935
The Politics of Visual Pedagogy
Language: English
Visual pedagogy is an exciting new field that enables teacher practitioners to expand their classroom practices and improve teaching skills, by introducing innovative methods and techniques. It enriches the experience of pupils and students, expanding their exposure to the visual world. Does this exposure always work in the way we desire? What are its dangers? This session seeks for research that explores the politics of visual pedagogy and asks when does it become a political tool in education. When does visual pedagogy become ideological and how does this function in different countries and cultures? What are the difficulties that may arise in terms of negotiating the use of its resources in areas of gender, sexualities, nationalities or religious beliefs?
What questions do researchers need to ask in order to understand its mechanisms in education? What new forms of research methodologies and critical approaches need to be developed in order to assess and evaluate its role and function in schools? How does research in visual pedagogy enhance the visual sensibilities of practitioners, teaching them to observe, analyze, criticize and change the visual environment in which they teach and function?
The panel explores what constitutes the visual world that educational practitioners address. Is it the visual materiality of the classroom, teaching curriculums, learning products, school walls, school websites, dress codes, furniture, yard, exhibits, outings, yearbooks, or the visibility of teachers in the media? How can researching visual pedagogy contribute to understanding its influences and effects on education in different cultures and societies?