the field of literary education, the integration of myths
through dramatization enables complex interpretative
processes and facilitates connections between texts and
students’ cultural imaginary, as highlighted in studies on
the rewriting and transmission of pre-Hispanic myths
reading and literary competence. Myths provide symbolic
and narrative structures that foster interpretative processes,
critical thinking, and cultural awareness. Consequently,
their pedagogical use may contribute to a more meaningful
and contextualised approach to literary education.
(Bolognese
&
González, 2019; Pérez-Amezcua
&
Furthermore, the findings confirm the highly positive
perception of theatre among students, who recognise its
educational value and report frequent exposure to dramatic
experiences. This result reinforces previous research
highlighting the potential of theatre as a tool for
experiential learning, emotional development, and
engagement with literary content. Through performance
and dramatization, students not only read texts but also
embody them, which may foster comprehension and
retention.
Camberos, 2020; Rovira-Collado, 2013; Rovira-Collado &
Mateo-Guillén, 2019; Ruiz-Bañuls & Fernández, 2025;
Ballester, 2025). Furthermore, theatre-based practices have
been identified as effective strategies to foster motivation,
creativity and student engagement in learning (Gil, 2018;
Pareja-Olcina, 2021; Sornoza, 2023). Taken together, these
perspectives support the idea that integrating pre-Hispanic
myths through theatre not only contributes to the
development of reading and literary competence but also
fosters the construction of cultural identity and students’
holistic development, consolidating this approach as a
pedagogical line consistent with current educational
challenges.
The differences observed across age groups suggest that
cultural knowledge develops progressively throughout
schooling; however, this development appears insufficient
in relation to local mythological content. The absence of
significant sex differences indicates that this issue is cross-
cutting and affects students regardless of this variable.
The results of this study provide valuable relevant
information on students’ cultural knowledge and their
perception of theatre as a pedagogical resource within
literary education. One of the main findings is the limited
knowledge of pre-Hispanic myths among students,
particularly when compared with their familiarity with
Greco-Latin and Nordic mythologies. This imbalance
reflects the strong influence of globalised cultural products
and suggests a weakening of local cultural references
within the educational context. These findings reinforce the
need to integrate culturally relevant content into reading
education policies and classroom practices. It should also
be noted that the use of an online questionnaire may have
influenced students’ responses, particularly in terms of
their reading behaviour and response patterns.
Taken together, these findings highlight the need to
reconsider the role of culturally relevant content in literary
education. Incorporating pre-Hispanic myths through
theatre may offer an effective means of bridging the gap
between students’ cultural environment and their reading
practices, thereby fostering deeper comprehension and
identity development.
These findings are consistent with recent studies indicating
that theatre-based approaches can improve reading skills—
particularly comprehension, fluency, and engagement—by
integrating the cognitive and social dimensions reading
learning (Giera, 2025).
From the perspective of reading competence, these findings
are especially significant. Cultural knowledge plays a
fundamental role in reading comprehension, as it enables
students to interpret texts, make inferences, and establish
connections between prior knowledge and new
information. Therefore, a lack of familiarity with culturally
relevant narratives such as pre-Hispanic myths may hinder
students’ ability to fully understand and critically engage
with literary texts linked to their own cultural context.
Despite these contributions, the study has several
limitations. First, the use of a convenience sample from a
single educational centre limits the generalisability of the
findings. Second, reliance on self-reported data may not
fully reflect students’ actual knowledge. Third, the absence
of detailed socio-economic data prevents a more nuanced
interpretation of the results. Finally, although inferential
analyses were conducted, future research should use more
robust designs to confirm these findings.
In this regard, the integration of myths into the classroom
can be understood as a strategy for strengthening both
Ruiz-Bañuls, M., Mateo-Guillén, C., & Ballester-Pardo, I. (2026). Literary education in the classroom through the recovery of myths
in Mexican children's theatre. An analysis of perceptions. Investigaciones Sobre Lectura, 21(1), 77–98.
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