Facilitating Self-Reflection: The Integration of Photovoice in Graduate Social Work Education

Abstract

This article details a series of assignments, employing a photovoice method, designed to enhance self-awareness for first year Master of Social Work students. This descriptive article discusses styles of learning and the development of self-awareness in social work education. In addition, the article examines the use of photovoice within a research context, as well as the adaptation to the classroom setting. Both processes seek a venue for participants, students in this case, to explore and discuss aspects of their lived histories and development of their values and perceptions. In addition to scrutinizing the assignment design, logistical concerns, challenges, and benefits of photovoice within the classroom setting, this article also considers how photovoice might help socialize students to the social work discipline. As photovoice commonly serves as a research method, the use of this method as a pedagogical tool is considered, as well as the perspectives of a faculty member and a graduate student. Finally, the processes and benefits of peer debriefing and photovoice as a mechanism for creating dialogue within the classroom are addressed.

Keywords::

• Photovoice
• Self-Awareness
• Social Work Education
• Experiential Learning
• professional socialization

Introduction

Social work education commonly requires the investigation of personal values and practices, as well as an examination of implications for how they relate to clinical practice in social work (Osteen, 2011). Students generally possess the capacity for self-reflection, but likely benefit from the opportunity to do so within an educational context (Furman, Coyne, & Negi, 2008). Classroom activities that promote individualized learning and reflection can foster intrapersonal learning during the duration of a course, as well as assist students in recognizing diversity in human experiences (Taylor & Cheung, 2010). Journaling processes serve as another mechanism to promote self-reflection and to solicit personalized faculty feedback (Nesoff, 2004). Journal narratives may permit students to write emotionally and to practice self-disclosure, while honing reflective skills (Rai, 2012; Walmsley & Birkbeck, 2006). Teaching boundaries within the social work classroom can be challenging for faculty (Davidson, 2005), however, creating a safe space for self-disclosure and self-reflection, combined with thoughtful and constructive faculty feedback, are essential in social work education (Urdang, 2010).

Professional socialization, as fostered within the social work classroom, provides familiarity with professional values, attitudes, and skills (Miller, 2010). It also assists students and practitioners in the development of a professional identity. This process begins during the introductory social work courses, as a foundation that students build upon throughout a social work curriculum and professional career. The course under consideration, Social Work Foundations, investigates social work values and ethics, fields of practice, vulnerable populations, social justice, and systems of social work practice. In contemplating the pedagogy for this course, and acknowledging that students enrolled in this Master’s level course were new to social work with diverse life experiences and varied prior educational training, incorporating a non-traditional approach that embraced student creativity seemed appropriate. Prior to the first day of the semester of Social Work Foundations, the course syllabus was distributed via email, as well as an introduction to the course. Three sections of the course were available to students, each with a different significant focus beyond the assignments and activities common to all sections. The emphasis of this particular section was labeled as an examination of the self for new social workers. On the first day of class, the photovoice process was explained and an open forum for questions was provided. Most of the students’ questions dealt with logistics and pragmatic details, as discussed later. The students could elect, if they preferred, to either engage in supervised agency-based volunteer work or to explore fields of practice within the social work profession. All three options aligned with the goals and competencies associated with the course, which were to ‘identify with the social work profession’ and ‘apply ethical principles in practice’.

A photovoice methodology allows participants to describe their own constructs through narratives and photographs, reveal their own histories, and offer diverse perspectives related to the topics under consideration (Wang & Burris, 1997). Photovoice in this article refers to a process, typically employed in research or community work, where participants are given prompt questions, asked to photograph an image in response, and then to discuss the images in a written or oral narrative. Photovoice is often used in community research and to create dialogue among community members; the application of photovoice in this article turns the focus inward to ask students to explore their own thoughts and values about social work. This article depicts the design and use of a series of photovoice assignments within a social work foundational course, including the perspectives of the faculty member and a graduate student enrolled in the course. The assignments described combined creative visual expressions, reflective journals, and dialogue with peers in the classroom. Under the guidance of a faculty member, these assignments intended to facilitate intrapersonal and interpersonal development. This article delves into the design of this pedagogical practice, as well as its implementation and worth as experiential learning.

