Blog 2: How popular is popular culture?

‘Popular culture is seen as an authentic part of students’ experience, and hence as something which teachers should seek to validate and even to celebrate’ (Buckingham, 1998).

Although there may be many benefits of using popular culture within the classroom, it is also important to identify the limitations of it, thus I have carried out a short survey to gather information about the use of popular culture in the classroom.

My research indicated that a key advantage of using popular culture is that it can motivate and interest children, making their learning more interesting as it provides them with a context. This is supported by Higgins et al. (2012) and Marsh et al. (2005) who found that young children are more immersed in their learning when it involves popular culture as they are growing up in a digital world; the use of such technology engages and motivates young people. Furthermore, it is stated in the National Curriculum (DfE, 2013) that it is important for children to become ‘digitally literate’ as they are active participants in a digital world.

Another response within the survey suggested that popular culture can enhance children’s learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Dyson (1997) supports this point by suggesting that the use of popular culture can value children’s experiences at home and allows teachers to draw from children’s experiences across a range of cultures. Marsh (2005) furthers this point by stating that the focus should be on encouraging and scaffolding children in order for them to fully participate in the world outside of the classroom.

However, findings from my survey also suggested that the use of technologies such as computers, Ipads and laptops promotes the idea of a ‘game mentality’ as children primarily use such equipment to play games. Research conducted by Ofcom (2012) also found that younger children predominantly use the internet for games. This point was also raised in seminar discussions, and as a group, we collectively agreed that it is vital for teachers to supervise children and ensure that when using these technologies it is solely for educational purposes in order to enhance children’s learning. This is supported by Byron (2008) who suggests that it is important to restrict children’s access to games that are not suitable for their age. Therefore implications for my future practice would be to help children understand that technology can be used for a variety of purposes and not just to play games. 

Buckingham, D. (1998) Teaching Popular Culture: Beyond radical pedagogy. UCL Press Ltd.

Byron, T (2008) Safer Children in a Digital World – The Report of the Byron Review. Nottingham: DCSF

Department for Education (2013) National Curriculum in England: English programmes of study- key stages 1 and 2. London: HMSO

Dyson, A.H. (1997) Writing Superheroes:  Contemporary childhood, popular culture and classroom literacy.  New York:  Teachers College Press

Higgins, S., Xiao, Z. and Katsipataki, M. (2012) The Impact of Digital Technology on Learning:

A Summary for the Education Endowment Foundation. Durham University: Education Endowment Foundation.

Marsh, J. (2005) Popular Culture, New Media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood Oxon: RoutledgeFalmer

Marsh, J., Brooks, G., Hughes, J., Ritchie, L., Roberts, S. and Wright, K. (2005) Digital beginnings: Young children’s use of popular culture, media and new technologies. Sheffield: Literacy Research Centre.

Ofcom (2012) Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report. London