Abstract
This study proposed a photovoice-based approach for teacher reflection, integrating perspectives from both educators and students to enhance teaching-learning environments. Researchers (tutors) captured photos during lessons to identify and categorize teaching deficiencies and then reflected on them. Students contributed by sharing their perspectives on the photos, offering insights into their learning experiences. Comparing these viewpoints provides a holistic reflection that guides future teaching improvements and addresses authentic classroom issues happening in teaching. With the empowerment of students complementing teachers’ sole opinions of learning issues, teachers could further develop their professional identity through this interactive practice.
Keywords
Introduction
Teaching, a dynamic communicative practice, stimulates and fosters learning (Hirst, 1971). This practice happens across time, site, and culture to help students construct knowledge and the required content they need to develop themselves. Teachers also construct their professions and skills during this practice, as Dewey’s perspectives of learning by doing (1938). Reflective practice, on the other hand, was bound to take this profession of teaching even further. According to Schön (1987), by reflecting on their practice, teachers can produce new knowledge for themselves. This agrees with Shandomo (2010) when he showed that through this reflection process, deep insight gained on the teachers’ styles enabled them to question the conventional practices and map their movement towards becoming better teachers. Gonen (2016) also noted that following reflective practice, teachers paid more attention to what transpired behind their actions. Specifically, they started to question their assumptions about teaching and learning and further looked for alternatives in solving problems arising in the classroom. In this respect, reflective practice will often help teachers improve professionally in their teaching and foster an increasingly inclusive attitude toward teaching in general. Basically, teachers almost always perceive that reflection holds a positive impact.
Hatton and Smith (1995) identified four progressive levels of reflection: descriptive writing, descriptive reflection, dialogic reflection, and critical reflection. It is important to note, nevertheless, that the essence of reflection begins at the second level, as descriptive writing merely reports events without engaging in reflective practice. Compared to this framework, Jay and Johnson (2002) proposed three categories of reflection. The first level, descriptive reflection, involves describing phenomena and reflecting based on a specific rationale. Comparative reflection, the second level, encourages considering alternative viewpoints to reconstruct experiences and evaluate them through this process. Both frameworks regard critical reflection as the highest level, which demands engagement with multiple perspectives and contexts to (re)construct new knowledge and experiences.
Typically, these reflective phases are intrapersonal. However, Cinnamond and Zimpher (1990) argue that critical reflection conducted by a single teacher is less valuable than that which involves collaboration among multiple teachers. This underscores the necessity of engaging in interpersonal communication for effective critical reflection. Some researchers propose that groups of educators or communities of practice can significantly enhance teachers’ reflective processes, fostering deeper insights into their professional practices (Hogg & Reid, 2006; To, 2020).
This article introduces a critical reflection strategy for teachers grounded in the photovoice method. Through an empirical study, the researcher demonstrates how this interactive and reflective practice effectively addresses the limitations of traditional teacher-community reflection. By incorporating students as primary sources of reflection, the method enriches the reflective process. This enhanced interaction among teachers and between teachers and students fosters a comprehensive approach to critical reflection, enabling the identification and resolution of potential hidden issues that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Photovoice and the Application in Educational Study
Photovoice, originally coming from the study of Wang and Burris (1994), was named a ‘Photo Novella’ within an immanent core of empowerment. It is intended to amplify diverse perspectives in policy discussions by fostering collective learning, expression, and action. In Yunnan, China, with its introduction, the government then has recognized and addressed the reproductive health concerns of ethnic minority women, leading to policy adjustments and tangible interventions. Later, this method gradually develops into the form of photovoice. As a sort of participatory action research (PAR), photovoice “positions participants both as participants and co-researchers (Latz, 2017, p. 3)” essentially, yet, most studies treat participants as “passive subjects” (Whyte et al., 1991, p. 20). Albeit PAR seeks to explicitly balance power dynamics by shared control over the research process (Sitter, 2017), photovoice mainly transforms the power from researchers to researcher-researched subjects. The foundation of empowerment is derived from Freirean critical theory and feminist perspectives, with the method also influenced by the principles of documentary photography (Wang & Burris, 1994). Tsang (2020) observed that since its introduction in the 1990s, photovoice has increasingly been recognized and utilized in social science research. In the past decade, education researchers have also employed photovoice to examine various educational phenomena.
