These Aren’t Just Decorative: Challenges of Publishing Visuals in Empirical Research

• In Event: Whose Modes Matter? Creating Robust, Peer-Reviewed Publishing Pathways for Multimodal Scholars

Abstract

Learning to teach is a multimodal engagement (Kress, 2010) and our research involves the interplay of what we see and what we hear to make meaning of the experiences in which teachers and students engage. We are interested in discussing how we create, convey, celebrate, and critically examine expressions of multimodal research in teacher education, especially as faculty who work with preservice and in-service teacher-researchers, most often focused on the secondary level. Our work is situated in the current ubiquity of multimodal and visual texts and the academic, ethical, and pedagogical considerations teachers weigh as they select, curate, and employ multimodal and visual images in secondary humanities classrooms. We bring together conceptions of critical empathy development (Falter, 2022; Juzwik, 2013) and teaching and learning as intended, enacted, and experienced curriculum into conversation with multimodal literacies as teachers traverse difficult knowledge (Britzman, 1998) traumatic histories (Armstrong, 2015) and controversial topics (Pace, 2021) as part of classroom instruction. It is essential to share not only the voices (in text or via audio) of our participants but also the visual catalysts for their assertions. However, there are several challenges that emerge when attempting to publish multimodal scholarship, particularly visuals.

As we design studies with multimodal components (i.e., historic/contemporary, public/private), we must be cognizant of the materials for dissemination of our work. Author 2 (2024) recently published a book for classroom teachers which included instruction of visual materials. While many of the images were in the public domain, not all were. As a result, extensive time was taken to secure both domestic and international permissions which include a monetary cost. Space is another common issue as scholars embark on publishing their work which varies among editors and publishers. Author 2 is writing a book chapter in which each image included in the manuscript is limited in size (2x3 inches) and accounts for 185 words. Simultaneously, she is drafting a manuscript in which there is no penalty for the inclusion of visuals. Author 1 often chooses to convey key ideas through figures and visual displays (Author 1, 2023; 2024). Conveyance of the utility and rationale for figurative displays of core concepts is an important skill scholars need to develop.

We are also cognizant of the exploitative nature of multimodal texts (e.g., sounds, visuals, movement) which may elicit emotional reactions. This awareness of perilous pedagogies (Carello & Bulter, 2014) and their potential to harm or deter learning relates to the ways that we develop research projects and build relationships with participants in collaborative partnerships (Eisenhart & Borko, 1993; Mulvihill & Swaminathan, 2022) that are less extractive and explicitly address issues of reciprocity and mutual benefit (Call-Cummings et al, 2023). In this way, too, we consider the writing about and publishing of such co-developed work within scholarly journals that align with our research values.

We would like to be in conversation with scholars navigating these challenging waters– building collaborative partnerships, creative research development and enactment, and seeking permissions and publishing space for multimodal work.

Authors

• Julianna E. Lopez Kershen, University of Oklahoma

• Kristy Brugar, University of Oklahoma