The Use of Graphic Organizers to Improve Reading Comprehension in EFL/ESL Contexts: A Systematic Literature Review

Developing reading comprehension skills has been a challenge for many EFL/ESL teachers seeking to foster meaningful learning for their students. As a result, some researchers investigated approaches to solving this problem, such as using graphic organizers, which helped students improve reading comprehension despite the limitations of their interventions in the experiments. Therefore, this systematic literature review aimed to provide robust evidence on the impact of graphic organizers on the development of reading comprehension among students in both EFL/ESL contexts. This article conducted a systematic review using databases such as Google Scholar, JSTOR, SciELO, and ERIC, covering publications from 2021 to 2026. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 20 scientific articles were selected for analysis in this article. The findings showed that using graphic organizers increased reading comprehension among EFL/ESL students; positive effects were reported across proficiency levels and institutional contexts, though the magnitude of these effects varied across studies. In addition, students meaningfully developed literal, inferential, and critical reading comprehension. Similarly, students were motivated to use critical thinking to analyze and interpret texts more deeply. Finally, graphic organizers are effective tools for developing reading comprehension; thus, they are recommended for use in the reading class.