The perception of pre-service tesl teachers towards digital storytelling as an antiracist pedagogical tool for 21st century

Abstract

Digital storytelling (DST) is a blended contemporary method of presenting stories that makes use of multiple modes of media and technological platforms. However, there is no prior studies conducted in Malaysia that explored the utilisation of digital storytelling approach to educate about racism issues. Therefore, this paper presents the results of a case study conducted at the National University of Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia, where a group of pre-service Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) teachers learned to produce digital storytelling as an antiracist pedagogical tool. The study investigated the teacher’s perspectives on the (1) value of DST as an antiracist pedagogical tool; (2) a tool for developing a personal understanding of racism; and (3) a tool for developing technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). The study included 40 participants from the Faculty of Education, aged between 20 and 30 years old, from a single cohort class of TESL undergraduates enrolled in Literacy Production in the Digital Age course. A set of questionnaires and personal written reflections were used to gather the data. The findings demonstrated that the majority of the participants’ perceptions were positive towards the end of the course about utilising digital graphic stories as a means of addressing and raising awareness of racial issues in Malaysian society. The findings revealed a positive perception on the values of digital storytelling as an antiracist pedagogical tool. Moreover, it was also observed that its utilisation has led to an increased personal understanding of racism and enhanced TPACK development among pre-service TESL teachers. Hence, the findings of this study implied that digital storytelling is an effective antiracist pedagogical tool for 21st century.