Evaluation of the Effect of Digital Comics on Learning: How are Students’ Motivation and Emotional Reactions?

Abstract

Technology-based learning media is strongly suspected of influencing students’ emotional reactions and motivation to learn mathematics. However, students’ emotional reactions to mathematics learning still receive less attention from teachers. This study aims to investigate the differences in emotional reactions and learning motivation between high, medium, and low levels of students’ mathematical comprehension and the role of digital comic media in mathematics learning. This study involved 100 high school student respondents. Data collection is done through observation, surveys, and tests. The findings of this study indicate significant differences in emotional reactions and learning motivation between high, medium, and low levels of students’ mathematical comprehension in mathematics learning assisted by digital comic media. Emotional reactions predict students’ mathematical comprehension abilities in the high and medium groups in mathematics learning assisted by digital comics. However, specifically learning motivation is the strongest predictor of low group students’ mathematical comprehension. The role of digital comic media in mathematics learning is to build positive emotional reactions, focus attention, visualize abstract concepts in mathematics into concrete concepts, and become good cognitive control for students when learning.