ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3084-2877

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Education (Ph.D)

Department

Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

Adam Clark

Second Advisor

Nikki Chamblee

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to discover through exploratory research if using authentic material; comics, newspapers and graphic novels would motivate and improve the reading skills of low literacy adults. This was an important study that demonstrated the need to enhance reading programs for adults. The outcomes supported the study’s aim of developing new curricula for adult reading programs. The study utilized a qualitative approach, utilizing three methods; personal narratives interviews, and self-surveys which provided descriptions of the results of lack of literacy skills in low-level literacy adults. The study sought to discover if using authentic material both holds the interest of low literacy learners and motivates them to acquire reading skills. Using authentic materials aided low literacy learners in understanding the text. Studies have shown that pupils will remember far more of a text if they understand the context, regardless of how well they can read each individual word (Enser, 2019). The qualitative data were collected through one-on-one interviews, self-surveys and personal narratives. Interviews contained open-ended questions which allowed the participants to discuss their experiences and expectations from reading programs. Personal narratives provided first person experiences of the participants (Carless & Douglas, 2017). Questions and detailed information elicited from personal narratives and self-surveys provided answers to research questions one and two, will using authentic materials; comics, newspapers and graphic novels motivate adult learners more than standard text? And what do low literacy adults expect or hope to gain from an adult literacy program? Research question three asks: Can low literacy adults with a sixth-grade reading level improve their reading skills after participating in a 6-week reading intervention using authentic materials? Self-surveys and one-on-one interviews provided in-depth answers which gauged the adult participants’ motivation and progress. Self-surveys provided the participants’ perspective and helped provide insight into qualitative data. Interviews and post research surveys provided rich data from research question four: How will adult low literacy readers describe their success after using authentic material, will being motivated be considered success, is success measured in feelings of competence? With participants' permission for the interviews, self-surveys and narratives were recorded. The researcher gathered similar responses that were color coded and analyzed for patterns and themes.

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