Abstract

In today's media saturated society, it is more critical than ever for young people to be informed consumers of the information made available through diverse media messages and forms. However, media literacy education in the U.S. has yet to be developed or implemented on a statewide or district level. A noted obstacle to the systematic integration of media literacy into U.S. K-12 education is the general lack of empirical research about the practice of media literacy education in today's classrooms. This study was conducted in two multiracial classrooms (4^th and 6^th grade) at two different elementary schools. The classrooms were purposefully selected based on their overall adherence to an inquiry-based instructional model which made them likely contexts for the integration of media literacy. This qualitative study documents where and how media literacy constructs are introduced and used in existing social studies instruction. Specifically, this study identifies the types of learning activities in which media literacy appears, the teaching practices associated with media literacy, how students demonstrate media literate behaviors, and which aspects of media literacy (i.e., knowledge, skills, attitudes) appear in daily instruction. Primary data sources include intensive classroom observations, teacher and student interviews, student surveys, and student work. Analysis revealed that media literacy constructs appeared in whole class discussions, inquiry project work, journal writing, and lectures. Teacher-directed instructional practices, especially explaining and question posing, were most commonly associated with the introduction and use of media literacy constructs. Media literacy knowledge appeared most frequently in both learning contexts followed by media literacy skills. The attitudinal component of media literacy was relatively rare in the two classrooms. Students in both classrooms demonstrated an understanding of and ability to apply the media literacy constructs that appeared in classroom instruction. Findings from this study provide rich descriptions of media literacy in action and therefore represent an important first step toward developing a versatile framework for how teachers can effectively integrate media literacy constructs into their existing practice.