STUDENT PERCEPTION OF USING COMICA THROUGH PROJECT-BASED LEARNING TO ENHANCE ENGAGEMENT AND WRITING PERFORMANCE

Abstrak

Writing is one of the most challenging skills for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners because it requires language proficiency, critical thinking, and effective communication. Although digital learning media have been widely used to support writing instruction, previous studies have mainly emphasized writing achievement or motivation, with limited attention to students’ multidimensional engagement and the use of the Comica application within Project-Based Learning (PjBL). This study aimed to investigate students’ perceptions of Comica, examine how its integration through PjBL influences students’ engagement and English writing performance, and identify the challenges encountered during digital comic creation. A qualitative case study was conducted with 36 eleventh-grade students at SMA Negeri 1 Rantau Utara. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and product assessment, and analysed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model with NVivo 15. The findings revealed that Comica positively enhanced students’ behavioural, emotional, and cognitive engagement while improving idea development, vocabulary use, grammar awareness, collaboration, and writing performance. However, students experienced challenges related to language proficiency, technical issues, and transforming long texts into concise comic dialogues. In conclusion, integrating Comica with Project-Based Learning provides an engaging and effective approach to improving EFL students’ writing performance and classroom engagement despite several implementation challenges