This research investigates the role of memes as alternative tools for analyzing and teaching educational policy. The primary research questions are:

1. What contradictions and societal attitudes toward educational policy are reflected in memes?
2. How can memes enhance students’ understanding of educational policy and foster critical thinking?
3. In what ways do memes differ from traditional didactic materials in their ability to reveal diverse perspectives on educational policy?

The key objective is to develop a nuanced understanding of how informal, digital discourses – such as memes – can serve as a lens for examining key educational policy challenges, including the complexity of curricula, public perceptions of teaching, and the effects of digitalization on educational processes. The study aims to create a classification of education-related memes and use this classification to foster more dynamic and reflective discussions in educational policy courses.

The theoretical framework integrates perspectives from media literacy, educational sociology, and cultural studies, focusing on how digital materials like memes capture and amplify public sentiment, cultural norms, and systemic contradictions. Memes, as informal yet influential forms of communication, operate at the intersection of popular culture and policy discourse. They reveal hidden tensions, such as the concern over declining educational standards versus demands for curriculum simplification, or societal dissatisfaction with teacher performance alongside empathy for the challenges they face.

This research builds on the theory that public and informal discussions influence, question, and reshape official educational policies. By analyzing the cultural and situational nuances reflected in memes, the study provides a new perspective to enhance traditional resources like reports and legislative documents. It posits that these digital narratives can help students connect policy issues to broader societal dynamics, fostering critical inquiry and a deeper understanding of the systemic and cultural dimensions of education.

Moreover, the research emphasizes the importance of including student perspectives in these discussions. Traditional materials often neglect the voices of schoolchildren, leading to a limited view of educational policy impacts. By incorporating memes, the study aims to address this gap, inviting a richer and more inclusive dialogue on the complexities of educational reform and practice.

The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative content analysis of memes with participatory classroom activities. Data were gathered over 15 years through the authors’ systematic observation and classification of education-related memes. These memes are categorized based on themes such as the complexity of educational content, societal perceptions of teaching, and the implications of digitalization on teacher-student relationships. In classroom settings, the analysis is conducted in a playful and interactive format to foster student engagement. Discussions are designed to highlight the contradictions in educational policy and encourage students to explore both sector-specific and broader societal concerns. Comparing these discussions to those using traditional materials, the research observes an increase in critical reflection and engagement with educational policy issues. The study also identifies the limited representation of students’ perspectives in such discussions, suggesting a need for further research to incorporate their voices and diversify teaching methodologies.

The research identified key outcomes, shaped by the authors’ interest in educational memes and their 15-year collection of examples. While situational and limited in cultural scope, the study aligns with the Russian educational agenda, given the authors’ active role in its development. The aim is to produce material for further analysis in educational policy courses. Educational memes reveal contradictions in policy and media communication: while curricula are criticized for being overly complex, there are also complaints about oversimplification. Increasing administrative demands conflict with concerns about educators’ growing isolation, and public criticism of teachers’ qualifications exists alongside empathy for their challenges. Worries about declining traditional outcomes clash with their reduced importance in real-world contexts. Similarly, digitalization is blamed for weakening teacher-student relationships but praised for fostering independence. Common memes address school life, spotlighting the learning process’s complexity, resource scarcity, gender stereotypes, and content overload. Others highlight external pressures on teachers, public misunderstandings, and the irony of academic work. Memes critique overly complex curricula and explore societal attitudes, such as strained teacher-parent relations, shifting expectations, and school traditions. Low educational outcomes are reflected in memes on unemployment, skill deficits, and literacy challenges, while memes on policy examine equality, reform critiques, and digitalization's mixed impact. Memes simplify educational material, using humor to enhance comprehension and foster teacher-student interaction. This approach promotes critical thinking and deepens students’ understanding of education systems. However, discussions often exclude students’ perspectives, limiting the ability to address contradictions. Memes serve as didactic tools, sparking debate, presenting diverse viewpoints, and encouraging innovative solutions. Their use enriches educational discourse, promoting strategies to modernize the system.

1.Polishchuk O., Vitiuk I., Kovtun N., Fed V. Wisdom, Memes as the Phenomenon of Modern Digital Culture (2020). DOI: 10.24234/wisdom.v15i2.361 2.Cannizzaro, S. Internet Memes as Internet signs: A Semiotic View of Digital-culture (2016). Sign Systems Studies. Vol. 44. No. 4. P. 562–586. DOI: 10.12697/SSS.2016.44.4.05 3.Dongqiang X., De Serio L., Malakhov A., Matys O. Memes and education: opportunities, approaches and perspectives. Geopolitical, Social Security and Freedom Journal, Volume 3 Issue 2, 2020. P. 14-25. DOI: 10.2478/gssfj-2020-0009. 4.Blackmore S. The new science of memetics. Think: Philosophy for Everyone (2003). No. 5. P. 21–26. DOI:10.1017/S1477175600002554. 5.Zagoruyko A., Efremova M. The Value of Internet Memes as a Teaching Aid (2019). Teaching Methodology in Higher Education. Vol. 8. No 28. P. 12–21. DOI: 10.18720/HUM/ISSN 22278591.28.01. 6.Tidy H., Bolton-King R.S., Croxton R., Mullen C., Nichols-Drew L., Carlysle-Davies F., Moran K.S., Irving-Walton J. Enhancing the student learning experience through memes (2024). Science & Justice. Vol. 64. P. 280–288. DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2024.03.004. 7.Kyrpa A., Stepanenko O., Zinchenko V., Udovichenko H., Dmytruk L. Integration of Internet Memes When Teaching Philological Disciplines in Higher Education Institutions (2022). Advanced Education. Vol. 20. P. 45–52. DOI: 10.20535/2410-8286.235947. 8.A Flecha Ortiz J., A Santos Corrada M., Lopez E., Dones V. Analysis of the use of memes as an exponent of collective coping during COVID-19 in Puerto Rico. Media International Australia, 2021, Vol. 178. No. 1. P. 168–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X20966379.