The Effectiveness of Graphic Organisers for Improving Reading Comprehension in ESL Learners: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of graphic organisers (GOs) as an instructional tool for enhancing reading comprehension among ESL learners. This paper presents a systematic review of related topics over the past decade, from 2015 to 2020, and found 31 journal papers that fulfilled the research criteria, representing the scholarly work in this field. These studies were published in journals indexed in Google Scholar, Eric, ProQuest, and JStor, and were selected according to a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The current literature review reveals that graphic organisers help learners visually organise and structure information, making complex concepts and relationships more accessible. They promote active engagement with the content as well as support the identification of main ideas, supporting details, and relationships between concepts. This enhanced comprehension leads to better retention and understanding of the material. However, the effectiveness of graphic organisers is influenced by issues such as visual literacy challenges, lack of familiarity with GOs, low cognitive level, and selection of an appropriate GO. In conclusion, our findings suggest that incorporating graphic organisers in language learning can be a valuable tool for educators to enhance their students’ reading comprehension skills. By considering the influencing factors, educators can tailor their teaching methods to optimise the benefits of graphic organisers.