Digital Narratives as Emotional Scaffolds: A Case Study of Student-Generated Stories in Thai ESL Classrooms
Article Sidebar
-
Digital Storytelling, Emotional Scaffolding, ESL Education
Abstract
Background. The increasing integration of digital storytelling in English as a Second Language (ESL) education highlights its potential not only for linguistic development but also for emotional expression among learners.
Purpose. This study investigates how digital narratives created by Thai ESL students function as emotional scaffolds in language learning environments. The research aims to explore the affective dimensions of student-generated digital stories, specifically how these narratives foster emotional engagement, self-expression, and learner identity in the ESL classroom.
Method. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through interviews, classroom observations, and content analysis of student projects.
Results. Findings indicate that digital storytelling enabled students to externalize personal experiences, reduce language anxiety, and build emotional connections with the learning content. Furthermore, the process encouraged collaborative dialogue and empathy among peers.
Conclusion. The study concludes that digital narratives serve as both pedagogical and emotional tools, bridging language skills with psychological well-being. Implications suggest that ESL educators should intentionally design digital storytelling tasks to support students' emotional development alongside language proficiency.
Full text article
References
Akta? Reyhan, F. (2025). The effect of breastfeeding education with digital storytelling on fathers’ breastfeeding self-efficacy. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.14102
Arora, S. (2025). The Impact of Emotional Storytelling on Brand Loyalty: A Study of Consumer Engagement through Social Media Advertising. Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management, 10, 750–761. https://doi.org/10.52783/jisem.v10i15s.2516
Banfi, F., & Oreni, D. (2025). UNLOCKING THE INTERACTIVE POTENTIAL OF DIGITAL MODELS WITH GAME ENGINES AND VISUAL PROGRAMMING FOR INCLUSIVE VR AND WEB-BASED MUSEUMS. Virtual Archaeology Review, 16(32), 44–70. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2024.22628
Çakmak, F., & Andujar, A. (2025). Exploring foreign language learning and contextualization through digital storytelling projects and personal digital learning narratives. Educational Technology and Society, 28(1), 109–122. https://doi.org/10.30191/ETS.202501_28(1).RP06
Channa, A., Sharma, A., Jain, A., Malhotra, P., & Khumar, S. (2025). Sustainable storytelling engaging audiences with econarratives in the digital age. In Driving Business Success Through Eco-Friendly Strategies (pp. 441–464). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-9750-3.ch023
Deroo, M. R., Axelrod, D., & Kahn, J. (2025). Engaging culturally and linguistically diverse youth in semiotic analysis for community-based inquiry. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 68(5), 546–557. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.1386
Galvão-Ferreira, P., Ferreira, M. G., da Silva, T. M. G., Nunes, N. J., & Nisi, V. (2025). The Entangled Tales that Landscapes Tell: An Embodied HCI Pedagogy for Re-enchanted Nature Walks. Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, TEI 2025. https://doi.org/10.1145/3689050.3705012
Giri, N., & Stolterman, E. (2025). Future of Entertainment Technology Design. In Digital Futures in Human-Computer Interaction: Design Thinking for Digital Transformation (pp. 70–80). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781032693606-6
Golenko, X., Manchha, A., Fowke, A., Johnstone, G., & Lowthian, J. A. (2025). Reading Between the Lines: An Exploratory Pilot Study of a Co-creation Approach to Life Story Work in Aged Care in Australia. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 44(3), 417–427. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648241274545
Greig, G. M. (2025). Mechanical meaning: The relationship between game mechanics and story in ergodic theatre. Convergence, 31(1), 69–86. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565231193120
Gunawan, W., Humaira, S. A., Hardini, T. I., & Zifana, M. (2025). Emerging Digital Factual Storytelling in English Language Learning: Investigating Multimodal Affordances. Studies in English Language and Education, 12(1), 312–327. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v12i1.41596
Hillerdal, C., Watterson, A., Strunk, L. A., Cleveland, J. N., & Anderson, J. (2025). Nunalleq Digital Museum: multi-vocal narration of a Yup’ik past. Antiquity. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2024.235
Keum, B. T., Perrigo, J. L., & Valdovinos, I. C. (2025). Online storytelling video on anti-black racism to promote anti-racism advocacy among Latine emerging adults. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-07573-w
