Asking Questions First: Navigating Popular Culture and Transgression in an Inquiry-Based Media Literacy Classroom

Abstract

This article explores five concerns among media literacy educators related to using potentially transgressive popular culture texts as tools in the classroom, detailing the formative teaching experiences of several instructors in a media literacy summer enrichment program. These five concerns include such issues as inappropriate material in a media text and fear of offending parents or administrators. Using inquiry-based learning as a classroom foundation, instructors and administration in the program developed strategies for dealing with problematic and transgressive popular culture material in classroom use. Strategies explored include teaching and practicing critical thinking skills and encouraging open-ended student dialogue. Instructors modeled and supported positive and respectful conversations about popular media texts, facilitated collaborative media production and analysis activities in their classrooms, and fostered personal reflection about media use among students.