marginalized, and which reproduce the bias towards nurture and care that have besieged the memorialisation of women in general. It further shows that the memorialisation process and the political and cultural mechanisms of official celebration often work against the recognition of cross-border careers and stories. The intersectionality of the project, highlighting both gender and migration, uncovers a political landscape of toponyms – and we reflect on how this register can help combat cultural prejudice by recovering migration episodes. The RMWLE helps us reflect on the defining impact of migration episodes, a reality rarely underlined in the biographies of famous women. This article favours a storytelling approach, to counter dominant cultural narratives and knowledge practices.

Exploration and creation of meaningful teacher educator practises in physical education teacher education

ABSTRACT This paper examines four teacher educators’ work practices which either perceive to enhance or diminish meaningfulness in physical education teacher education. Through a community of learners, we took a narrative inquiry approach and in particular, a storytelling approach (Chiu-Ching & Chan, 2009. Teaching and learning through narrative inquiry. In D. Tidwell, M. L. Heston, & L. M. Fitzgerald (Eds.), In Research Methods for the Self-Study of Practice. Springer), to exploring, identifying, and examining meaningful teacher education practices. Stories (and elicited stories) were collected through recorded zoom meetings, critical discussions, and note taking. Collaborative data analysis resulted in three categories: (i) Ownership of practice as key to meaningful teacher educator practices; (ii) The influential interdependent relationships on the potential of meaningful teacher educator practices; and (iii) The power of reflection in learning from, and designing, meaningful teacher educator practices. We share considerations for other teacher educators in how they can strive towards developing meaningful teacher education practice, for example, we encourage teacher educators to engage in individual and collective reflection by being vulnerable.

Effect of Dramatic Storytelling on Emergent Literacy in EFL: Evidence from the UAE Kindergartens

ABSTRACT Adopting a combination of quasi-experiment and formative research design, this study developed, implemented, and evaluated an intervention model that provided the kindergartners with intensive experiences with dramatic storytelling. The samples were 200 children from 10 classes of three kindergartens in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, with 107 in intervention classes, and 93 in control classes. The intervention program covered four English dramatic stories that were taught in 16 sessions in eight weeks. The dramatic storytelling sessions were characteristic of use of print copy of storybook and dramatization. Quantitative data were collected through structured observation of the child’s classroom activities and parent survey on the child’s learning EFL at home. General linear model repeated measures revealed that the main effects of group (intervention and control) and time (pre- and post-intervention) in predicting the mean scores of the composite of classroom activities and the child’s action to learn EFL at home were significant. This study offered a micro-curriculum model of a dramatic storytelling approach to EFL teaching, which may serve as a conceptual framework for developing kindergarten-based EFL curriculum in the UAE and similar contexts.

Young People’s voices on social justice: a participatory storytelling and action learning approach

ABSTRACT South Africa is home to a large youth population, defined in South Africa as aged between 18 and 34 years. In working to transform our unequal society, we need to take diverse youth voices, including young people at university, into account regarding what matters to them. To enable their voices, the paper recounts a participatory storytelling research project with students in the educational space of one South African university. Using individual and collective digital storytelling, participants produced an archive of everyday stories, which then comprised a data base for them to analyse social in/justice issues and themes and co-create knowledge from the ground-up, with their emergent ideas categorised in a social injustice map. Through the iterative action learning and reflective process, participants developed their critical awareness of injustices and enhanced their sense of their own epistemic agency to contribute to change. Both the project process and the formation of intersecting capabilities for the co-creation of substantive reparative knowledge about social injustices and fairness were advanced through the project. Finally, it is suggested that these two capabilities might be applied to young people globally as crucial for contributions to epistemic agency and for making more just future societies.

The transformation of children’s mental representations of 5-6 year olds for coagulation: precursor models through a storytelling approach

Abstract The current study presents the results of a qualitative research on the mental representations of children aged 5-6 years regarding the coagulation of everyday materials. Initially, children’s representations on coagulation of butter and chocolate were studied in a pre-test through three different tasks. Subsequently, a teaching intervention was implemented based on a storytelling approach, which is embedded in a socio-constructivist perspective with the aim of establishing a precursor model in children’s thinking about coagulation. Finally, in a post-test, children’s representations after the teaching intervention were studied. The results of the research showed that children have made significant progress in the post-test as the majority of them recognize cooling as a factor in the coagulation of the above materials.

(Bio)Graphic Novels: A Medium for Biographic Storytelling

ABSTRACT Over the past decade, the Italian comics landscape has been transformed by autobiographical comic artists like Zerocalcare and Takoua Ben Mohamed, whose works have significantly broadened the comics readership in Italy. The success of these authors, along with the rise of the non-serialised form of the ‘graphic novel’, has also influenced the production of biographical comics. These comics offer fresh perspectives on the lives of notable figures to a diverse audience. The unique narrative mediation by comics authors makes this genre particularly intriguing for examining how verbo-visual storytelling techniques are used to reflect and convey real-life scenes and experiences. This article delves into the biographical storytelling approach through a close reading of three graphic biographies authored by women and focused on female figures, Lei. Vivian Maier, Virginia Woolf, and Io sono Maria Callas, to explore how biographical narratives can be crafted to tell compelling life stories.

