Presenter(s): Cali Hodge − Educational Foundations
Faculty Mentor(s): Alison Schmitke, Asilia Franklin-Phipps
Oral Session 2M
Research Area: Education
This investigation highlights how the representation of schools, teachers, students in the film Dangerous Minds interacts with societal perspectives of race, gender, and class as they pertain to the education system. By supplementing my analysis of this film with the existing literature on the broader trend of representations of school in film, I will attempt to answer
the following research questions: (1) How does Dangerous Minds operate within a broad pattern of film representation to inform the viewers understanding of race, class, and gender within schools? (2) To what extent does a study of film representation within the University of Oregon’s College of Education impact the critical consciousness of future educators? Through my research, I hope to demonstrate that this film contributes to inaccurate stereotypes that negatively impact the perception of schools, as well as individuals involved in the education system. I additionally aim to explore how teacher education programs attempt to disrupt the perpetuation of these stereotypes, highlighting the University of Oregon’s Educational Foundations program as one example of this approach. I will complete my research through a case study analysis of Dangerous Minds, as well as conducting interviews with instructors and students within the College of Education. Through this investigation, I hope to add to the existing literature in the field of education studies by exploring how this film chooses to represent schools, teachers, and students, and how teacher education programs can support preservice teachers and their future in education by interrupting the perpetuation of these stereotypes.