scholarly journals School library staff perspectives on teacher information literacy and collaboration

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine McKeever ◽  
Jessica Bates ◽  
Jacqueline Reilly
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
School Library ◽  
Digital Citizenship ◽  
Classroom Setting ◽  
Information Competencies ◽  
Skilled Workforce ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Library Staff

Pupils need to develop information literacy (IL) skills in schools in order to be active members of a skilled workforce, for lifelong learning and digital citizenship. However, there has been little focus on the extent to which this happens in a classroom setting and on information competencies of teachers. As part of a broader study of teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of IL, librarians in schools in Northern Ireland were interviewed. Findings reveal low levels of collaboration with teachers. Recommendations are made regarding how to overcome challenges involved in developing teachers’ IL so that they can better support learners.

scholarly journals Low Levels of Teacher Information Literacy Awareness and Collaboration Between Librarians and Teachers in Information Literacy Instruction

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 88-90
Author(s):  
Ruby Warren
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Standardized Testing ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Staff Member ◽  
School Library ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Library Staff ◽  
Axial Coding

A Review of: McKeever, C., Bates, J., & Reilly, J. (2017). School library staff perspectives on teacher information literacy and collaboration. Journal of Information Literacy, 11(2), 51-68. https://doi.org/10.11645/11.2.2187 Abstract Objective – Researchers sought to determine school library staff perspectives on the information literacy knowledge held by secondary school teachers, and teacher relationships with the library. Design – Interviews analyzed with thematic and axial coding. Setting – Secondary schools in Northern Ireland. Subjects – 21 schools across Northern Ireland were selected as a sample, including urban, rural, integrated, grammar, and secondary schools. 16 schools ultimately participated. Methods – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with one library staff member at each selected secondary school. Interview audio and notes were transcribed and coded thematically both manually by the researchers and using NVivo. Categories were identified by open coding, then relationships identified via axial coding. Main Results – The majority (10 of 16) of library staff members interviewed expressed that they had not been asked about information literacy by teachers, and only one library staff member described a truly collaborative instructional relationship with teaching staff. The majority of staff expressed either that teachers were familiar with concepts related to information literacy but did not know the name for them, or, that they thought information literacy was entirely unfamiliar to teachers at their school. Staff frequently cited competing priorities (for example, standardized testing) and limited class time as potential causes for teachers not focusing on information literacy concepts. Conclusion – Both cultural and policy changes need to be made in schools to prioritize information literacy as a core competency for both students and teachers. The researchers call for greater intra-school collaboration as a means to achieve this cultural change.

scholarly journals Teachers and information literacy:

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Christine Shannon ◽  
Jacqueline Reilly ◽  
Jessica Bates
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Young People ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
School Library ◽  
Staff Perceptions ◽  
Teacher Survey ◽  
Skilled Workforce ◽  
Online Teacher ◽  
Age Range

Building on our 2017 article focussing on school library staff perceptions of teachers’ information literacy, this article reports on the information literacy (IL) understandings and skills of teachers in post-primary schools (the age range for pupils in post-primary schools is 11–18) throughout Northern Ireland. Results of a comprehensive online teacher survey (n=426) indicated that, despite misplaced confidence in their own skills, teachers’ IL understandings and skills were underdeveloped. The majority of respondents had neither received IL training nor included IL instruction in their teaching. The significance of these findings for theory, practice and policy relating to the teaching of IL skills, which are intended to equip young people to become active citizens and members of a skilled workforce, is discussed.

scholarly journals School Library Leading the Way

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Probert
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Cluster Model ◽  
School Library ◽  
Lead Teachers ◽  
Processing Information ◽  
Library Staff ◽  
The Way

In 2007 the principals of three schools in Auckland, New Zealand, formed a cluster with the aim of improving standards of information literacy in their schools over three years. Research, reported in a paper at the 2008 IASL conference, demonstrated that few teachers in the cluster were explicitly teaching their students the skills they needed when undertaking research or inquiry. In early 2008, a group of Lead Teachers, led by the teacher librarian in the largest school, and including trained library staff, designed a cluster model for teachers to use with their students when processing information. They also designed cluster-wide professional development which each school implemented in different ways. This paper reports on the findings of an evaluation carried out to measure the effectiveness of the first round of professional development.

scholarly journals School libraries, political information and information literacy provision: findings from a Scottish study.

