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In autumn 2014, I asked Dr. Renee Hobbs of the Media Education Lab if she would mentor me in a post-doctoral mixed methodology research study. She agreed. The following Research Design represents the study in its current state. I have acquired a statistician who is analyzing patterns across the five surveys I administered. I convened an expert panel of qualitative coders from the Media Education Lab (4 persons with doctorates, 1 second year doctoral candidate, and the director of a media advocacy organization) as soon as the study ended. Over summer 2014 I will code the qualitative data, based on the panel's advice, compare it to the quantitative analysis, and determine if this media literacy intervention did contribute to an attitude change around issues of sex and gender in sports.
Fortuna, C. (2014). You swing like a g-g-g-i-r-r-l-l! A media literacy intervention to analyze student attitudes around gender constructions in sport
Research Design
This study advances research on media literacy by comparing high school students’ attitudes about sex and gender in sports before and after a media literacy intervention around dominant social constructions of gender in media sports texts. Participants are 42 suburban students across two rosters who live about 30 miles southwest of their New England state capital. These 19 honors, 10 college preparatory, and 13 co-taught[1] students have enrolled in an Open Honors, second semester senior English class called Sports, Popular Culture, and Literature; they had five other choices[2] for this semester’s English class study.
This study advances research on media literacy by comparing high school students’ attitudes about sex and gender in sports before and after a media literacy intervention around dominant social constructions of gender in media sports texts. Participants are 42 suburban students across two rosters who live about 30 miles southwest of their New England state capital. These 19 honors, 10 college preparatory, and 13 co-taught[1] students have enrolled in an Open Honors, second semester senior English class called Sports, Popular Culture, and Literature; they had five other choices[2] for this semester’s English class study.
In the twelve weeks prior to this digital media literacy intervention students received digital media analysis instruction, utilizing discourse and visual analyses of media sports texts as methods of interpretation. Throughout the data collection process for this study, my work is dual as a teacher and researcher. I have primarily used qualitative research to gather information to document the nature of my instruction and to learn how students react to/ interact with media messages around sex, gender, and identity. During this intervention, students utilized the Core Principles of Media Education outlined by the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE).
In addition to qualitative analysis, I will also present the results of quantitative inquiry, so as to better track any changes in students’ attitudes and/or media analysis skills. I will incorporate mixed methods/ quasi-experimental design that includes a Sex and Gender Attitudes survey before and after the intervention.
Overview:
This is an eleven day instructional unit in which students investigated three topics:
- Masculinity, cultural constructions, and sports
- Femininity versus feminism and beyond in sports
- Same sex orientation and gender identity in sports
Research Questions
RQ1: What specific visual and language analysis skills do students gain after this media literacy intervention?
RQ2: What self-reflection and critical distancing strategies do students demonstrate after this intervention?
RQ3: Do students advocate for sports equity after this media literacy intervention?
Variables
- Demonstrate reason around sex, gender, and identity difference
- Possess a scholarly detachment that allows one to choose to resist or consume media sports texts that reproduce hegemonic attitudes about sex, gender, and identity
- Maintain neutrality when confronted with sex, gender, and identity controversies in sports media texts
- Be transparent, open, and honest about reactions to sports media messages about sex, gender, and identity
- Use ideas and examples to form reflective judgment about sex, gender, and identity in sports
- Permissions
- I have received permissions from all 42 students.
- Surveys
- Demographic; Sports Media Texts; Fantasy Sports; Sex and Gender Attitudes: Pre- and Post
Pre- and Post-Unit Writing Prompt, One Paragraph
Define the following concepts: sex, gender, and identity. What are their similarities and differences?
How do the media typically represent male, female, and same sex oriented, and transgendered athletes? What do you think about these representations?
Have you ever advocated for sports equity? If so, explain.
Culmination of Study
Students surveyed a curated collection of sports media messages spanning non-fiction, visual/ video, audio, and literature and the themes of this unit:
- Masculinity, cultural constructions, and sports
- Femininity versus feminism and beyond in sports
- Same sex orientation and gender identity in sports
They wrote/ spoke/ designed an original composition, grounding their argumentation in the common values that emerged in their remixed collection of sports media messages.
[1] In Taylor, these classes are called “co-taught,” which indicates that students with significant learning disabilities have been placed in the classes; a special educator is assigned to each roster and is present most days in the class.
[2] Children’s Literature, Conspiracy Theory, Deconstruction, The Art of Film and Literature, Psychology and Literature.
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