Nuts and bolts

The “Nuts and Dolts” of Teacher Images in Children’s Picture Storybooks: A Content Analysis, by Sarah Jo Sandefur and Leeann Moore, is an ethnographic content analysis that carefully examines how teachers are portrayed in children storybooks within the United States. One of the main purposes of the study was evidently to probe the impact of stereotypes and clichés of teacher representations, in children storybooks, on the actual institution of teaching. According to the study, children storybooks are plagued with contradictory depictions of teachers and schools. The authors highlighted the fact that teachers are portrayed in these storybooks as insensitive, foolish or inefficient. This portrayal of teachers is a phenomenon that has been examined by several other researchers and has yielded similar results over the years. As such, Sandefur and Leeann conducted their research based on the hypothesis that; a propensity of images painting teachers in an unflattering light may in fact have broader consequences on cultural perceptions of teachers and educational institutions. Accordingly, the representations of teachers in these storybooks are absorbed in to the collective consciousness of society and shape expectations and behaviors of both teachers and students. The second objective of the study is to make teachers aware of the varying portrayal of teachers being represented. This is evident by the authors’ statement that teachers cannot effectuate positive change in their profession until they are aware of the internal and external influences that define and shape the educational system.
In this ethnographic content analysis, Sandefur and Leeann examine 96 images of teachers represented in 62 picture storybooks from 1965 to 2000. Throughout the analysis, the researchers noted the portrayal of two types of teachers; traditional and non-traditional. The traditional teacher was non-child centered while the non-traditional teacher was more child centered. The traditional teacher was far more prevalent in the storybooks and was not usually liked or respected by the students. The non-traditional teacher on the other hand was rarely portrayed in the storybooks and was characterized as being valued and well-liked.
According to the content analysis, the teacher in the storybooks was mainly portrayed as a white, non-Hispanic woman. Additionally, the authors noted only eight (8) representations of African-American teachers, where only three of them were the protagonists of the books. Sandefur and Leeann goes on to note that; two Asians, no native Americans, and no other persons of color are shown in the 96 teacher images, making the total number of culturally diverse images represented only 11% of the overall total. Of the 96 teacher images examined, only 40 were demonstrative of teacher efficacy. As such, majority of the teacher images depicted in storybooks characterizes teachers as flat, static and unchanging. Several mentions are made, throughout the discourse of the analysis, to the “nameless teacher” and her harsh and unbecoming character portrayed in children storybooks. In concluding, the authors stated that they found bias, prejudice and stereotypical presentations of characters in children’s books. Finally, they lamented that the potential to paint realistic portraits of teachers is present, but little evidence is seen of the desire to construct such an image.
I found this content analysis to be very informative yet thought provoking. Sandefur and Leeann thoroughly examined the portrayal of teacher images in children storybooks by covering a wide variety of books written over varying time span. I think the ethnographic study would have been more insightful however, had the authors employed a chronological examination of the storybooks. This would have allowed readers the opportunity of discerning whether the image of teachers in the storybooks has got better or worse over the years. The authors mention this at the end of their presentation while highlighting the various questions the research raises. One such question is how have the images of teachers evolved over time in our culture? This further begs the question as to whether or not there was a specific time in our history where teachers were consistently portrayed in a positive light and was there an occurrence that caused the images to take on a more negative characteristic. These questions foreshadow the need for additional research to be done on the topic.
The supporting evidence and data presented by the authors made it easy for me to agree with the hypothesis of the research, which states; a propensity of images painting teachers in an unflattering light may in fact have broader consequences on cultural perceptions of teachers and educational institutions. This I believe to be factual as it is evident in today’s American society where teachers are valued on one hand as contributing and indispensable members of society, and on the other hand they are frequently portrayed in the media and literature as inept and burdensome. The media is a prejudiced element that directly influences various perceptions and the way one comes to view the world. Sandefur and Leeann did a brilliant job of reinforcing this fact. As they rightfully stated, many teachers do not have the opportunity to critically examine images of their own profession in the popular media and are unaware of the negative portrayals in existing text. As such they may not have considered that the negative images of the teacher may give the public further justification for a lack of support of the educational system.
This research undoubtedly opens the eyes of many teachers to this reality. It further evokes several questions in readers and appeals to the analytical being within us. One such question is do children’s authors in other cultures and countries create similar negative images of educators with the same frequency and indignation as they do in the U.S.? I personally believe that only a great research is capable of evoking substantial questions and appealing to the need for further information on a topic. This content analysis has made me aware of a real issue and the implication it holds for me as a future teacher.