Experiential Learning

Master of Social Work (MSW) students tend to represent a variety of ages, races, educational backgrounds, genders, and other social identities. Traditional and non-traditional students tend not to diverge in terms of academic motivation, although older female students may be more internally motivated (Justice & Dornan, 2001). Adult learners often return to higher education after an absence from formal education; these students frequently search for linkages between theory and application, as well as repetition (Kenner & Weinerman, 2011). While a variety of factors, such as genetics, context, and history, influence learning style, social workers tend to use multiple perspectives to develop their ideas (Murray, 2011). Some students also may gravitate towards visual learning and the use of images and diagrams, whereas more verbal learners rely on words (Seiler, 2011). In examining digital storytelling in the classroom, Fletcher and Cambre (2009) found that the integration of greater visual stimuli and processes fostered creativity among students, and increased their valuation of personal expertise, reflection, and expression. In her work with visual arts, Walton (2012) noted similar success in promotion of self-reflection and an emerging social work identity. Recognizing various styles of learners within the classroom, faculty need to respond with flexibility and sensitivity to their student bodies (Justice & Dornan, 2001; Massey, Kim, & Mitchell, 2011). Thus social work education, in particular, may benefit from multiple presentation styles, including lecture, group discussions, and reflection times (Murray, 2011).

Experiential learning requires greater involvement from students, thus facilitating greater ownership of the learning process; students can apply their own knowledge and expertise to learning. In this article, experiential learning refers to a process whereby students are prompted to consider terminology and topics relevant to new social workers, ponder their construction of these ideas, and consider how these ideas relate to their professional socialization. With such learning, students are immediately able to develop practice skills whilst applying theory to practice (Horwath & Thurlow, 2004) and then may be more capable of replicating and refining the skills in practice later (Rocha, 2000). This method can promote self-awareness in students, as well as enthusiasm for learning about the content (Schuldberg, 2005; Skilton, 2011). Experiential learning exercises in the classroom allow both practical application of theoretical concepts as well as the opportunity for students to express themselves according to their natural styles, ideally learning about their communication styles during group activities (Askeland, 2003). Students also may be able to generate ideas and conceptualizations that transcend the classroom setting, having the potential to impact the greater environment (Teater & Baldwin, 2009).

The photovoice assignments provided to students included a series of questions that facilitated students’ self-exploration through experiential learning. These exercises focused on the students’ direct application of social work concepts to their current lives and histories, which can again assist in students’ application of theory to practice (Reupert, 2009). Furthermore, by sharing their responses with peers in the classroom, students could have the opportunity to absorb the perspectives of others and recognize the validity of multiple perspectives in response to the same set of prompts. This complements social workers’ ability to recognize multiple and diverse perspectives (Murray, 2011).

Photovoice as a Research Method

Photovoice emerged as an arts-based, visual research methodology during the 1990s. The method, as introduced by Wang and Burris (1994), required research participants to capture a photographic response to specific questions and prompts. Initial published research studies that utilized this method tended to be community-based research endeavors, often with a public health focus. Although photovoice facilitates the sharing of individual stories through photography within a community context, early photovoice research ultimately sought social change through dialogue based on the images and narratives of participants which reflected the perceptions and values of participants (Hergenrather, Rhodes, Cowan, Bardhoshi, & Pula, 2009; Wang & Burris, 1997).

Throughout the past decade, the scope of photovoice has expanded considerably beyond its earlier community health focus (Martin, Garcia, & Leipert, 2010), as photovoice research encourages inclusion of voices of populations who have been historically marginalized (Novak, 2010). Recent published studies represent a wide array of photovoice studies with diverse populations, including immigrants and refugees, children, older adults, and those with limited literacy skills (Hergenrather et al., 2009; Martin et al., 2010). The sharing of views and perceptions in this context may generate a space for dialogue without necessarily privileging the majority group (Allen & Hutchinson, 2009; Flum, Siqueira, DeCaro, & Redway, 2010; Martin et al., 2010). It is common for researchers to typically supply cameras and training on the photovoice method in order to promote access and inclusion (Wang & Burris, 1997).

The photovoice method in research usually consists of recruitment and training phases, followed by the distribution of prompts. Participants are asked to consider prompts, which may include keywords, phrases, or questions, then seek one or more photographic responses to each prompt. Participants usually either write an accompanying narrative or share their responses in a debriefing discussion session (Rodriguez-Jimenez & Gifford, 2010). After researchers provide participants with a span of one–two weeks for data collection (Newbury & Hoskins, 2008), participants typically engage in debriefing, whether individually, in groups, in writing, or in combination of these modalities. Researchers then analyze both the narratives describing the images and the images themselves. These elements informed the design for the course-based assignments, however, the intention did not include a community focus and was intended to promote self-awareness and insight. As such, the photographic images and narratives were submitted to the instructor for grading, while the content itself was never analyzed or viewed as a data set.

