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ERIC Number: ED556269
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 218
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-3035-6527-4
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Tensions of Teaching Media Literacy in Teacher Education
Ngomba-Westbrook, Nalova Elaine
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University
This study investigates the tensions a teacher educator faces in facilitating a media literacy teacher education course at the university level. Teaching tensions are conceptualized as a three-tier framework. At the first level, tensions may arise in the selection and application of pedagogies associated with critical and new/21st century literacies. At the second level, tensions exist within debates about the extent to which media literacy is conceptualized as a core subject itself in contrast to a process for learning core subjects. The third level of tensions involves diverse stakeholders including individuals who are connected to university teacher education programs, teacher professional organizations (e.g., NCATE, IRA, NBPTS), K-12 teachers, the media industry, media watchdog/activist organizations, and government/policies. Depending upon the specific issues involved, these stakeholders may either compete against each other, pushing media literacy education in opposing directions, or complement each other, exerting a unified influence on media literacy teacher education. The study employs a case study methodology to research the teaching tensions facing a media literacy teacher educator in a Masters' level literacy education course. The media literacy course that was examined in this study includes a teacher educator and in-service teachers and graduate education students (N = 24) matriculating at a university on the East Coast. An exploratory triangulation design utilizes three pre-course data sources: the teacher educator's published research, a course syllabus, and a survey administered by the researcher to gauge teacher student levels of media literacy knowledge. The design also incorporates the following data collected during the media literacy education course: interviews, class observations, and teacher student artifacts. Findings of this study show that: (1) the media literacy teacher educator focuses more heavily on critical and socio-cultural practice-based media literacy pedagogy as opposed to new/21st century literacies and skills-based pedagogy, (2) the media literacy teacher educator focuses more on media literacy pedagogy as a process as opposed to content, particularly in the latter part of the course, and (3) the teacher educator draws pedagogical cues from media watchdog/activist organizations as opposed to the media industry, and responds to pressures from teacher professional organizations. Additional implications for teacher education pedagogical decisions are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A