This research aimed to explore children's drawings of superhero characters in order to understand whether superhero themed play can encourage learning on complex themes such as gender, race and sexuality through exposure to stereotypes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with children aged 5-12 years where each child was asked to design their own superhero and their own villain. This method was chosen in order to give children maximum freedom and time to express their ideas. One visual chart of various Marvel and DC Comic characters was then used alongside the children’s drawings in order to compare and contrast their understanding of gender, race and sexuality themes to further emphasise their viewpoint.

Published in: London International Conference on Education (LICE-2020)

• Date of Conference: 23-25 November 2020
• DOI: 10.2053/LICE.2020.0009
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-22-8
• Conference Location: London, UK