Photovoice is widely engaged in various educational studies across social work education (Malka, 2020; Monteblanco & Moya, 2020), higher education (Stroud, 2014; Wang, 2020), teacher education (Cho, 2023), language education (Husnun et al., 2018), environment education (Reamer et al., 2023) and so on. Generally, educational-related inquiry meets the essence of PAR and has the potential to generate new knowledge. However, while such knowledge production can result from the application of the photovoice methodology, it is not its primary objective (Latz, 2017). Photovoice, by its nature, collects data from the emic perspective among participants (Julien et al., 2013), contributing to illustrating holistic, comprehensive viewpoints. Nonetheless, on the condition that data analysis is solely grounded on the participants’ side, the theoretical basement may lack scientific traits or even vanish. On the other hand, if the researchers’ opinions outweigh the studied opinions per se, the authentic voices become silent. Thus, this analysis process is essential to distinguish and balance the emic perspectives (participants’ opinions) and etic perspectives (researchers’ opinions). Tsang (2020) proposed an analysis strategy to develop the trait to combine with scientific research while analyzing the high-stake exam-oriented educational system in Hong Kong, China. This analysis process contains four stages: I A photograph analysis based on the researcher’s interpretations, II A photograph analysis based on the participants’ interpretations, III A cross-comparison, and IV Theorization. (Tsang, 2020, pp. 140-141)
In stage (I), researchers analyze the visual sources without referring to external opinions to keep a pure etic perspective. It is only necessary to conduct a preliminary analysis of the photographs and formulate an initial description to explain the studied phenomenon. The stage (II) asks researchers to find alternative explanations on the sides of participants, as standing for the emic perspectives. Researchers must initially categorize them and conduct a detailed examination of each category. This process should be iteratively repeated, with re-categorization and re-examination, until theoretical saturation is reached. After that, researchers compare the two sets of analysis in stage (III) to “develop an integrative explanation of the phenomenon (Tsang, 2020, p. 144).” For the last stage, researchers elucidate the relationships between the themes identified during the cross-comparison to generate both visual and narrative representations and explanations of the phenomenon under study. By doing so, photovoice, as a PAR method, is more able to conduct a thorough and nuanced analysis of the data, yielding significant insights into the research under investigation (Roman et al., 2023).
The Status Quo of Photovoice as a Reflection Tool
SHOWeD Protocol Instructions (Latz, 2017; Wang, 1999).
PHOTO Protocol Instructions (Graziano, 2004; Horwitz, 2012; Hussey, 2006).
Several researchers have investigated the boon of photovoice as a reflective tool. Jayantini et al. (2022) employed photovoice methodologies to analyze English learners’ writing activities. Recognizing that senses and emotions are interconnected and measurable through emotional levels, the researchers integrated students’ sensory and emotional experiences to enhance their engagement. This integration enabled students to describe visual stimuli vividly and deeply engage their emotional core, thereby promoting actions that demonstrate care and empathy. The effectiveness of incorporating photovoice into reflective learning is further supported by Husnun et al. (2018). They found that students who watched and reflected on their recorded oral speeches significantly improved their speaking abilities, including competence and fluency. The use of photovoice not only benefits students’ reflection but also serves as a valuable tool for teacher development and pedagogy. To (2020) recommended that novice teachers join a community of practice that utilizes photovoice to facilitate discussions about their teaching experiences. These interactions are crucial in establishing shared goals and fostering a solid professional identity. Overall, integrating photovoice in student and teacher reflections significantly enhances learning outcomes and professional growth. Notwithstanding, an essential question of teacher reflection still holds a myth: How can teachers critically reflect on real-world issues in their teaching and contribute meaningfully to student learning, rather than addressing hypothetical, ‘imagined’ concerns? Hatton and Smith (1995) highlighted that reflection is not typically linked to the profession of teaching. Teaching is frequently viewed as focusing on the immediate present and practical, on-the-spot actions, whereas reflection is considered a more scholarly activity (Elbaz, 1988). Teacher reflection, oftentimes, risks alienating students by predominantly centering on the educator’s perspective, leading to the identification of either observed or imagined issues that may not align with students’ actual needs or experiences. This raises a critical question: does such a reflective practice genuinely address matters that are of significance to the students per se? Moreover, how can we ensure that students’ voices are effectively integrated into the reflective process to enhance its relevance and inclusivity, thereby fostering a more reciprocal and impactful approach to reflective development?
