Photo-elicitation and visual semiotics: A unique methodology for studying inclusion for children with disabilities

Abstract

The methodology in this paper discusses the use of photographs as an elicitation strategy that can reveal the thinking processes of participants in a qualitatively rich manner. Photo-elicitation techniques combined with a Piercian semiotic perspective offer a unique method for creating a frame of action for later participant analysis. Illustrative examples taken from a longitudinal research study of inclusion for children with disabilities demonstrate how participants used photographs to interpret the actions of students and how this ultimately affected their ideological beliefs in the process. This paper aims to contribute to understanding how visual semiotics can influence the construction and discovery of ideologies of inclusion for children with disabilities.

Keywords:

• inclusion
• visual semiotics
• photography
• special education
• disability