Rationale for Photovoice as a Pedagogical Tool

While in the midst of a three-phased research project with Master of Social Work students that incorporated a photovoice research method (Mulder, 2014), one participant remarked that the process inspired a critical introspective process for her. She highly valued the opportunity to thoughtfully consider prompts for a couple of weeks before selecting images to address the specified prompt, and then to converse about the pictures and her ideas with an investigator. The combined introspective potential, creativity, and facilitated processing inspired her reflective processes. As her career aspirations involved clinical social work practice, she divulged that she hoped to implement arts-based practices in her future career as a professional social worker, perhaps even inspired by photovoice techniques because of her positive experience with the research method. This dialogue inspired me, as a researcher and faculty member, to consider how the photovoice method might be adapted for use within the social work classroom, particularly in courses that explored students’ identity development and professional socialization as social workers.

As a research method, photovoice generates an opportunity for participants to explore their own internal processes, as well as small group processes (Carlson, Engebretson, & Chamberlain, 2006). This seemed ideal for a social work classroom: incorporating the potential for critical reflection, developing self-awareness and the integration of creative processes, particularly arts-based processes for students who may express themselves well visually and seek various outlets for expression (Walton, 2012). As participants photograph images in response to prompts, they reveal insight into their own perspectives and values. Furthermore, as photovoice often elicits personal responses and histories, an emotional aspect is common in this type of approach (Newbury & Hoskins, 2008). This process, in itself, may be valuable for students majoring in helping professions as they will experience unanticipated emotional reactions while working with clients; assimilating emotional processes while in the classroom can prepare students for later social work practice (Chung, 2010). Photovoice in the classroom also, by asking students to share details about themselves and their lives, can promote the ability of graduate students to listen to others and understand experiences different from their own.

The multi-phased process used in these assignments also reinforced the belief that socialization to a profession is a gradual process (Miller, 2010). One common goal for instructors in foundational classes may be to assist students in identifying with their chosen profession and developing the skills for them to be successful in that quest. Photovoice facilitated this by asking students to consider how social work tenets, values, and language intersected with their personal histories, values, and identities, also recognizing multiple developmental influences and the many potentially intersecting aspects of identity, such as gender, social class, and race. Photovoice is inherently personal and participatory, allowing the students to recognize their current social positions and values. Past photovoice research with students, although not university students, found that photovoice’s inclusive approach allowed participants to feel they were contributing and that their voices had value (Warne, Snyder, & Gillander Gadin, 2013).

Engaging in the photovoice process asks participants to showcase elements of their lives while promoting an inclusive format to express their own realities (Ornelas et al., 2009). Subsequent small group discussions engender dialogue to explore the images and their contexts for each class member (Novak, 2010). Chio and Fandt (2007) employed a photovoice method within a diversity classroom. Their intention with photovoice, similar to the use of this method in research, was to create a forum for students to share their own histories and experiences. This method allows peers to better understand each colleague’s personal circumstances and past. In addition to sharing their own stories, participants must also be able to receive the histories and experiences of others (Novak, 2010). Within the context of a classroom, I viewed the photovoice method as an opportunity for students to encounter experiential learning, in that they could apply social work concepts to their own lives while enrolled in an introductory social work course.

Implementation of Photovoice within the Classroom

Implementation of this application of photovoice followed common practices used with the research method. Intending to organize a cohesive, sequential process, three phases for the assignment were designed, with each phase following the same procedures. Multiple phases permitted students to acclimate to this style of assignment and to develop strategies for the photographic component and the accompanying narrative. All of the segments were evidence-informed, drawing on existing research and theory in the field of social work, particularly related to self-awareness and use of self. Each phase of the assignment required a visual and narrative response to each of the assigned 7–12 prompts. The syllabus and each subsequent assignment detailing prompts specified that students must photograph original pictures of an object, setting, environment, or non-human being in response to each prompt, rather than selecting a previous personal photo or image from the internet. The entire list of prompt questions is provided at the conclusion of this article.

After being given two weeks to respond to each set of prompts, students brought their completed work to class. The finished work included one printed image for each prompt (approximately 10 prompts each phase) and a narrative describing the image and its relationship to the prompt. I then devoted approximately an hour of class time for small groups, typically comprised of four students, to confer about every prompt and the responses that each member chose to illustrate a concept or response. I randomly assigned the debriefing groups and preserved them throughout the semester. The stability of group composition hopefully aided rapport within the group and allowed for dialogue to deepen during the course of the assignment. The in-class debriefing approach used certain elements of the SHOWED method common in photovoice research (Novak, 2010; Ornelas et al., 2009). The SHOWED questions explore: What do you See here? What’s really Happening here? How does this relate to Our lives? Why does this problem or strength exist? How can we become Empowered by our new social understanding? What can we Do about this? (Wallerstein & Bernstein, 1988). Since this work emphasized self-reflection and introspection, rather than community organization and advocacy, I prioritized the first four questions during the debriefing session. Following the debriefing, students submitted their papers for grading and I distributed the next set of prompt questions.

