In Focus: Educators on Media Literacy
We have asked 53 educators on media literacy in 6 different countries what are their challenges and suggestions for improvement. Curious to see their answers?
We are, as well as the resources developed throughout Pixel Media project with the practitioners needs in mind, ensuring they can be easily transferable. Before diving in the results, let us give you a bit of a context.
The focus group, or in-depth group interview, is one of the most widely used research methods in the social sciences described as “an investigative tool based on a structured and focused discussion with a small group of people, run by a moderator to generate qualitative data through a set of open-ended questions.” (Al-Ababneh, 2018). Focus groups are commonly used to gain in-depth insights in a guided setting, which is exactly what we did.
The technique gained prominence after World War II and is believed to have originated in 1941 at the Center for Radio Research at Columbia University, where Robert Merton conducted studies to assess audience reactions to radio programs (Stewart, D. W., & Shamdasani, P. N. (1990). Since then, focus groups have become a common tool for gathering qualitative insights and was adopted across various fields, including education. In 2025, in the Pixel Media project we use this method to explore the educational needs of educators—particularly in the context of media literacy.
Each of the Pixel Media project partners conducted a local focus group with educators between April and June 2025:
– YuzuPulse (Tourcoing, France),
– Department of Education Studies “G.M. Bertin”, University of Bologna, (Bologna, Italy),
– Foundation for Entrepreneurship, Culture and Education (Sofia, Bulgaria),
– LogoPsyCom SCS (Mons, Belgium),
– OPENS Association of Youth Organisations (Novi Sad, Serbia),
– RINOVA (Malaga, Spain).
The six focus groups followed a semi-structured questionnaire and included educators with experience in teaching media literacy, citizenship, technology integration, or related subjects (from government structures, NGOs or expert trainers).
The main objective was to bring the spotlight on the educators and to explore their perceptions, and experiences regarding media literacy education. The interactive nature of focus groups encourages participants to build on each other’s ideas, leading to a deeper understanding of educational issues and the co-creation of potential solutions. This approach allowed us to identify the needs of both educators and learners based on the feedback provided by the educators.
The digital environment is seen as a priority by both sides. Therefore, the challenges, such as the generational gap and the information flow environment, identified by teachers and learners coincide.
The above table not only describes the generation gap but also outlines the need for adaptation leading to changes in the education system, curricula, teaching methods and the conventional roles of teachers and learners. It is a long process, but working in this direction will also help to ensure that the holistic approach to media literacy is recognised at the government level.
The integration of video games into school practice is widely recognised. In doing so, game-based learning develops a wide range of skills beyond memorisation, such as problem-solving, collaboration and technology use. Discussions are needed to bridge the gap between generations and build shared knowledge. Educators rethink their teaching methods and learning processes by employing effective and engaging hybrid teaching strategies.
Various media ecosystems, including AI tools and social media, surround learners, and they need more information on how to navigate this environment and make critical decisions. This is why the opinions of experts and educators are helpful. The key point is that knowledge no longer rests with one person, the educator. The contemporary environment requires space for the active participation of all, and the facilitation of simulations, game-based scenarios, video games, discussions, and joint project development is favoured. The educators’ task is to create an environment with playful exploration of crucial topics and developing social, analytical and creative skills. Learners are more interested in the way they receive information. The fast-paced world brings with it information anxiety, and the ability to filter, analyse, verify, and have a clear understanding of the context is crucial. Encouraging critical thinking and the application of knowledge, as the focus groups showed, can engage and motivate youth.
References:
Al‑Ababneh, M. (2018). Focus groups. 10.4135/9781506307633.n331. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325181613_Focus_Groups
Stewart, D. W., & Shamdasani, P. N. (1990). Focus groups: Theory and practice. Sage Publications.
Manzano, A. (2022). Conducting focus groups in realist evaluation. Evaluation, 28(4), 564–583. https://doi.org/10.1177/13563890221124637
Pixel Media project partners focus groups conclusive report, (April – June 2025).