There is a growing recognition of the need to include diverse literacies in schools that support the informational and technological challenges students face today. Despite this goal, images in classrooms still typically function mainly as overlooked textbooks illustrations or as decoration. This study investigates a unit in a university social studies methods course in which preservice teachers learned to conduct image-based discussions. Utilizing a case study design, video records and written reflections are used to examine 26 preservice teachers’ enactment of a complex discussion strategy aimed at fostering visual literacy. Image-based discussion involves the teacher posing an intentional sequence of questions that guide students to analyze iconic photographs of historically significant events. The study is based on a theoretical perspective that treats images as texts to be closely read for meaning by considering their unique composition and the questions they raise about truth and representation. Instruction for the unit on image-based discussion took place over the final five weeks of the course. Findings revealed that pre-service teachers were able to apply fundamental principles of inquiry-oriented discussion by asking open-ended questions to guide the analysis. Although they were generally successful at adopting inquiry teaching principles, their discussion facilitation inconsistently applied visual analysis strategies that addressed the image’s composition. Collectively, the results of this study together add to our understanding of the ways that preservice teachers learn to enact a discussion strategy supporting visual literacy and the challenges they faced during rehearsal teaching.
John Myers is an Associate Professor of Social Science Education at Florida State University. He completed doctoral studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. He is particularly interested in the intersection of photography with civic education... Read More →
Thursday October 8, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT Studio