Much of the literature discussing photovoice as a research method notes the practice of researchers providing cameras to participants, typically disposable cameras, so that participants have access to technology and are not burdened by either purchasing a camera or the cost of developing film. As an instructor lacking the financial ability to provide cameras for each student and recognizing the technological resources of current students, each enrolled student was informed, in the syllabus, that he or she would need his or her own camera device, which might include a disposable camera, a cellular phone camera, a digital camera, or other photographic device. If a student did not own a camera, it was expected that he or she would secure a camera to complete the required assignments. Given contemporary students’ frequent access to smartphones and their utilization of social media accounts, no students expressed discomfort with or resistance to the use of technology. Our campus offers free printing, therefore digital images could be printed in the computer lab without cost to students. These measures reduced the resources needed for students to complete these photovoice assignments. It also would be possible, depending on instructor preference, to submit the entire assignment digitally. This would completely eliminate the need for printing. Students could also then select the cameras that they felt most comfortable with, decreasing the need for training. This remediated two common concerns with photovoice implementation, access and training (Martin et al., 2010).

Other significant and recurring considerations in the photovoice literature are the protection of each participant’s privacy, awareness of potential distrust of cameras, and participants’ potential fears of scrutiny, particularly legal concerns and possible embarrassment depending on the nature of the photographic image (Martin et al., 2010; Prins, 2010; Wang & Redwood-Jones, 2001). I sought to demonstrate sensitivity to these concerns and students’ rights within the class setting. This also served as an opportunity to practice confidentiality and to model sensitivity towards written records. By emphasizing the storage of the images and accompanying narratives, as well as the confidentiality of the class debriefings, students had exposure to handling their work and the work of colleagues with care.

In order to not create risk for others in this process, especially related to possible disclosures or potential embarrassment, students were prohibited from photographing the faces of others for this assignment, even adults. Recognizing that social work courses often require self-disclosure, I wanted to be sensitive to students’ concerns with privacy. As is standard practice within the classroom, all papers were handled with the strictest confidence and returned to students after the assignment of grades. Unlike research studies involving photovoice, photographs and narratives were not retained by the instructor. In a class session prior to the actual occurrence of the debriefing, I described the debriefing process to students including an explanation of confidentiality and that students could share personal information as they were comfortable. Student disclosures were not monitored or recorded by the instructor; students were informed of this before engaging in any debriefing. Students also remained in the same debriefing groups for the duration of the assignment. As is true when using photovoice as a research method, the debriefing sessions were intended to create an environment where students could reveal their personal histories, articulate abstract ideas, and engage in dialogue with peers based on their photographs (Pickin, Brunsden, & Hill, 2011). Participating in this type of personalized debriefing, and experiencing any potential discomfort with this process, may have fostered empathy with service recipients who are routinely asked to share personal details and histories with clinicians. This also served as an opportunity for students to develop boundaries and consider how peers might establish boundaries. Both of these lessons relate closely to social work practice.

Description of Photography Phases and Debriefing Processes

Following a preliminary explanation during the first class session, the initial list of prompts were disseminated. Acquiring the vocabulary common in social work, as well as acceptance of social work values, are expected elements of professional socialization, perhaps while understanding and perhaps moderating personal values (Haynes, 1999). The initial prompts were designed to explore students’ familiarity with and understanding of terminology commonplace in social work and personal experiences related to social work that informed how they may identify with the social work profession. Most students were in the first few weeks of their MSW studies because this course is a foundational course, intended as one of the first five courses in our MSW program and is not required for students possessing a Bachelor of Social Work degree. The prompts reflected concepts that were new to many students; I explained that I sought their developing ideas, even if they were currently unfamiliar with the terminology as this assignment acquainted the students with the vocabulary and ethical principles of social work. Specific prompts for the first assignment included social work, advocacy, cultural competence, social problem, and population-at-risk.

The second phase of the assignment explored interpersonal relationships in anticipation of the development of both clinical and supervisory relationships. The notion of use of self within social work includes many aspects of self, from verbal and non-verbal presentation to communication skills to self-awareness about values and beliefs to relationship building with others and self-disclosure (Mandell, 2008; Reupert, 2009). A related skill, developing boundaries, is critical in social work practice. Boundaries tend to shift in different circumstances, requiring critical thinking by practitioners (Davidson, 2005). Use of self in practice involves critical reflection of one’s actions and intrapersonal processes. Students new to social work may lack familiarity with the concept of use of self or its practices. This reflexive process mandates asking oneself critical questions related to one’s judgment and decision-making processes (Mandell, 2008). Students and practitioners also must question themselves about their professional actions and engage in evaluation of practice (Reupert, 2009). These prompts, in particular, were directly informed by the use of self literature. One specific article, by Reupert (2009), inspired several prompt questions. Students were asked to consider their engagement skills in general, self-disclosure with clients, bias, and the role of humor in social work practice. Many of the students who were new to the field (as noted previously) had not considered self-disclosure or a possible use for humor in social work practice before this assignment. The questions allowed students to consider the subject matter and opened the topics for class discussion after initial individualized ponderings.

