Exploring the Use of Storytelling to Enhance Motivation in Early English Education: Evidence from UBLES Teachers

Storytelling engages young learners, yet its specific role in enhancing motivation in early English education within resource-limited Philippine laboratory schools remains understudied. This qualitative study explored how Nursery–Grade 3 English teachers at the University of Baguio Laboratory Elementary School (UBLES) utilize storytelling to boost learner motivation, identified the challenges encountered, explored opportunities presented, and proposed practical improvements. Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews with six purposively selected teachers, classroom observations during storytelling sessions, and analysis of lesson plans. Thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework was conducted, supported by data triangulation and member checking to ensure credibility. Results showed that teachers employed developmentally adapted storytelling: daily multisensory and prop-based sessions in Nursery–Kindergarten; interactive role-play, prediction, and dramatization in Grades 1–2; and reflective inference with moral discussions in Grade 3 (2–3 times weekly). These strategies generated high motivation levels evidenced by sustained attention, emotional engagement, active participation (including shy learners), increased speaking confidence, and frequent story repetition requests, while delivering rich contextualized language input. Major challenges included limited resources, time constraints, classroom management, learner diversity, and occasional cultural mismatches. Teachers adapted creatively using low-cost props, gestures, repetition, and selective L1 support. Key opportunities encompassed natural vocabulary and comprehension gains, creativity, critical thinking development, empathy building, and culturally relevant intrinsic motivation. The findings offer teacher-derived evidence of storytelling’s effectiveness in the Philippine early English context and contribute to global narrative pedagogy by extending its application to multilingual, low-resource settings. Recommendations focus on targeted teacher training, development of culturally relevant materials, curriculum integration, flexible scheduling, and strengthened school-home connections.