Visual Literacy and Its Impact on Teaching and Learning
The chapter explores the importance of visual literacy in teaching and learning using multiple literacies as a main framework. Its goals are: (1) to explore visual literacy as a critical literacy in teaching and learning and (2) to share the perceptions of teacher education candidates’ understandings and uses of visual literacy. From the research, nine visual literacy competences were developed and used to analyze these perceptions in a pilot study. Findings indicate that most participants operate in lower levels of the visual literacy competences, e.g., ‘identify, translate, and access’. Most participants realized the significant role of visual images in their own learning and teaching and the need for higher levels of visual competencies. Based upon the findings of the study and review of the research literature, it appears logical that visual literacy should be taught to develop the ability to incorporate, analyze and integrate to enhance verbal literacies.