The Hidden Benefits of Media Literacy Workshops in Schools
The school environment has always evolved as new pedagogies and research offer educators increasing opportunities to impact the learning context of their students. Over the years, school has become more than just a place of academic pursuit, with a holistic approach to education allowing kids to excel not just in traditional disciplines like maths, science and literacy. Wellbeing, digital proficiency and problem-solving capability all improve long-term outcomes for students as they mature into adults who will hopefully continue their learning process in one way or another. This evolution has meant that lesson plans and calendars are packed full of content adding extra challenges for educators, but it has been a net positive for society at large.
In recent years new information frontiers have upped the ante for schools across the world, causing them to grapple every day with a changing social and digital information landscape that exposes kids much earlier to far more messages they have yet to develop the skills to filter or interpret. With extra demands, however, resources often remain scant.
Digital and media literacy are important skills that arm children with a range of tools to assist in building that skill set, but are as yet still unsupported in the syllabus. While educators have neither the time nor the resources to add non-curricular lesson plans to an increasingly bulging calendar, there are limitations to leaving kids to navigate the expanding digital information unaided.
And, there are other trade-offs to consider. Media literacy is a function of critical reasoning, which is always a valued capability in adults. And the benefits of media literacy education are more far-reaching than most educators may be aware of. New research has provided insight into the hidden benefits. Yes, kids are less likely to believe what they read on social media, but the impacts of learning an implicit media reasoning process go well beyond digital wellbeing. Here are 4 surprising findings that illustrate why this specific type of critical thinking learning should be a consideration in schools.
Reduction in bullying
Anti-bullying prevention strategies are a mainstream subject matter for schools across Australia and beyond, with varied efficacy results. Obviously bullying is a focus for all schools given the importance of student well-being to outcomes, but direct action on bullying behaviours is not the only way to address the rather nuanced issue. Some recent international research has shown critical thinking workshops can also impact the number of incidents of bullying in schools. Initiatives such as Evaluative Epistemic Cognition have been suggested to help children reason through social incidents and listen to a range of perspectives.
Associate Professor Laura Scholes from the ACU postulates that by supporting children in learning critical thinking and reasoning skills they learn how to evaluate multiple perspectives.
“These strategies can be applied across the curriculum and include things like listening to other perspectives, finding out what evidence supports conflicting points of view, and then using reasoning to make personal decisions,” she said.
“Climate change is a topic that lends itself to such approaches as children can consider different perspectives on the issues, look at the evidence behind different standpoints, evaluate the evidence, and then make an informed decision related to their personal stance.”
“This kind of reasoning can then be applied to moral issues in schools, such as inclusion.”
2. Academic improvements in STEM subjects like maths, technology and science
Interestingly, academic outcomes also improve after critical thinking workshops. Research shows that not only do academic results increase with targeted critical thinking training, but the gains can be material and tangible within the classroom. One study showed weekly learning for one semester is equivalent to three years’ worth of academic gains. Peter Ellerton from the University of Queensland has researched the academic impact of targeted critical reasoning courses and surmises;
“Our yet-to-be-published study, using verified data, showed students in years three to nine who engaged in a series of 12 one-hour teacher-facilitated online lessons in critical thinking showed a significant increase in relative gains in NAPLAN test results – as measured against a control group and after controlling for other variables.”
In 2024 the British Educational Research Journal found regular critical thinking instruction increased academic results across all disciplines when compared to a control group. In subjects like science, this effect could increase the mean scores by as much as 29%.
3. Creative writing capabilities improve with an appreciation for varying perspectives
While STEM subjects return anywhere from a 15% to 29% improvement after critical thinking instruction, there are also documented and significant increases in literacy and language outcomes. In 2024 the Queensland Government Department of Education showed gains in grammar, punctuation, spelling and writing of up to 38% after critical thinking instruction. The authors hypothesised that the mechanism by which these gains may be realised is complex, but may include an ability to weigh up multiple perspectives, planning, evidence gathering, and the ability to evaluate arguments in support of a thesis statement.
“Indeed, the many decisions that a writer makes during text production such as how to structure the text, what evidence to include, even which vocabulary is best suited, presuppose the capacity to construct and evaluate arguments, gauge the quality of thinking, and practice the art of rational persuasion.”
4. Decrease in ‘Digital Anxiety’
Since the avalanche of digital information became a standard in children’s lives in and outside of school, psychologists have studied the impact that social and digital media can have on their mental health. Psychological intervention can include a range of preventive initiatives, but critical thinking and specifically media literacy courses have been shown to provide a mechanism for relief of digital anxiety.
In a 2025 preprint Mr. Kuziwa Bhiri of Zimbabwe Open University states;
“Educational intervention is yet another avenue that focuses on empowering adolescents with knowledge and critical thinking skills. Media literacy workshops, championed by Livingstone and Helsper (2017), provide practical tools for discerning biased content, recognising unrealistic portrayals, and understanding the algorithms that shape online experiences. This awareness enables adolescents to critically evaluate the information they encounter and make conscious decisions about their online consumption habits.”
Parents and schools are aware of the need to remain vigilant about social and digital media and the direct impact it can have on the development and well-being of their children and students. However, it is worth considering the indirect consequences of targeted media literacy and critical thinking workshops as part of a comprehensive academic and well-being program that benefits not only individual students, but teachers and educators, administrators and the school community at large.
References;
Primary kids would be kinder, and bullying could reduce if schools taught critical thinking: research
Collaborative philosophical inquiry for schoolchildren: cognitive gains at 2-year follow-up
Thinking about thinking helps kids learn. How can we teach critical thinking?
The Psychosocial Impact of Social Media on the Youths in Hwange Urban Area
