Research on media theory and media literacy has long held that mediated messages can help shape the way audiences come to view the world. To date, researchers have looked at how film and television depictions of teachers, classrooms, and students play a role in shaping how pre-service teachers come to think about and prepare for their students. However, the widespread use and adoption of social media represents a significant shift in how media are disseminated, consumed, produced, and reproduced - and this shift, which blurs the once starkly-drawn line between producer and consumer, is one that also affects how today's pre-service teachers think about and prepare for their future classrooms. As part of my dissertation study on critical social media literacy skill development amongst pre-service teachers, I gathered date using media elicitation interviews. In such interviews, media are used to elicit responses by helping ground the interview within the subject matter. In this case, I asked participants to gather examples of relevant social media to bring in and discuss as part of their interviews. Thus far, social media elicitation is a methodology that has the potential to be messy. This methodology has proven promising - participants revealed that in engaging with social media, they generally take on the role of consumer and actively search for positive messaging about teaching. They also reveal that while they are mindful of the affect of the algorithim on their viewing habits, they are less critical of content creators who present themselves as "real educators". However, I am interested in proposing a session in which attendees can discuss the methodology and share experiences with using social media as a learning tool.
Alicia Whitley is a PhD Candidate from North Carolina State University whose work focuses on pre-service teacher education and critical media literacies.
Wednesday October 7, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT Lecture Hall