Koskan, A., Venetis, M. K., & Kim, S. W. (2025). Pilot Testing Digital Stories to Influence College Men’s Intentions to Vaccinate Against HPV. Journal of Cancer Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-024-02563-1
Kuntjara, A. P., Lim, C., Cho, S., & Pak, H. (2025). Enhancing multicultural visitor engagement through digital art installations: A case study at DPirang, Tongyeong, South Korea. Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.daach.2025.e00401
Leproni, R. (2025). EXPLORING DIGITAL LITERATURE LITERACY AND READING THROUGH A GENDER LENS. Asparkia, 46. https://doi.org/10.6035/asparkia.8100
Matwick, K., & Matwick, K. (2025). Reel cooking: how Instagram reimagines recipe narratives. Food, Culture and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/15528014.2025.2462407
Mungsoongnern, S., Chuenboon, A., Kitiarasa, N., Jiradilok, M., Pongprasertsin, S., Boonputtikorn, C., & Nittayathammakul, V. (2025). The Development of Cloud-Powered Interactive Multimedia Using Digital Storytelling Techniques on the 350th Anniversary of the Mission of Siam. Studies in Media and Communication, 13(1), 353–365. https://doi.org/10.11114/smc.v13i1.7177
Navas Romero, C. (2025). User-Friendly Digital Tools: Boosting Student Engagement and Creativity in Higher Education. European Public and Social Innovation Review, 10. https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2025-963
Nilsson, B., & Lönnroth, J. (2025). Representations of changing weather conditions and outdoor work in the Swedish media: Legitimization of a risk discourse. PLoS ONE, 20(2 February). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0315177
Pérez-Ordóñez, C., Torres-Martín, J. L., & Castro-Martínez, A. (2025). Gorillaz and Media Hybridization in Contemporary Popular Music: Redefining the Boundaries of Storytelling by Creating Imaginaries. Palabra Clave, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.5294/pacla.2025.28.1.8
Piper, A., Orhero, M. I., Bamman, D., Peksoy, E., Han, C., Rastogi, P., Bjerring-Hansen, J., Rasmussen, S., Long, H., Smeets, R., Marienberg-Milikowsky, I., Stuart, A., McEnaney, T., & Thomsen, M. R. (2025). Mini Worldlit: A Dataset of Contemporary Fiction from 13 Countries, Nine Languages, and Five Continents. Journal of Open Humanities Data, 11. https://doi.org/10.5334/johd.248
Prabowo, T. T., Sitthiworachart, J., & Sriwisathiyakun, K. (2025). Fostering student digital wellbeing through digital storytelling integrated with peer assessment. Education and Information Technologies, 30(3), 3411–3442. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12950-2
Rajarajeswari, P., Saraswathi, R. V, Jahnavi, Y., Ravuri, V., Alankritha, S., Vani, M. S., Muthu, R. K., & Gaftandzhieva, S. (2025). Performance evaluation of generative adversarial networks for anime face synthesis using deep learning approaches. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2025093
Schachtner, C. (2025). World in motion: Narratives in the context of migration and digitalization. Narrative Inquiry. https://doi.org/10.1075/ni.24012.sch
Schlauch, M., Sylla, C., & Gil, M. (2025). More than words: Conceptualizing narrative computational thinking based on a multicase study. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100704
Sepehr, P., & Felt, U. (2025). Urban Imaginaries as Tacit Governing Devices: The Case of Smart City Vienna. Science Technology and Human Values, 50(2), 364–386. https://doi.org/10.1177/01622439231178597
Shamseldien, F. M., Abdelkareem, A. N. Y., Okela, A. H., & Aseda, M. A. S. T. (2025). Young Emiratis’ uses and gratifications of mobile news and storytelling. Frontiers in Communication, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1541747
Smith, R. A., Osoro, R. A., & Sterner, G. (2025). Understanding the Effects of Digital Storytelling on OUD Stigma Reduction: Exploring Character and the Recovery Plot. Health Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2025.2463535
Sudha Rani, D., & Sudha Rani, D. (2025). Memory Studies in the Digital Age: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. In Memory Studies in the Digital Age: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003508564
Ulusoy, F. G., & Ulusoy, M. (2025). The effectiveness of students’ retellings of and responses to digital stories as a post-viewing activity on their reading attitudes and narrative comprehension. Education and Information Technologies, 30(4), 4217–4249. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12925-3
Vanaclocha-Amat, P., Faigenbaum, A., Molina-García, J., & Villa-González, E. (2025). RETRAGAM: Resistance training based on gamification during physical education. Rationale and study protocol. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2024.107805
Vats, P., Phogat, A. K., Shanker, S., Upadhyay, G. M., & Upreti, K. (2025). Exploring the Nexus of Deepfakes and VFX Technology: Unveiling Insights, Challenges, and Innovations. In H. N., B. C., M. D., & P. H.M. (Eds.), Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering (Vol. 1278, pp. 393–403). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-8193-5_32
