Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education & Learning Innovation (JAIELI)
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education & Learning Innovation

Themes and values in pre-service teachers’ digital storybooks: A content analysis for elementary English education

Najma Macatanto (College of Education, Mindanao State University-General Santos)
Desiery Maghinay (College of Education, Mindanao State University-General Santos)
John Dale Pendon (College of Education, Mindanao State University-General Santos)
Carla Marie Rubio (College of Education, Mindanao State University-General Santos)
Esmeraldo Sarad (College of Education, Mindanao State University-General Santos)
Kim Silva (College of Education, Mindanao State University-General Santos)



Article Info

Publish Date
02 Jul 2026

Abstract

Background: Digital storytelling has emerged as an innovative pedagogical approach that promotes meaningful learning experiences and enhances student engagement. Objectives: This study examined the themes and values embedded in digital storybooks created by pre-service teachers and explored their implications for teaching English in elementary education. Methods: Using a qualitative content analysis design, ten digital storybooks were purposively selected based on predetermined inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed through directed content analysis using an adapted thematic analysis framework. Results: Findings revealed nine major themes. The most prominent were exploration-related themes (3 out of 10 storybooks, 30%) and family-sharing themes (3 out of 10 storybooks, 30%), followed by community-oriented themes (2 out of 10 storybooks, 20%). Other themes included parent-child communication and financial responsibility. The digital storybooks also embodied core values such as respect, compassion, humility, responsibility, tolerance, forgiveness, and commitment to the common good. Conclusions: These findings suggest that digital storybooks can serve as effective resources for integrating language development, values education, and socio-emotional learning in elementary English classrooms. The study is limited by its small sample size and context-specific dataset. Further research should include a larger dataset and cross-cultural analysis to strengthen the generalizability of findings.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jaieli

Publisher

Subject

Computer Science & IT Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Mathematics

Description

The Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education & Learning Innovation (JAIELI) publishes papers concerned with the application of AI to education and learning innovation. It aims to help the development of principles for the design of computer-based learning systems. Its premise is that such ...