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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Visual Microaggressions in Teacher Education

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Abstract

As the world becomes more digitized, visual content becomes commonplace in educational spaces. However, visual choices are not always accompanied with critical thought or awareness of the harmful messages or stereotypes connected to the images. The purpose of this study was to examine visual microaggressions embedded in the visual content of webiste projects created by preservice teachers (PSTs) for an education course. We qualitatively analyzed the images that PSTs (N = 97) included in a social issues website assignment and their written reflections on the images they incorporated. Additionally, six PSTs participated in focus group sessions where they reflected on images used across websites. A qualitative analysis of data led to the identification of visual microaggressions and deficit-thinking about children and families. Visual data portrayed children’s home lives as unsafe and unhappy, showed teaching as a white profession, endorsed white saviorism, and reinforced negative stereotypes about poverty. Focus group conversations led to critical visual literacy for some visual microaggressions, while individual reflections did not. Although PSTs in this study unintentionally enacted visual microaggressions in their projects, selected images can still cause harm. Implications for teacher education and schools are discussed.

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  1. School of Teaching and Learning, College of Education, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, 61790, USA

    Kyle Miller & Carolyn Hunt

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Miller, K., Hunt, C. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Visual Microaggressions in Teacher Education. Urban Rev 54, 674–702 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-022-00636-3

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