Two Years Later: Did Waiting for “Superman” Have Residual Effects on Viewers?

• In Event: The Role of Media in Educational Reform Discourses

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to gauge initial and long-term responses to one popular education documentary, Waiting for “Superman,” across different viewer demographics, to relate those responses to ‘hot topic’ issues in education and policy, and to assess what role this film (and others like it) might play in viewers’ informal learning about or stance on such issues. I surveyed viewers immediately after watching the film, then resurveyed the same panel of viewers again on how the film may or may not have impacted their actions and opinions on education reform after two years had passed. This work sheds light on the relationship between popular media, public opinion and social action regarding education.

Author

• Christy Wessel-Powell, Indiana University