The instructional implications of a critical media literacy framework and podcasts in a high school classroom

Abstract

This study explores the instructional implications of using podcasts framed by a critical media literacy framework in a high school social justice classroom. This 10-week, critical media-framed study examines how eight 16–18-year-old students, taught synchronously on Zoom, engaged in weekly podcast-based lesson activities, selecting podcast episodes as supplemental course texts related to the current classroom topics of study (two episodes per unit topic). Findings indicate that podcasts opened spaces for students to hear various voices, particularly marginalized narratives on controversial topics. Additionally, by engaging in critical media literacy practices, students' own voices were elevated, and students questioned the role of texts in their understanding of the world around them. These findings are of particular value to educators looking to understand the classroom implications of critical media literacy practices and who want to provide counter-hegemonic narratives in their classrooms.