Rock, Brian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6868-3940 and Walker, Emma ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4494-8093 (2025) Media Mindfulness: Evaluating a critical media literacy scheme of work with KS3 pupils and educators. In: BERA Conference 2025, 8-11th September 2025, Brighton. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

There continue to be significant threats to democratic society from a political and media environment disseminating misinformation and disinformation and fuelling extremist and populist politics (Adams et al., 2023; Giusti and Piras, 2021; Simmons, 2023). Recognising these risks, a 2020 report on the future of journalism produced by the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications and Digital emphasised the importance of developing critical media literacy among young people. More recently the current UK Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, in reference to the school’s Curriculum and Assessment Review, indicated the importance of embedding critical skills within the curriculum ‘to arm our children against the disinformation, fake news and putrid conspiracy theories awash on social media’ (Badshah 2024).

In light of this, and in response to an increasingly challenging media environment, this paper reports on findings from a participatory action research project which focused on the development and delivery of a critical media literacy scheme of work for Key Stage 3 pupils in England. The approach adopted sought to equip teachers and pupils with the knowledge and skills to engage with such developments in an informed and agentive manner, helping them to develop critical literacy skills as a means of analysing and interpreting various media and messages (Ashbridge et al., 2021; Kellner and Share, 2009; Wenman, 2013). One of the unique elements of the project is that it brought together the voices, knowledge and experiences of the pupils and teachers with academic scholarship in the field.

The preliminary scoping phase of this project used surveys circulated across two multi-academy trusts and focus group interviews with a sample of twelve teachers from six schools to capture teacher views on what critical literacy means to them and the challenges of engaging with this in their practice. Findings from this preliminary phase informed the development of a critical media literacies scheme of work which was collaboratively produced with teaching staff and pupils in one school in the North of England.

This paper reports on the findings of the second phase of the project which involved teachers, academics and Key Stage 3 pupils co-designing, piloting and evaluating the critical media literacies scheme of work relating to geopolitics. The scheme was then delivered to a full Year 9 cohort as part of their Personal, Social and Health (PSHE) Programme. Entitled ‘Global Perspectives’, it covered a range of topics including populism, who controls AI, maritime trading, and fossil fuels.

The pilot scheme of work was then evaluated to assess its effectiveness in terms of helping the pupils to develop their critical media literacy skills, knowledge and practice. Pupil evaluation was conducted through an anonymous Qualtrics survey which was distributed shortly after completion of the scheme of work. The survey contained a series of Likert-scale questions and responses to these were analysed quantitatively to identify key patterns of evaluation. It also contained some open questions, the responses to which were analysed thematically. Teacher evaluation was conducted through semi-structured interviews which were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework. This paper presents preliminary findings from analysis of both the pupil survey and teacher interview data-sets.

Initial findings indicate that the scheme of work was generally evaluated positively by both the participating teachers and pupils. Pupils reported feeling that their critical media literacy skills and knowledge had improved as a result of working through the scheme. Whilst teachers also felt that their pupils had responded well, and developed their critical literacy skills, through the scheme, they also highlighted some key challenges in delivering the scheme. Challenges mainly focused on teacher confidence in their own knowledge of the complex geopolitical topics covered. There was also the sense that teachers and pupils needed time to understand their lived experience to contextualise the learning. In addition, the space that was opened up for critical discussion and debate felt at times risky and transgressive as pupils' engagement moved the conversation in unexpected and surprising directions.

In the next stage of the action research cycle, findings from the evaluation of phase if phase two reported in this paper will inform a revised scheme of work which will be rolled out to other schools in other regions of the UK from 2026. Central to this will be the design of teacher support materials and frameworks and the recognition that the starting point is to understand how pupils see themselves in the world by capturing their lived experience - their personal geographies - as the foundation for developing their critical capabilities.

References

Adams, Z., Osman, M., Bechlivanidis, C. and Meder, B. (2023) (Why) is misinformation a problem? Perspectives on Psychological Science 18(6): 1436-1463.

Ashbridge, A., Clarke, M., Bell, B., Sauntson, H. and Walker, E. (2021) Democratic citizenship, critical literacy and educational policy in England: A conceptual paradox? Cambridge Journal of Education 52(3): 291-307.

Badshah, N. (2024) Children to be taught how to spot extremist content and fake news online. The Guardian, 10 August. Available at:

https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/aug/10/uk-children-to-be-taught-how-to-spot-extremist-content-and-misinformation-online [Accessed: 29 January 2025]

Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology 3(2): 77-101.

Giusti, S. and Piras, E. (2021) Democracy and Fake News: Information Manipulation and Post-Truth Politics. London: Routledge.

House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee (2020) Breaking News? The Future of UK Journalism. London: Authority of the House of Lords. https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/3707/documents/36111/default/ [Accessed 29 January 2025]

Kellner, D. and Share, J. (2009) Critical media education and radical democracy. In M.W. Apple, W. Au and L.A. Gandin (Eds.), The Routledge International Handbook of Critical Education. London: Routledge. 281-295.

Simmons, C. (2023) Mainstreaming climate scepticism: Analysing the reach of fringe websites on twitter. https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/mainstreaming-climate-scepticism-analysing-the-reach-of-fringe-websites-on-twitter/ (Accessed 29 January 2025)

Wenman, M. (2013) Agnostic Democracy: Constituent Power in an Era of Globalisation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Status:	Unpublished
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General)
School/Department:	School of Education, Language and Psychology
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/14246

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