Analysis & SYNTHESIS

Expected Findings

We expected to find that the media directly effects the beliefs that people have of teachers and education. Based on our research of teachers and the media, we found that while teachers are portrayed positively in the media, there are also many negative portrayals of teachers in the media. We thought that these portrayals of teachers in the media would influence the beliefs of individuals.

Google Form Survey Results:

39 adults who are students, or have a career outside of education were asked about their ideas toward teachers in the media as well as their beliefs toward teachers.

From this study we realized our expected findings needed to be explored further. Our initial thoughts about teachers in the media, needed to focus more on where beliefs about teachers come from.

Unexpected Findings

Through the survey (39 non-teachers on a Google Form) and interviews that we conducted, we learned that beliefs about teachers are based more on individual experiences, rather than the media portrayal of teachers. Moreover, the real life experiences that our interviewees had impacted how they view teachers. Additionally, some interviewees seemed to agree that teachers start out their careers by working fairly hard; however, as teachers' careers progress, their overall work ethic seems to decline. Shulman (1999) states that, "Learners construct their sense of the world by applying their old understandings to new experiences and ideas." As individuals, our experiences shape how we view the world. This had an impact on how our interviewees viewed teachers. Using their prior educational experiences, they created beliefs about teachers. The parents we interviewed had also mentioned that the educational experiences of their children played a great role in their opinion of teachers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, prior knowledge and experiences stay with us and carry over into our present beliefs. Nilsson (2014) states, "On many things, our minds are made up. But they can only stay made up if we never challenge them with new experiences, new information, and discussions with knowledgeable people who might hold opposite beliefs" (p. 48). As a result, our beliefs may be challenged by various experiences and discussions among people. It is up to us as individuals to decide where those experiences fit into our own beliefs and whether we need to change or alter our beliefs based on new experiences.

Sources

Nilsson, N. J. (2014). Understanding beliefs. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Shulman, L. (1999). What is learning and what does it look like when it doesn’t go well. Change, 31(4), 10-17.

Report abuse