| This qualitative inquiry explores the use of Hollywood films depicting teachers (teacher-films) as an approach to reflective practice and social change with 60 undergraduate students in a teacher education programme in the Bahamas. In order to facilitate critical reflection on the preservice teachers' perceptions of teaching, on themselves as teachers, and on their teaching experience, a module comprised of five teacher-films (To Sir With Love, Blackboard Jungle, Stand and Deliver, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and SARAFINA!) is designed and employed. The depictions of teaching are deconstructed as a means of introducing the complexity of teaching as well as unveiling the relevance of issues such as class, race, gender, and the politics of power and position to the life of a teacher. Central to the study is exploring how prospective teachers “read” these films and what insights prospective teachers gain from the films.; The study generates four main data sources: (1) transcriptions of audio-taped group discussions with the preservice teachers, (2) the preservice teachers' written responses to questionnaires relating to the teacher-films, (3) reflective journals kept by the preservice teachers, and (4) the preservice teachers' written responses to the entire teacher-film module. The analysis of the data is presented in two parts. First, the preservice teachers' overall response to the teacher-film module is detailed. Next, their close reading of teaching and learning as portrayed in two of the films, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and SARAFINA!, is discussed. A number of themes that emerge within the data such as the role, influence, and power of teachers are explored.; This inquiry has revealed how teacher-films can be utilized within teacher education to prompt neophyte teachers to examine their identity as teachers, to scrutinize their perceptions and assumptions, as well as to stimulate questions with regard to the perplexities of teaching. Film pedagogy also has potential to heighten awareness of vital issues of teaching such as race, class, and gender, to provoke self-study, and prompt social change. In addition, educators and researchers can learn much by examining preservice teachers' responses to popular screen images of teachers as well as other popular culture images of teachers. This information can be used to design teacher education curricula that more adequately prepare neophyte teachers for the challenges of teaching. |