The final prompts further investigated ethical principles and the synthesis of course content and experiences towards the culmination of the semester. Similar to phase I, students were asked to reveal their understandings of ethical principles via an image and a narrative with the intention of contemplating how they may apply ethical principles in practice. Students were invited to reflect on how their understandings of service, dignity of the person, integrity, and social justice were enhanced during enrollment in this course. Finally, students were asked to write a summation contemplating the advancement of social work knowledge and self-awareness during the course.

Examples of an MSW Student’s Work

To showcase this process, two prompts are included, with the student’s photographic response and accompanying narrative. The first prompt examines interpersonal skills and relationships, specifically when the student has not connected well to another. This particular prompt, from the set that considered use of self in social work, allowed the student to consider her own nature and personality. The second selected prompt, from the third phase of the assignment, asked the student to contemplate what the term service meant to her. This prompt allowed the student to consider both the concept of service, as well as how it informed her thinking about her goals in social work.

When Have You Not Connected with Someone?

Since I can remember, I have always been a huge fan of personality tests. It probably started when I was in middle school and would borrow all those teeny-bopper style magazines from the library. There never failed to be some type of quiz in those glossy pages that could either tell me which Backstreet Boy would be my perfect boyfriend (I always kept my fingers crossed for AJ) or which of my favorite TV shows I should guest-star on (for some reason Star Trek was never an option, much to my dismay).

As I have grown up, the style of personality test to which I have been drawn has also matured, now encompassing tests like the Enneagram and Myers–Briggs Type Indicator. When I was first introduced to the MBTI in college, reading about my personality traits was akin to a spiritual awakening. I had always assumed I was simply shy or just generally bad with people, but that was not the case: I am introverted. Not odd, not anti-social, not withdrawn. Introverted. The clouds may as well have parted and a choir of angels started up with the Hallelujah Chorus when I read those words. The way I am is okay; it is actually normal for a lot of people.

My introverted nature is very much a strength. I am an excellent listener. I notice details that others tend to overlook. I may not speak often, but when I do you can be certain it is well thought out. However, one area in which my introverted nature is something of a detriment is during social situations that call for small talk. I abhor small talk. It makes absolutely no sense to me that people can actually connect by chatting about the weather (unless they are meteorologists). I sometimes actually become physically uncomfortable when trying to maintain a depthless conversation with another person because I just do not know how to do it.

It is here that my failure to connect with someone most often begins. If we do not find a common ground a minute or two into the conversation, by which we can add a little depth to our discussion, I do not know what to do. This inevitably leads to an awkward trailing off as we both try to find a way to politely end the small talk and thus end the conversation. It is painful, it is uncomfortable, and it is something at which I am diligently trying to get better (Figure 1).

Figure 1 My Worst Nightmare.

Service

Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. [Matthew 25:40 (NIV)]

I hesitated to use this verse of Scripture for fear that ‘the least of these’ may be misinterpreted as meaning ‘lesser than’, which is the last thing I want to imply. The same way I believe Jesus intended those words, I also intend them. It is not to say that those referred to as ‘the least of these’ are inherently ‘lesser than’ anyone else, but rather that they are ‘the least of these’ in the eyes of a broken society that creates a hierarchy of people based on arbitrary traits; your worth is determined by your wealth, your caliber as a human being is determined by your class, and your appeal is determined by your appearance. The people we serve are not less-capable, less-worthy, or less-anything just because they do not fit a vision of worth or success created by our society. They are fully human and fully worthy just because they are alive.

I feel that this verse also speaks to the idea of having empathy and compassion for our clients, rather than working with them out of a sense of pity. Pity carries with it a connotation of looking down on someone for their misfortune, thus creating yet another hierarchy in which we place ourselves above a fellow human being. As social workers, I think it is important for us to find ways in which we can empathize with and have compassion for those we are serving. We are not Super Social Worker, swooping in to save the day. Instead, we are simply a social worker, a human being, working with and serving other human beings. Only in understanding this will we be able to adequately serve those with whom we work (Figure 2).

Figure 2 The Least of These.

