Photovoice in the Health Science(s) Classroom: Breaking Down Stereotypes with a Critical Pedagogical Tool

Abstract

As a response to a call for more diverse and innovative teaching techniques in the classroom, we explored the pedagogical possibilities of photovoice, a community-based participatory research method where participants use photo-stories to raise their individual and collective consciousness around concerns. We used a photovoice presentation in a large Midwestern university undergraduate health sciences class with the aim of helping students better understand the experiences and situations of people living with HIV. Post-photovoice presentation, we conducted semi-structured interviews with students (N = 20) and coded these interviews for key patterns using thematic analysis. Five key themes emerged from the data and suggest that the photovoice presentation engaged students’ critical thinking skills and helped them recognize the complex personal, cultural, and institutional details of the lives of people living with HIV. In this article, we explain how implementing photovoice as a pedagogical tool in a college classroom encourages students to challenge their preconceived ideas about stigmatized groups within society, increases empathy towards these groups, and nurtures compassion when thinking about working with people living with HIV in the future.