Film as a pedagogical mediator in literature education: Insights from an action research study

Abstract

This article examines an innovative teaching practice implemented at the Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Quintana Roo (Mexico), exploring the pedagogical affordances of film as a medium for literature instruction at the upper-secondary level. Grounded in an action research design, the study investigates how the integration of audiovisual semiotics can promote meaningful, critical, and culturally responsive learning in virtual classrooms characterized by limited technological infrastructure. The theoretical framework draws on meaningful learning theory (Ausubel, Novak y Hanesian, 2000), critical pedagogy (Freire, 2005; Giroux, 2015), and audiovisual literacy (Ferrés, 1994; Novillo-López, 2020). Findings indicate that film, when used through intentional pedagogical mediation, operates not merely as a motivational aid but as a pedagogical language that articulates emotion, cognition, and culture. Students demonstrated enhanced symbolic interpretation, reflective thinking, and collaborative engagement. The study concludes that teaching literature through film is both pedagogically viable and epistemologically fertile, offering a pathway to strengthen teacher education in audiovisual literacy and to advance the renewal of humanistic and arts-based learning within the Mexican public education system.