Although the concept of student voice gained popularity in recent years, it has not been as successful as hoped for and students still feel voiceless. A significant reason for student voice initiatives’ lack of success is teachers' reticence and even opposition to participate in a process that calls for shifts in power relations.
Photovoice (Wang & Burris, 1997) is a photography-based participatory action research methodology in which participants photograph their daily lives to reflect their community’s strengths and concerns and appeal to policymakers in the interest of social change. Given the potential inherent in the implementation of participatory photography strategies, this study sought to examine how and under what conditions the use of Photovoice may help students express their voices and influence their lives at school, deepens teacher-student dialogue and solidarity, and indirectly strengthens teachers' ability to express their own 'voice' and enhance their sense of self-worth and professionalism.
We conducted nine Photovoice projects in two public elementary schools in the center of Israel. The findings indicate that when teachers and students are given opportunities to make joint decisions about their school lives, they become active partners in the construction of teaching, learning, and knowledge in the classroom. The study demonstrates that the use of photography as a mediating tool between teachers, students, and the school allows for an expanded understanding of power structures without feeling threatened. Photography becomes a liberating lever, transforming the sharing of students' 'voice' from a supervisory strategy to an empowering tool.

Authors:
Avy Hemy, Levinsky-Wingate Academic College; Ben Gurion University, Israel
Assaf Meshulam, Ben Gurion University, Israel

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Avy Dwight Hemy is currently a lecturer at the M.A Department of Special Education at Levinsky-Wingate Academic College, and at the Department of Education at Ben-Gurion University, Israel. Avy is engaged in critical education and Photovoice.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

Bookmark