Reading about What It Is Really Like Is Eye-Opening: Literature for Youth and College-Level Critical Pedagogy

From invitation to destination: A systematic literature review of the use of picturebooks in inquiry‐based education

“…Explicitly or implicitly, several of the research studies made use of the association between children and picturebooks (Akerson et al, 2019; Beck et al, 2018; Gannon, 2017; Haynes, 2009). Beck et al's (2018) study, for example, asked students—predominantly student teachers—to examine picturebooks encompassing controversial issues: Islam, migration and gender identity.…”

“…Explicitly or implicitly, several of the research studies made use of the association between children and picturebooks (Akerson et al, 2019; Beck et al, 2018; Gannon, 2017; Haynes, 2009). Beck et al's (2018) study, for example, asked students—predominantly student teachers—to examine picturebooks encompassing controversial issues: Islam, migration and gender identity. Their responses were ‘particularly strong’ (p. 28) as picturebooks with this subject matter challenged students' conceptualisations of childhood, a time perceived as innocent, in which controversial material had no place.…”

“…While a variety of materials are used to increase understanding of the issues, including poverty, it is through engagement with the feelings and experiences of characters that children connect with these issues and desire action. Several of the studies use this empathetic engagement to enable students to consider alternative perspectives and to challenge their own attitudes and normative discourses (Beck et al, 2018; Gannon, 2017; Johnson, 2001; Kim, 2016). Beck et al's (2018) study introduced students to literature, including picturebooks, which connected to the themes of Islam, migration and gender identity.…”

“…Several of the studies use this empathetic engagement to enable students to consider alternative perspectives and to challenge their own attitudes and normative discourses (Beck et al, 2018; Gannon, 2017; Johnson, 2001; Kim, 2016). Beck et al's (2018) study introduced students to literature, including picturebooks, which connected to the themes of Islam, migration and gender identity. They describe how students' identification with the characters in the stories supported their increased consciousness and critique of prejudicial attitudes, supporting Short's (2018) contention that picturebooks can extend the perspectives to which learners have access in their thinking.…”