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Juan M. Leyva
ponent of professional learning and development. Photovoice, developed by
Caroline Wang (1999) and Caroline Wang and Mary Ann Burris (1997), is a par-
ticipatory method that empowers individuals to capture their community’s
strengths and challenges through photography, aiming to promote social
change.
Narrative photography has become a valuable teaching tool, especially in
health sciences and nursing education in the last few years. In health scienc-
es education, narrative photography is particularly effective in cultivating
empathy, enhancing reflective thinking, and fostering a deeper understand-
ing of patients’ experiences (Dodd et al., ; Jih et al., 3; Kolaiti, 9;
Leyva-Moral et al., 1, ). This method follows a structured process that
integrates visual and reflective elements to enrich the learning experience.
Overall, the structured process of narrative photography in health sciences
education not only improves students’ observational and reflective abilities
but also strengthens their empathetic engagement with patients, making it a
valuable pedagogical tool (Rieger et al., 16).
Later in this chapter, specific details on the implementation of the narrative
photography method will be provided. To provide a succinct overview, the
process initiates with students engaging in the Feeling the Narratives activity
(Hall & Powell, 11; Timpani et al., ). This preliminary step encourages
students to observe and interpret the nuanced aspects of patient care, ex-
tending their understanding beyond clinical symptoms to encompass the
human experience. This is achieved through the reading of real narratives or
the viewing of real story videos. The materials selected by faculty include per-
sonal accounts available on the internet, podcasts, blogs, or verbatims from
qualitative studies. Subsequently, students are tasked with Creating Narrative
Photographs. Working either individually or in small groups, as determined by
the instructor, students must produce up to three images that encapsulate
their feelings and the meaning of what they have learned. No specific format
is required for these photographs. The only guidelines are that the images
must be original, creative, sensitive, integrative, and explanatory of the theo-
retical concepts discussed. Following the creation of these visual narratives,
students move on to Reflective Narratives (Dunn, 4; Smith et al., 15). In
this phase, students write short reflective essays or commentaries that elu-
cidate the emotions, thoughts, and meanings behind their images. This re-
flective writing fosters deep introspection and critical thinking, as students
articulate their observations and insights. It also helps students to connect
emotionally with the patients’ experiences, enhancing their ability to em-
pathize and respond compassionately. Finally, these visual and written nar-
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