Thinking with images: Exploring representations of masculinity in a male dominant educational environment

Abstract

In the twenty-first century, learners are confronted with visual stimuli at every turn. The ability to interpret and think critically about this stimuli is essential for learners’ academic success. This paper reports on the study conducted at a Johannesburg high school which focused on the scaffolded use of images as thinking tools during a series of critical discussions about masculinity with nine participants. The aim was use images in a process that enabled the learners to recognise and articulate their thoughts on masculinity and then to ascertain whether the inclusion of images helped to develop more critical thinking about masculinity. The central research question was ‘in what ways can images of masculinity be used to facilitate critical thinking and meaningful discussions of masculinities amongst Grade 11 school boys in a male dominant educational environment?’ The research design included the use of multimodal approaches such as group discussions, writing down thoughts and the creation of artefacts. It was found that the use of images can help develop learners’ critical skills and also serve as a gateway for learners to have conversations about difficult topics when the images were used in a guided manner in conjunction with Thinking Routines.