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren N. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
School Library ◽  
Information Provision ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Political Information ◽  
Political Education ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Parliamentary Election ◽  
Library Staff

This paper presents the findings of research which explored Scottish school libraries’ information provision and information literacy (IL) support in the run-up to two major political events: the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum (SIR) and the 2015 General UK Parliamentary Election (GE). To do this, the project identified, through an online survey, what political information seeking secondary school students engaged in through school libraries, what information provision and IL support was available to students relating to political issues and events, and what barriers school libraries faced in providing these aspects of political education. It also identified what information seeking students engaged in, what levels of information provision and IL support relating to politics are provided by school libraries, and to explore the perceptions and experiences of library staff relating to work in this area. Analysis of the results indicates that there are mixed levels of provision across school libraries in Scotland and that this variation may be influenced by inconsistent policies from local councils and individual schools themselves, as well as variations in the experience and views of library staff. Key activities to support young people’s political education are identified, and several reasons library staff do not engage in political work are discussed. The findings are linked to previous research, with a discussion of the need to encourage and support school library staff to contribute to the political education of students alongside teaching staff. Several recommendations for schools and library staff are made, relating to a consideration of the role of school libraries, how they can provide relevant political information, the importance of clear policies around political information provision and the support required for school library workers. 

Student Experiences with Digital Citizenship: A Comparative Cultural Study

Libri ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna Kammer ◽  
Kodjo Atiso ◽  
Edward Mensah Borteye
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cultural Study ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Digital Citizenship ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Ethical Aspects

Abstract This comparative cultural study examines differences in digital citizenship between undergraduate information literacy students at two different, but similar, universities across the globe from each other. Under the notion that the internet and prevalence of mobile devices allow students to participate online as digital citizens in ways that were impossible before, we use mixed methods to compare the attitudes and experiences of undergraduate students at a university in the midwestern United States (U.S.), with a university on the southwestern coast of Ghana. We also examine the policies related to technology use at these schools. The findings indicate that Ghanaian students had higher levels of digital citizenship. Other findings suggest that network issues are a problem for students in both schools, especially for Ghana, and ethical aspects of internet use, like cyberbullying, hacking, and fake news, deter students from participating online as much as they would like.

Would You Share This Video? Factors Influencing Willingness to Share Online Health Misinformation. (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alla Keselman ◽  
Catherine Arnott Smith ◽  
Gondy Leroy ◽  
David R. Kaufman
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Science Literacy ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Interpersonal Trust ◽  
The United States ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Information Competencies

BACKGROUND The rapidly evolving digital environment of the social media era increases the reach of both quality health information and misinformation. Platforms such as YouTube enable easy sharing of attractive, if not always evidence-based, videos with large personal networks as well as the general public. While much research has focused on characterizing health misinformation online, it has not sufficiently focused on describing and measuring individuals’ information competencies that build resilience. OBJECTIVE This study 1) assesses individuals’ willingness to share a non-evidence-based YouTube video about strengthening the immune system, 2) describes types of evidence that individuals view as supportive of the claim by the video, and 3) relates information-sharing behavior to several information competencies: information literacy, science literacy, knowledge of the immune system, interpersonal trust, and trust in health authority. METHODS The study employs an online survey methodology with 150 individuals across the United States. Participants were asked to watch a YouTube excerpt from a morning TV show featuring a wellness pharmacy representative promoting an immunity-boosting dietary supplement produced by his company; answer questions about the video and say whether they would share it with a cousin who was frequently sick; and complete instruments pertaining to the information competencies outlined in the objectives. RESULTS Most participants (105 out of 150) said that they would share the video with their cousin. Their confidence in the supplement would be further boosted by a friend’s recommendations, positive reviews on a crowdsourcing website, and statements of uncited effectiveness studies on the producer’s website. While all information literacy competencies analyzed in this study had a statistically significant relationship with the outcome, each was also highly correlated with each other. Information literacy and interpersonal trust independently predicted the largest amount of variance in the intent to share the video (17% and 16%). Interpersonal trust was negatively related to the willingness to share the video. Science literacy explained 7% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS People are vulnerable to online misinformation and are likely to propagate it online. Information literacy and science literacy are associated with lesser vulnerability to misinformation and lesser propensity to spread it. Of the two, information literacy holds the greater promise as an intervention target. Understanding the role of different kinds of trust on information sharing merits further research.

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