Apprenticing students into political participation: using critical visual literacy to review and redesign the school website

ABSTRACT

This study examines 12 lessons undertaken with a Year 5 English Language Arts elementary class where students are explicitly introduced to a grammar for critical visual literacy. The goal is to apprentice students into political participation by developing their skills for critically reviewing and redesigning visual texts on the school website. The research is presented as an exploratory qualitative case study of a visiting teacher-researcher who collects data through audio and video recordings of students’ learning, work samples, and semi-structured interviews where students reflect on their learning outcomes. Data from four case study students are analysed to document which teaching and learning experiences support the development of students’ critical visual literacy practices and the way they respond to the political participation apprenticeship. The findings are that various students demonstrate their critical visual literacy skills through different activities within the unit of work, and that students are consciously supportive of their apprenticeship into the various dimensions of political participation.

KEYWORDS:

• Functional grammar
• visual image
• critical literacy
• websites
• pedagogic rights
• political participation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elizabeth Baker

Elizabeth Baker completed a Master of Education and Professional Studies Research degree through Griffith University in 2021. Her research focused on teaching functional grammar for critical literacy using multimodal texts in the primary years. Prior to this Elizabeth completed a Masters of Education focusing on literacy education and a Masters of Teacher Librarianship through Queensland University of Technology. Elizabeth Baker is a passionate literacy educator having presented on a range of literacy topics at conferences and teacher professional developments. She has presented at local, state and national events on functional grammar and using a contextualised approach to literacy. Elizabeth is a member of the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association Australian Capital Territory Local Council and assists in the coordination of professional development events and promoting literacy in the state. Elizabeth currently a classroom teacher and teacher librarian and works as a literacy consultant throughout Australia developing the capacity of her colleagues. Elizabeth hosts online professional development workshops and provided teaching ideas through her Instagram profile: @libbybakerliteracy.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/libbybakerliteracy/

Beryl Exley

Beryl Exley is an experienced elementary years classroom teacher and is now a Professor of English Curriculum and Literacies education with the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University, Australia. Beryl’s areas of interest are grammar as a tool for critical literacy and quality literacy teaching for realising children’s pedagogic rights. She is lead author of two publications that explore pedagogical practices for using a functional grammar metalanguage in the elementary years, both published by the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (Exley and Kervin 2013; Exley, Kervin and Mantei 2015). Beryl has been awarded over $1 M in research funding and has published over 100 research manuscripts. She co-edited “Literacies in Early Childhood: Foundations for Equity and Quality” with Oxford University Press (Woods and Exley 2019), and is co-editor of “International Perspectives on Literacies, Diversities, and Opportunities for Learning: Critical Conversations” with Routledge (Brock, Exley and Rigney 2023). She is a past-National President of the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (2017-2019), and a past-Chair of the International Literacy Association’s International Development in Oceania Committee (2015-2017). Beryl hosts a free open access teacher professional learning Facebook page called “B.E. a Grammar ACE”.

Linda-Dianne Willis

Linda-Dianne Willis is an experienced English and literacy educator having worked in schools and universities as a senior teacher, school leader, teacher educator, and researcher. She sees literacy as fundamental to achieving the purpose of education which seeks to ensure that all students benefit from learning in ways that allow them to enjoy full and equitable participation in all aspects of life. Linda is Senior Research Fellow and Lead Chief Investigator at Griffith University on the project, Engaging Parents in Inquiry Curriculum (EPIC), where she is also Adjunct Senior Lecturer. Her particular research interests and expertise include parent engagement with a focus on student learning and wellbeing, multiliteracies pedagogy, inquiry curriculum, dialogic methods, and initial teacher education. Linda is the immediate past National Publications Director of the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (ALEA).

Lisbeth Kitson

Lisbeth Kitson is an experienced educator, having taught in a range of contexts from primary to university, as well as secondary. Her main areas of expertise are in relation to English and literacy, in particular multiliteracies, including the literacy demands of curriculum areas. Lisbeth is an experienced researcher and author, with many publications and grants in these areas. More recently, catering to the needs of EAL/D students has become an important focus, with Lisbeth furthering her studies by completing a Master of TESOL. She currently works as an EAL/D Coordinator, EAL/D teacher and English teacher at Cavendish Road State High School, Queensland, Australia.