Critical Media Literacy in Primary/Junior Classrooms

Media literacy is an effective avenue through which to encourage students to be active, critical citizens in today’s heavily mediated society. This qualitative research study examines the practices and strategies of primary/junior classroom teachers who are infusing critical thinking into their media literacy instruction. Through a case study approach, this research compares the current literature on the topic of teaching media literacy with the practices and experiences of three primary/junior teachers who are doing so in classrooms in Ontario. Identifying the essentiality of media literacy to 21st century classroom instruction, this research encourages teaching the subject through a critical pedagogies approach. The inquiry revealed that teachers utilize common key teaching strategies in their teaching and have diverse goals and motivations for doing so. As well, critical media literacy as a pedagogy was found to lend itself well to incorporating student interests and real world experiences, which contributes to it being positively received by students and educators alike