Research Methodology
Research Setting
This study was conducted at a Sino-foreign university. The university is located in China, but the entirety of the curriculum is developed and provided by the U.S. partner institution, with all courses delivered exclusively in English. Faculty members are recruited on a global scale, fostering a diverse and internationally competitive academic environment. Additionally, the university maintains small class sizes and implements an inquiry-based learning approach and an interactive pedagogical experience. It operates a Student Academic Support and Retention Center (SASRC) to offer academic aid to its students. The SASRC oversees the peer tutoring program, designed to assist students in improving their academic outcomes. Candidates eligible for this role, hailing from the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) and maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.7 or higher on a 4.0 scale, are invited to offer tutoring in subjects where they have achieved grades of A or A-. These candidates are eligible to serve as peer tutors after obtaining such grades.
The study, thus, engaged six peer tutors from the CLA to facilitate tutoring sessions for the freshman-level course ENG 1430 COLL COMP II FOR ELL (Composition II for English Language Learners). The university provides an extensive, year-long academic writing program designed to equip undergraduate students with the necessary competencies for academic English proficiency. The composition curriculum comprises two sequential courses: ENG 1300 and ENG 1430. Students who achieve a minimum grade of 70% in ENG 1300 qualify for enrollment in ENG 1430 in the following semester, thereby satisfying the requisite coursework.
The selected tutors for this study were divided into two groups, each delivering three tutoring sessions. All tutors had undergone formal pedagogical training through coursework, equipping them with structured teaching strategies. They emphasize a learner-centered approach, not only transferring knowledge but also fostering problem-solving skills and academic confidence. Utilizing Bloom’s Taxonomy and the BOPPPS framework, they design structured, interactive lessons, incorporating scaffolding techniques to enhance student engagement and independent learning. Their teaching philosophy prioritizes reflective learning; therefore, after each session, they were required to write reflections to refine their instructional practices.
Research Methods
The study employed the photovoice method to investigate teacher reflection. In this context, while peer tutors conducted their sessions, the researcher, who also served as one of the peer tutors, took photographs to document the reactions and interactions of the tutees. There are two reasons, fundamentally, why tutors, rather than tutees, are responsible for taking the photographs. Firstly, the primary agent of reflection is the tutor, and based on the perspective of reflexivity and the nature of reflection itself, it is the tutor who should capture the issues that arise during the teaching process. Then, tutees engage in the learning process as recipients of instruction instead of consultants tasked with identifying pedagogical issues. Thus, the responsibility for capturing and analyzing these challenges through photography naturally falls on the tutor(s), who are better positioned to critically assess and reflect on their own teaching practices. These photographs served as visual prompts during subsequent reflective and evaluative processes. The captured images provided a tangible reference for both tutors and tutees, facilitating a richer discussion about the instructional dynamics and learning experiences. By visually capturing the immediate responses and engagement of the tutees, the photovoice method enabled a more nuanced and multidimensional understanding of the teaching and learning process (Latz, 2017; Wang, 1999). The photos taken during these sessions are presented below, providing visual evidence of the tutees’ engagement and reactions and serving as a foundation for further reflective analysis and discussion.