Master of Social Work Student’s Reflection

When presented with the option of attending a class focused on service learning, exploring fields of practice, or developing my self-awareness as a social worker, the choice was easy. Ever the introspector, I cherish the opportunity to learn more about myself. Perhaps it is my science background and my captivation with new discoveries throughout our universe, but the opportunity to make new findings within the universe of self fascinates me. Entering the program with only a rudimentary understanding of the field of social work and how my skills and passions may best fit in that field, the chance to examine myself through the lens of professional social work, and to examine the field of social work through the lens of self, was one I could not pass up.

Through these photovoice assignments, I learned a great deal about myself, the discipline of social work, and how who I am intersects with social work. I have become more aware of my biases and the way that my worldview shapes and affects my approach to various aspects of the field. This process revealed to me the areas in which I am already well suited for a career in social work and the areas in which I need focus my efforts. I feel as if I gained a better understanding of myself, which will in turn allow me to better determine the particular field of practice for which I am best suited and I am most passionate.

My creative timeline for this project was approximately 55% thinking, 30% writing, and 15% photograph taking. With two weeks given for each phase of the project, I spent the first five or six days considering ideas, looking for inspiration in my reading, my work, my life experiences, and the world around me. Certain prompts elicited an immediate burst of inspiration, either for the written piece or the photograph. For those prompts I struggled with the most, I found it beneficial to begin the written piece first and allow inspiration for the photograph to flow from my writing. Since completing the photovoice assignments and the class, I have found myself still reflecting on the prompts and the ways my understanding of them is developing as I move through the MSW program. It was an exhilarating process, one that has confirmed my passion for this work.

While I greatly value the opportunity photovoice offers for introspection and reflection, the process would not have been complete without instructor feedback and the debriefing sessions with my classmates. As previously mentioned in this piece, student responses to some of the prompts, mine included, were occasionally quite vulnerable. It can be unnerving to reveal certain aspects of yourself and your life experiences to a professor or classmate who you barely know. This is why I believe professor feedback is vital to the photovoice process when used in the classroom. Had it not been for the professor’s understanding and caring feedback on my first assignment, I would not have felt as comfortable as I did to be vulnerable in subsequent assignments, which would have limited the depth to which I responded to each prompt, thus also limiting my ability to learn from the assignment itself. The group debriefing sessions were some of my favorite class meetings. At first I was wary of sharing some of my prompts with people who were basically strangers, but those worries were soon abated. It was fascinating to hear how my groupmates approached each prompt and to see the prompts to which each of us had strikingly similar or profoundly different responses. Perhaps my only critique of the process was that we did not have more time to spend in our debriefing groups.

Faculty Member’s Reflection

Teaching, particularly within the social work discipline, demands the sharing of oneself by instructors, as well as students (East & Chambers, 2007; Ringel, 2003). Although photovoice has not been incorporated often within the social work classroom, instructors must be willing to accept that their suppositions may be challenged within this practice (Keat, Strickland, & Marinak, 2009; Wang & Burris, 1997). The photographs and narratives in this assignment inherently revealed students’ life experiences and perspectives, perhaps even more than they realized. Asking students to share personal values and responses in a non-traditional manner required that I consider my own views and expectations, furthering my own use of self as an evaluator of deeply personal written work by students (Reupert, 2009). My representation of myself and my values occurred through my processing and assessment of students’ assignments. My comments positioned myself in relation to the narratives of students and to potentially connect with students by validating their points-of-view. For example, several students disclosed personal revelations related to their families of origin, intimate relationships, and values that might not be as popular in a social work classroom. While these disclosures likely also occur in traditional assignments, the photographic element added a personalized feel that may have felt more intimate to some students and is less common in higher education. My role, as an instructor, was to encourage students’ processes of meaning making to foster reflection and self-awareness. This also, potentially, assisted social work students new to the discipline in exploring their voices upon entering a new profession. I found it critical to not judge the photographic images negatively to avoid stifling the resulting exploration and to nurture this professional development.

The integration of a non-traditional assignment affirmed that creativity, voice, and learning styles take many different forms in a classroom with 25 students. I confirmed that one of my primary goals as an instructor is for students to engage in introspective work, while also developing their voices and boundaries. While these are essential tasks in social work education, this format allowed students to set the limits of their work and creativity rather than my external constraints. I also learned that social work students, especially those relatively new to the field, might interpret the prompts and social work terminology very differently than seasoned practitioners. The responses from students seemed less filtered than traditional reflection papers may seem, and allowed an array of interpretations. For example, when directly asked to identify a bias, some students identified biases that led their preferential feelings and treatment while others acknowledged groups or values they resisted. Some students disclosed discomfort in working with the gay and lesbian population, largely due to their personal religious beliefs or working with the elderly due to uneasiness or lack of familiarity with the elderly. On the other hand, a smaller subset of students identified groups that they desired to advocate for in social work practice, including children and the equal civil rights for the gay and lesbian population. Not a single student, however, replied that they did not have biases, which I have encountered in traditional paper assignments.

