COMICS AS A DIDACTIC TOOL IN TEACHING CIVIC EDUCATION: THEORY AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

Abstract

The article analyzes the feasibility of using comics as a didactic tool in the teaching of civic education in the context of the modernization of Ukrainian education and the transition to a competency-based model, which requires innovative teaching methods capable of integrating cognitive and emotional components. The role and significance of graphic storytelling in the training of future teachers are revealed as a form of visual narrative that enables the modeling of real-life situations and the representation of social conflicts, moral dilemmas, and legal issues in a form accessible to students. Attention is drawn to the potential for developing critical thinking, forming analytical skills, increasing the level of media literacy, and fostering a conscious attitude toward the information environment. The authors present their own methodology for creating educational comics and identify the main stages of this process (topic selection, plot construction, panel division, and character development), emphasizing the importance of an optimal number of panels and the minimization of text “speech bubbles” in order to preserve visual expressiveness. Special attention is given to digital platforms that provide educators with ready-made templates and tools for interactive work, and the choice of the online service StoryboardThat is substantiated. The authors propose their own examples of comics on such civic education topics as “Manipulative Influence of the Media” and “Critical Perception and Counteraction to Mass Media Manipulation”. The study was conducted among students of the Faculty of History at Kamianets-Podilskyi Ivan Ohiienko National University. Practical experience demonstrated a high level of interest among future specialists in creating their own comics, which stimulated their creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. A diagram illustrating the distribution of students’ responses to each question is presented. The results of the survey and observations confirmed a positive attitude toward the use of comics in education: the majority of respondents recognized them as an effective means of mastering civic education topics and expressed readiness to integrate this tool into their future professional activity.