Imagination switch – Friction and thick time in speculative worldmaking

The inability to respond to the environmental crises has been argued to stem from the crisis of imagination that underlies modernity. In response, the potentials of speculative approaches have been explored. This article presents a speculative worldmaking project conducted in a secondary school with young people. The project involved three consecutive phases, last of which is more closely examined. Next to the ideas and stories produced with young people, the paper discusses ways in which the unfolding of the project made perceptible certain challenges in schooling. Through ethnographic narrating and leaning on the concepts of friction and thick time, the article shows how speculative worldmaking can function as an ontological tool and as critical intervention. Through presenting a novel storytelling space and approach, the Living Room, it shows how space can be made for more collective and response-able modes of multispecies storytelling within a neoliberal institutional setting, in this instance a secondary school. Instead of being akin to a swich that can be turned on or off at command, imagination figures as a matter of multiple worlds, rhythms, times, and responses.

Pastoral care from the pulpit: preaching as therapy for belief sickness

ABSTRACT It is argued that an important function in pastoral preaching is facilitating self-doctoring for belief sickness. Belief sickness is caused by an element in a personal worldview that is unrealistic, unhelpful, and distorted, and which leads to significant emotional and spiritual distress. There is a tradition in philosophy, beginning with Plato and continuing to the present day, in which the role of the philosopher is construed, in part, as providing a cure for illness in the soul. Taking a lead from Kierkegaard, self-doctoring in pastoral preaching is associated with the method of throwing up competing perspectives to stimulate reflection. Preaching methods such as the story-telling approach, the roundtable, and paradoxical preaching are identified as aligning in a general way with the Kierkegaardian technique. A sermon outline is offered that demonstrates the technique in practice. Though the concentration is on method, the vitally important role of the Word-Spirit partnership in inner transformation and healing is also discussed.

“It’s Your Body and Your Life:” Formative Audience Research to Develop a Sexual Health Campaign with Youth of Color

Young people account for over half of new STI cases and youth of color face increased sexual health disparities. In partnership with Fact Forward, researchers conducted qualitative formative audience research to develop a culture-centered health communication campaign to increase access to and use of sexual health services among youth of color in South Carolina. Grounded in a reproductive justice theoretical framework, this study employed innovative strategies, including training youth ambassadors to moderate peer-to-peer focus groups. A total of 134 participants were recruited for the study with 51 individuals participating in 9 focus groups and 83 respondents completing a web-based survey (ages 15-24). Qualitative data analyses used Nvivo 1.5.1. Statistical analyses used R Studio®. Findings revealed barriers including lack of education about risks. Participants identified dimensions of inequity and the importance of intersectional messaging to address intimacy, sexuality, and trust. They emphasized normalizing conversations about sexual health and the need for important others “in your corner” to provide support. Participants suggested an empowering storytelling approach to reduce shame surrounding sexual health services. Social media emerged as an optimal communication channel. UNC Perceived Message Effectiveness (PME) Scale scores ranged from 4.42 to 4.57 (out of 5) indicating that messages were well received by participants. Sex-positive campaign messaging focused on self-love, empowerment, and taking control of sexual health. This study offers practical suggestions to develop effective communication strategies to reach youth of color to increase use of sexual health services, including contraceptive counseling, STI prevention, screening, and treatment.

Diversity-On: A Diversity-Sensitive Online Self-Help Program for Family Caregivers-A Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

Scientific research has consistently emphasised the high levels of stress encountered by family caregivers of individuals living with dementia. However, conventional self-help approaches remain underutilised. The 'Diversity-On' study addresses this issue. The study employs a storytelling approach to develop and evaluate an online self-help program that is participatory and diversity-sensitive, thereby ensuring congruence with diverse identities and lifeworlds. The study uses a mixed-methods design, comprising the allocation and implementation of the intervention, the development of stories, a process evaluation (N = 20) and an outcome evaluation (quantitative: N = 130, qualitative: N = 20). The study's primary focus is its comprehensive participatory approach, integrated throughout the research process. The study is dependent on the input of a number of stakeholders, all of whom are committed to advocating for the concerns of patients. Given its participatory methodology and intersectional perspective, the 'Diversity-On' study is anticipated to yield a number of significant outcomes. The study has the potential to empower family caregivers of individuals living with dementia who are under high stress, empowering them to take part in self-help groups despite multiple barriers, thus alleviating their burden. Additionally, it has the capacity to promote the well-being of caregiving relatives who are providing care and are experiencing high levels of stress. The study's objective is to maintain home care arrangements for as long as possible, in accordance with the values and preferences of care recipients and their families. The study intends to develop and assess a customised online self-help resource that is suitable for a diverse range of users and that remains accessible beyond the study period. The project is subsequently registered in ClinicalTrials.gov.