Comic stories as a teaching resource for teaching botanics for deaf and hearing students

Abstract

The human-plant relationship is longstanding, dating back to the dawn of civilization. Throughout history, humans have maintained a close and multifaceted interaction with plant organisms, particularly in the domains of sustenance, natural medicine, and religious rites. Conversely, deaf education presents a formidable challenge within mainstream educational settings, largely due to communicative disparities. A nuanced examination of botany, encompassing its abstract conceptualizations, specialized lexicon, and the visual-centric culture of the deaf community, reveals a twofold challenge in delivering botanical instruction to deaf learners, necessitating pedagogical approaches that prioritize visual stimuli. In light of these considerations, this study aims to elucidate the utility of a comic narrative collection as a didactic tool for imparting botanical knowledge to both deaf and hearing high school students. Methodologically, this research adopts a qualitative approach. Through the development of a digital anthology of comic narratives (e-books), this investigation endeavors to render botanical concepts more accessible, dynamic, and interactive, thereby fostering inclusivity in education and bridging the pedagogical gap in botany comprehension among deaf and hearing students within the foundational educational framework.