Despite assurances that students had a safe space to share their points-of-view without judgment and penalty, students did occasionally report feelings of vulnerability in completing a non-traditional assignment as most had never completed a project like this during undergraduate or graduate studies. First, using photovoice within the classroom highlighted possible tension between the roles of teacher and facilitator (Chio & Fandt, 2007; Ward, 2008; Warne et al., 2013). As noted previously, incorporating visual and narrative elements added depth to student responses that may have created additional intimacy. Rather than assume a traditional authoritative stance as an instructor, this method demands a non-judgmental approach that facilitates student sharing and processing. This dynamic can create discomfort for instructors and students; faculty members likely will want to explicitly address this early in the semester. Second, the assignment was graded with letter grades, rather than as credit or no credit. Although a general rubric was distributed prior to the initiation of this exercise, parameters were intentionally ambiguous to allow as much creativity as possible and to hopefully decrease perceived restrictions. Beginning at the first session of the class, when an orientation session was provided, students inquired about both grading criteria and how to submit satisfactory work. Many of the questions involved practical details, such as whether the pictures required color printing, length of the narratives, and whether the text could be handwritten. I emphasized the necessity of integrated photographs and narratives, as part of my perceived charge involved assessing the relationship between the image and words. Some students believed that, as the understandings and values shared reflected their experiences, all work deserved full credit. While this entitlement is not uncommon in social work education (Tsang, 2011), it is not insurmountable. In teaching that explores values, a non-judgmental attitude and personalized feedback from the instructor is beneficial (Haynes, 1999; Ward, 2008). To prompt further insight and professional writing and presentation, I shared detailed feedback related to each prompt, but ultimately did not assign full credit to all students.

Throughout the semester I also shared with students my overarching goals as an instructor in this course, which included development of a professional self and socialization within the field of social work. The photovoice method allowed students to consider how social work values applied to their own lives. As discussed throughout this article, this assignment offered several parallels to social work practice and relationships with service recipients. The concepts of boundaries, confidentiality, and vulnerability merit discussion and can be linked to consumers’ experiences with social work service providers. This experiential aspect of learning can allow students to make connections from the classroom setting to practice for later application. Highlighting these similarities to clinical practice likely strengthens how students may perceive the relevance of this approach.

Additional Considerations for the Classroom

As is common in piloting new assignments, further development of this assignment would require formal evaluation. As the experiential learning literature and self-awareness literature have blossomed over the past decade, rigorous evaluation of these methods has not kept pace with the generation of teaching models. Further research could formally assess outcomes of this teaching practice, possibly as compared to more common and less experiential alternatives for teaching self-awareness. The current assessment of photovoice within the classroom relies on anecdotal, subjective perceptions. As the work described in this article involves first year MSW students, considering the longer-term impacts of these assignments, especially compared to less experiential approaches, would provide valuable feedback for faculty members.

This article describes one assignment’s intention and design, as well as the performance of photovoice as a pedagogical tool. Instructors considering whether to incorporate a photovoice approach within their classroom will likely want to evaluate several factors. First, professors’ own comfort with participatory, experiential, and arts-based approaches will impact upon willingness to integrate this approach in teaching. Photovoice requires flexibility and creativity within the classroom, perhaps with broader parameters than in traditional paper assignments. Second, university and campus resources may impact upon the ability to use this approach within higher education. Whether students have access to camera devices is the first practical consideration, accompanied by the availability of printing. Depending on technology and preference, these photovoice assignments can be submitted electronically, eliminating the need to print the photographic images or written narratives. This assumes, however, that faculty, students, and campuses can support electronic work with multiple images and narratives. A third, somewhat related concern, involves the class size and the number of prompts and narratives required. This article describes a series of assignments for a graduate course with 25 students. A course with a greater number of students may require a reduction in the number of prompts assigned because, as discussed in this article, personalized instructor feedback is critical to the success of this teaching approach. Finally, this article describes photovoice as assisting first year social work students in the professional socialization process. Many courses in an undergraduate or graduate social work program require self-reflection. This method could be easily adapted with different prompts to assist students in further examining themselves and their values, beliefs, and attitudes throughout a social work curriculum.

