It’s incredible how education in the classroom has become removed from the real world. I find it strange because the knowledge students gain from the classroom should help guide them in life. There is an urgent need for teachers and students to have a synergy, and Pop culture could provide this.

At first glance, pop culture and formal education are different from each other, wouldn’t you think. But are they really, or better yet, should they be different? Honestly, I don’t think they should be. Pop culture thrives on relatability, and this is what draws people to it. Education should have the same vibe.

Students could spend their days bopping to the latest jams and struggle to put 1 hour into their school work. The reason for this difference in absorption levels between pop culture material and formal education is apparent. Pupils find formal education boring, and this generation of pupils have different entertainment content and can’t cope with boredom.

So, I ask again. Should we treat pop culture and education differently? I firmly believe that the answer is a no. If one of the purposes of education is to solve real-life problems, shouldn’t it be relatable to real life? So, in this post, we will be looking at how pop culture could influence students’ appreciation for education.

What is Pop Culture?

Pop culture could provide students with help with case studies that students can relate to. Visualize using Spiderman’s fight scene in Spiderman No Way Home to explain some aspects of geometry. An exciting possibility, isn’t it?

How can Pop Culture Encourage Learning

If you doubt contemporary culture’s power over people, think about this. South Korea used contemporary culture to increase its GDP. South Korea exported Hyundai cars, and they felt they were doing fine. They witnessed a shock when they realized a Hollywood movie’s profit was more than a combined sale of 1.5 million Hynduai vehicle units.

So, South Korea began to rebrand. They began to produce more entertainment content which the rest of the world consumed heartily, cue, the BTS. South Korean entertainment content dominates China, one of the largest consumer markets in the world. So, still, do you doubt the power of contemporary culture?

For instructors to incorporate contemporary culture to influence students’ dedication to education, instructors must be active. They must understand that students want to learn but don’t want to learn things they don’t think have meaning. So teachers have to create meanings in what students are learning by incorporating the popular culture that students love. 

One of these ways is the gamification of learning. Students love games, and through self-teaching, they attain mastery of games. So, teachers should tie abstracts they teach students to stuff that would motivate students to self-learn, like games. Instructors could incorporate giving points and rewards for performance and so on.

You can use this method to transform a student who hates writing into a professional essay writer. In Hong Kong, teachers referred to relevant popular culture material to motivate students who had zero interest in English. Students who would have hired an expert who wrote quality custom essays to help them write developed an interest in writing.

Benefits of Popular Culture in Learning.

  • It helps develop critical thinking.
  • Boosts understanding concepts
  • Expand learner’s mind.

Boosts Understanding Concepts.

As we have mentioned earlier, students don’t care for things that don’t interest them. What they learn in school is detached from things they care about, so they are uninterested. By using contemporary culture, you bring the things pupils are familiar with. Then teachers use those things to push pupils’ desire to understand the concepts they would ordinarily find boring.

We have mentioned using Spiderman’s fight with Dr. Strange in the mirror dimension to teaching geometry. So as an educator, you must become cool by following the trends. Then you transport these trends into the classroom. A famous educator once used the Star Wars movies to educate pupils on the ecosystem.

If you like, you can use the Iron Man movie to explain heart transplants and the concept of nuclear reactors.

It Helps Develop Critical Thinking

If you want to teach your pupils the art of critical thinking, you can make it simpler by using their popular culture. Plant the seed in their minds by informing them that not all the things they see on the media are true. Challenge them by debunking a popular myth. That would create amazement in them, and they would also try to look for more things they can debunk.

By going extra to challenge these popular tropes, pupils will learn research and how to analyze information. 

Expand learner’s Cooperation Levels.

Instead of having students analyze texts or poems, bring in the hottest song and ask them to analyze the lyrics. You will discover how much passion your pupils radiate. Apart from improving their analysis skills, it could be an avenue to ensure that your students discuss with their peers. You can also teach them literary devices and ask them to find these devices in their favorite films.

Conclusion.

Pop culture could be the key to rejuvenating students’ interest in education. With the benefits we have provided in this article, it is something schools should be looking to explore.

5 Ways To Get Your OBI-WAN KENOBI Fix Before the Disney Plus Series Drops

Latest posts by Betty Bugle (see all)