The use of Raúl Pérez Torres audiobooks to improve reading comprehension

Abstract

This study analyzed the impact of a bimodal pedagogical strategy based on audiobooks by Ecuadorian writer Raúl Pérez Torres to strengthen reading comprehension in 27 seventh-grade students at the "Gabriela Mistral" Educational Unit during the 2025-2026 academic period. The research arose from the regional literacy crisis and the need to integrate innovative digital tools to overcome student disinterest in traditional printed formats. Methodologically, a quantitative approach with a single-group pre-experimental design using pretest and posttest measurements was applied. The assessment was structured through an operationalization matrix that aligned each test item with specific indicators across literal, inferential, and critical-reflective dimensions, ensuring instrument equivalence to eliminate measurement bias. The intervention was conducted using an Active Reading Didactic Guide divided into three stages (pre, during, and post-listening). Since the Shapiro-Wilk test indicated a non-parametric distribution, the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used for hypothesis testing. Results showed a statistically significant increase in the overall mean score, rising from 6.44 (SD = 1.32) in the pretest to 8.52 (SD = 1.11) in the posttest (Z = -4.18, p < 0.001). By dimensions, literal comprehension showed the most remarkable progress, increasing from 48.1% to 81.5% in top performance and completely eliminating low scores; inferential comprehension remained solid at 63.0% when dealing with complex contextual vocabulary; and critical comprehension reached 66.7%, demonstrating students' ability to build empathetic value judgments connecting narrative fiction to their real-life environment. The audiobook mediated bimodal strategy serves as an effective cognitive bridge to level and enhance language skills in basic education.