The study procedure followed the methodological framework established by Tsang (2020), as detailed in the preceding literature review. Initially, the tutor engaged in self-reflection on their tutoring sessions, drawing upon their teaching experience and the photographic documentation of these sessions. These reflections were recorded in an informal documentation style and digitally archived. Subsequently, the researcher conducted unstructured interviews with the tutees who had participated in the respective sessions, soliciting their perspectives on the class snapshots. During these interviews, the researcher presented the photographs to the tutees, prompting them to articulate their observations and interpretations. The entire process was audio-recorded and later transcribed for detailed analysis. Following the transcription, the researcher conducted a comparative analysis of the tutors’ reflections and the tutees’ emic perspectives, aiming to identify and examine any divergences and convergences in their viewpoints. This comparative analysis provided a nuanced understanding of the instructional dynamics from the perspectives of both tutors and tutees. The synthesized viewpoints from the two parties were then utilized to facilitate a comprehensive reflection process for the tutors, ultimately contributing to their professional development. This iterative process also informed the development of a novel strategy for reflective teaching practices, integrating insights from both the instructors’ introspections and the students’ experiential feedback. Six tutors and ten tutees were involved in the process.
Ethics
This study has received approval from the Institutional Review Board. All participants have provided signed informed consent and have been notified that photographs will be taken. The photographs do not reveal any private information of the participants, and explicit permission has been obtained from the participants for the use of these images.
Results and Discussion
Voice From the Photos: Tutor Reflections and Tutee Interviews
The provided photographs have highlighted several issues encountered during the tutoring process. To foster more engaged and effective tutoring sessions, peer tutors are now required to compose reflective analyses immediately following each session. With the aid of these photographs, the reflections are more precisely focused on identifying and addressing specific pedagogical deficiencies. This approach serves as the preliminary analysis of the photovoice methodology and is systematically presented in the following table.
Preliminary Analysis of Photovoice Through Teachers’ Reflection.
Preliminary Analysis of Photovoice Through Tutees’ Interview.
Contributing Holistic Reflection: Cross-Comparison
Upon finalizing the data analysis, which incorporates both the researcher’s interpretations and those of the participants, the researcher proceeds to conduct a comparative analysis of the two sets of findings in this section.
A notable classification discrepancy emerged in the analysis: while teachers perceived Figures 1 and 2 as representing analogous issues, students did not share this view. The tutors felt this sort of disengagement is due to a negative atmosphere that distracts students from participating in class activities. Yet, students interpreted the two figures distinctly, as the procedures depicted occurred asynchronously. The activity in Figure 1 took place at the initial stage of the tutoring process when students were still energized. In this context, a tutee’s lack of focus is likely attributable to personal reasons. As teachers cannot learn for students, it became evident from interviews that some students attended the sessions primarily to accompany their friends rather than to engage in learning per se. Meanwhile, tutors derive authority from their teaching role, often overlooking the experiences and conditions of the tutees as participants in the class activities. Teachers typically do not consider the emotions of shame and the fear of making mistakes that occur for a tutee when they design a test-like activity to inquire about students’ understanding of the contents. While Figure 2 was taken near the end of the tutoring session. Each session, which typically extends for nearly 2 hours, as the sessions progress, the prolonged duration exacerbates students’ exhaustion, reducing their motivation and participation in the instructional process. As such, the authentic situation of tutees extends beyond the issue of ‘disengagement’ identified by tutors. Tutees are Doing Exercises via Online Technology. An Empty Worksheet Left by Tutees After the Tutoring Session.
