Pupils as producers of visual texts: A mixed-method study on implementing visual literacy and its effects on pupils´ multimodal texts

Abstract

This master´s thesis is the result of a mixed-method study on the implementation of visual literacy and its effects on pupils´ attitude to images and their production of multimodal texts. While simultaneously, it reviewed how teachers can assess multimodal texts where the focus is on the visuals. The research question for this masters´ thesis is as followed: To what extent can working with visual literacy make a positive impact on the pupils´ attitude to/and production of multimodal texts, and how can teachers assess multimodal texts where the focus is on the visual? This research was conducted on a class of 29 pupils in the English specialization subject. And the action research implemented in this masters´ thesis involves introducing the pupils to the term visual literacy, while simultaneously teaching them of what it means to be visually literate. They were also assigned the task of producing a multimodal text where they were instructed to focus on the visuals. Furthermore, this masters´ thesis is part of the project called Learning, Assessment and Boundary crossing in Teacher Education (LAB TEd), where the main goal is for a masters´ thesis, and the process, to be beneficial for all three parties. This research resulted in finding which showed that the implemented action may have had some form of positive impact on the pupils´ attitude, in terms of their future need and use of visual literacy. The findings also showed that the implemented action had some form of impact on the pupils production of multimodal texts, where they to some degree produced texts where the visual and the verbal text complimented each other and worked together conveying the message. And the evaluation process resulted in findings involving how one as a teacher may evaluate multimodal texts where the pupils have been instructed to focus on the visuals. Which involves possible criteria a teacher may follow, in terms of the teacher´s own competence, and the necessity of having the pupils reflections on their usage of images in order to not over interpret them.