Conclusion

Photovoice, historically a research method, has expanded in its scope and intention during the past decade. While photovoice originally promoted community advocacy among historically marginalized groups, often with a focus on improving public health, researchers have increasingly implemented a photovoice process to foster dialogue among both participants and the greater community. This article focused on the use of photovoice within the social work classroom to establish a process for students to engage in self-reflection, followed by debriefing and dialogue with peers in the classroom setting. The intention with the photovoice assignments, similar to its use in research, was for each student to represent his or her past experiences and values, and for students to learn about themselves and others through this process. The introspective nature of the assignments described facilitated intrapersonal development and self-awareness, critical for students new to the profession of social work.

The photovoice processes described in this article offer participatory, individualized learning exercises under the guidance of a faculty member. Experiential techniques in the classroom allow creativity for instructors to try experimental approaches. Students were asked to consider their initial ideas about social work and the circumstances and values that led to their pursuit of the MSW degree, and this was followed by personalized faculty feedback. In these assignments students were provided with the opportunity to directly apply course and reading content to their lives, facilitating socialization to the profession and self-awareness. This process of sharing and integrating developing knowledge about oneself can foster professional socialization among social work students (Tsang, 2011).

While many assignments in undergraduate and graduate social work programs seek to develop self-awareness and critical reflection, photovoice integrates visual expression and learning as well as the written word. In addition, the interactive elements of the assignment introduce a practical application of confidentiality, boundaries and reflective listening, all important interpersonal elements of social work practice. This may establish foundational proficiencies for novice social workers to later replicate in clinical social work practice. While using a non-traditional teaching method within the social work classroom may present challenges, particularly related to grading and boundaries, the process also creates an opportunity for social work educators to engage in critical self-reflection and consider their teaching practices and goals, in particular with students new to the profession.

Finally, integrating different communication styles, in this case the photographic images, narrative responses, and dialogue, permitted students to explore their own values and needs for communication. This practical application allowed first year graduate social work students to investigate use of self. The photovoice processes described in this article also helped students understand the complex factors that inform their own thinking and development, both as individuals and in listening to classmates while debriefing. By helping students develop their voices and understand their complex identities based on varied social positions and roles, students may be better able to think critically about social work practice and use of self. This includes recognizing how service recipients use or do not use their voices, establish their own boundaries, and position themselves socially. A practical application, such as this, mirrors clinical practice and creates an opportunity to develop skills for later use with service recipients.

Acknowledgements

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Eighth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry in May 2012.

Photovoice Instructions

Task I Photography: Please take an ORIGINAL picture of an object, setting, environment, or non-human being in response to the following prompts.

Task II: Please write a narrative describing each of the photographs you took, including your intention with the image and its meaning. Pictures can be turned in separately and labeled clearly OR embedded into the document to be turned in and graded by your instructor of record. I will ask you to share your photographs and points of view with a small group in class, but you will not be required to share your narrative as written.

Photovoice Prompts

Phase I of Photography: Clarification of terms related to social work and ethical principles. These prompts were intended to explore students’ familiarity with and understanding of jargon commonplace in social work and personal experiences related to social work that informed how they may identify with the social work profession.

• Social Work

• Advocacy

• Community

• Cultural competence

• Social problem

• Strengths-based perspective

• Population-at-risk

• What brought you to the field of social work?

• What motivates you in the field of social work?

• How do you envision yourself as a social worker?

• What does this degree mean to you?

• When was the last time you felt inspired?

Phase II of Photography: Use of self in social work. These prompts sought to delve into students’ relational styles at the beginning of the Master of Social Work curriculum. The expectation is that social work practice is, fundamentally, relationship-based.

• How do you establish relationships with people generally?

• How do you ‘connect’ with people you are different from, in terms of culture, race, age, gender?

• When have you not connected with someone?

• What would you/do you think you would tell clients about yourself (self-disclose)?

• How will you answer questions from clients about yourself? OR What is your client’s right to know about you?

• Identify a bias that you have?

• What is the role of humor in social work practice?

• How do you learn from supervisor(s)?

• How did your friends/family respond to your decision to pursue the MSW?

Some questions derived from:

Reupert, A. (2009). Students’ use of self: Teaching implications. Social Work Education, 28, 765–777.

Phase III of Photography: Social Work Values. These prompts investigated students’ familiarity with and understanding of concepts commonplace in social work and personal experiences related to social work that informed how they may apply ethical principles in practice.

• Please take a photo in response to the following cue word: Service

• Please take a photo in response to the following cue word: Dignity of the person

• Please take a photo in response to the following cue word: Integrity

• Please take a photo in response to the following cue word: Social Justice

• What does/will challenge you in the field of social work?

• What have you learned about social work from this class?

• How have you experienced the group processes in this class?