The emic perspectives of students bring their subjective experiences and emotions to the forefront. According to the presented figures, Figure 3 was captured in a different venue than the others. Teachers observed that the incongruence in the teaching content, as depicted in Figure 3, contributed to students’ lack of concentration, which was consistent with the students’ reported disengagement. Nevertheless, students identified another critical factor causing their low engagement: the lighting conditions in the venue. The enclosed nature of the space in Figure 3 results in it lacking natural light compared to the classrooms in the other figures, making it more challenging for students to maintain focus. This factor is subtle and easily overlooked in teacher reflections unless they experience the learning environment and learn as they do. The Tutor Stressed the Core Content.
Furthermore, both teachers and students agreed that Figures 4 and 5 represented the same theme. Students’ perspectives were further elaborated upon, and teachers’ reflections were expanded to interpret the figure more deeply, drawing on their observations and understanding of the learning process. Consequently, integrating these two perspectives provides a comprehensive framework for teachers, enabling them to address the actual challenges faced in the classroom rather than fixating on perceived or hypothetical issues that may be difficult to eliminate. This holistic reflection equips educators with the insights necessary to focus on and resolve the genuine problems encountered, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of their teaching strategies. The Tutor Explained the Test Question. The Tutor Discussed the Worksheet With the Tutees.
Conclusion
This study advances an approach to teacher reflection by employing the photovoice method, enabling educators to critically analyze their teaching experiences through photographic evidence. By integrating both educator and student perspectives, this approach fosters a more comprehensive reflective process that extends beyond teachers’ self-perceptions. Central to this framework is the active participation of students, who contribute insights that complement and challenge teachers’ observations. This collaborative engagement enhances the depth of reflection, unveiling aspects of the learning environment that might otherwise remain obscured from an instructor’s standpoint. Through this iterative and dialogic process, educators refine their professional identity, gaining a more nuanced understanding of classroom dynamics and the diverse needs of their students. In his article, Tsang (2020) claimed that researchers should, based on the previous procedure, lastly, recognize the connections of the studied phenomena to produce representations and explanations to theorize. Nonetheless, for the reflective practice, the next step is preparation, to the best practice. Tutors become aware of problems through interactive and holistic reflection based on photovoice and draw lessons from the experience. They ultimately integrate these insights into their next practice in pursuit of perfection, or, at least, under the context of this study, they can change a venue with better lights (Figure 3) and reduce the assessment amount of their tutoring process (Figure 2).
While integrating photovoice with both emic (student) and etic (teacher) perspectives offers innovative avenues for reflective practice, it is essential to acknowledge the methodological constraints inherent in visual data collection. The process of selecting images—shaped by factors such as framing, timing, and spatial context—introduces an unavoidable layer of subjectivity. These choices, whether intentional or subconscious, influence the interpretative process, potentially reinforcing existing biases rather than challenging them. To mitigate such limitations, a collaborative model can be employed, where students or peers assume the role of pedagogical consultants, engaging as participant observers to document instructional methods and analyze student engagement. Positioned at the intersection of pedagogical intent and learner experience, these consultants provide critical insights that may not emerge in direct teacher-student interactions, thereby enriching the reflective process.
Another limitation lies in the representativeness of the sample. The participants involved in the photovoice project predominantly consist of individuals in China who possess a functional command of English and who have access to private or internationalized educational settings. This demographic is not representative of the broader student population contextualized in China, particularly those in under-resourced contexts. Consequently, the findings may disproportionately reflect the priorities, and cultural capital of a privileged subset of learners, limiting the generalizability and inclusivity of the insights generated. Future research should aim to broaden participation to include more diverse educational backgrounds and linguistic capabilities to complement a fuller spectrum of student perspectives.
By systematically incorporating photovoice within an interactive and co-constructed framework of reflection, educators cultivate an ongoing cycle of pedagogical refinement. This approach not only enhances instructional strategies but also fosters a deeper engagement with the sociocultural and affective dimensions of learning. Ultimately, the method contributes to both professional development and more inclusive, responsive teaching practices by foregrounding the interplay between educator perspectives and student experiences.
Footnotes
Ethical Statement
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.