scholarly journals Enhanced and changing roles of school librarians under the digital age

2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 696-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Lo ◽  
Dickson K.W. Chiu
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
Practical Interest ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Changing Roles

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the recent viewpoint of classroom teachers and school administration about the role of school librarians, which is lacking adequate studies. The current trend of fast-evolving information and communication technologies (ICT) and the emphasis on enquiry-based learning has increasing impacts on school curriculum and the required library support. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on a qualitative analysis of interviews on three practicing secondary school librarians in Hong Kong on three separate occasions to explore a different, richer type of data, in particular new requirements and issues that a questionnaire survey could provide. Findings – The new roles of the school librarians improving teaching and learning effectiveness under this environment include: being information literacy specialists, leading library improvement projects and providing classroom teaching collaboration and support. Originality/value – This is one of the very few qualitative studies reporting professional practices and changing roles amongst school librarians in Hong Kong. The results of this study are of practical interest to education policymakers, school administrators, practicing school librarians and educators with a vested interest capitalizing on the school library’s potentials to positively affect students’ achievements.

Practicing the integration of education for sustainable development (ESD) into the school curriculum

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 219-245
Author(s):  
Stephanie W. Lee ◽  
Samson C.W. Ma ◽  
Ngok Lee
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Subjects ◽  
Precise Distribution

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine efforts made by the UNESCO Hong Kong Association (UNESCOHK) in integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) into school subjects and into the curriculum in 2009-2016. It investigates: the distribution and development of the three key components of environment, society and economy in student work, and in school assessment reports; the relevancy level of ESD learning to school subjects; the condition in Hong Kong in practicing the integration of ESD learning into the school curriculum; and the practices of integration of ESD learning into the school curriculum in Hong Kong and other countries. Design/methodology/approach Grounded theory is deployed to analyze the distribution and development of ESD as understood by students and schools, and the application of knowledge acquired through school subjects to ESD learning activities undertaken by students and schools. Findings The study succeeds in identifying the precise distribution and development of the three key components of environment, society and economy in ESD, and in establishing the level of relevancy of ESD learning activities to school subjects and to the school curriculum. UNESCOHK’s initiative is in line with the general trend adopted by countries to integrate ESD into the school curriculum. Research limitations/implications The scope of investigation is limited to ESD learning activities in eight schools and to one single economy. Social implications The study facilitates attempts to reorientate the lifestyles of students and their parents. Originality/value The study is a pioneering work in Hong Kong to integrate ESD learning into school subjects, which is in alignment with the trend to integrate ESD into the school curriculum.

The roles of the school librarians as information literacy specialists

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 314-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Lo ◽  
Joyce Chao-chen Chen ◽  
Zvjezdana Dukic ◽  
You-ra Youn ◽  
Yuji Hirakue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
South Korea ◽  
East Asia ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
The Other ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine and compare the different roles and expectations of the school librarians as information literacy (IL) instructors between Hong Kong, Japan, Shanghai, South Korea, and Taipei. School librarians are not merely managers of the school libraries nowadays; they are also expected to serve as administrators, teaching consultants, information specialists and IL teachers, etc. Unfortunately, in many countries, especially in Asia, there has always been a lack of understanding on the parts of the classroom teachers and school administration about their role as IL specialists in the public school system. Design/methodology/approach – The school librarians in Hong Kong, Japan, Shanghai, South Korea and Taipei were invited to take part in a questionnaire survey. A total number of 466 self-completed questionnaires were collected from all 5 regions. Findings – The results indicated that the school librarians in both Taipei and South Korea outperformed the other regions, in terms of the scope and extent of duties and responsibilities these school librarians undertook as IL skills instructors. The staffing and organizational structures amongst the school libraries in Taipei also tended to be far more affluent and “departmentalized” in comparison to the other four regions. Results also indicated that the amount of IL instructions carried out by the school librarians were directly proportional to the frequencies of collaborations the school librarians carried out with other subject teachers as well as the extent the librarians themselves could contribute to the curriculum as both information consultants and curriculum facilitators. Finally, the amount and level of reference duties performed by these school librarians for supporting the teaching of other subject teachers was another factor contributing to the overall success of IL instructions programmes being carried out. Originality/value – The complex interactions of global trend and local responses in education system cannot easily be understood without the use of comparative studies (Arnove and Torres, 1999). The value of comparative studies lies in its potentials in highlighting the strengths and deficiencies of the education systems being examined and thereby identifying valuable features of both foreign and local systems, as well as exposing defects for necessary improvements. Nevertheless, there has been a lack of cross-regional comparative research on IL programmes carried out via school libraries in East Asia. This study aims to provide a cross-analysis of empirical data collected in five different regions in East Asia for examining the issues of the role of the school librarians as IL skills specialists, by looking at their relationships with other colleagues as well as their role as curriculum facilitator within the school community as a whole.

Appraising information literacy skills of students in Singapore

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-394
Author(s):  
Shaheen Majid ◽  
Schubert Foo ◽  
Yun Ke Chang
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Middle Level ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Information Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Administrators

PurposeTo investigate information literacy (IL) skills of secondary students in Singapore after integration of these skills into school curriculum. The study also explored cyber wellness skills of the students.Design/methodology/approachA survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 14 secondary schools, located in different geographical zones of the country. A total of 3,306 secondary students participated in this survey. A scoring scheme was devised to assess IL skills of the students.FindingsThe students achieved an overall mean score of 52.6%, which is considered as a “middle” level of IL competency. The students obtained high mean scores for two IL skills: “defining information task and analysing information gaps” (60.5%) and cyber wellness (60.1%). Lowest scores were achieved for two IL skills: “selecting information sources” (47.4%) and “appraising the information process and product” (48.0%).Research limitations/implicationsThis study has not investigated IL knowledge of teachers, responsible for teaching IL components. Similarly, content analysis of school textbooks, integrating IL skills, could be useful.Practical implicationsIt appeared that integration of IL skills into school curriculum showed limited success in imparting these skills. This paper suggests measures for improving the integration of IL skills into school curriculum. Findings of this survey will be useful to curriculum planners, education administrators, instructors teaching IL skills and school librarians.Originality/valueThis study was unique as, in addition to standard IL skills, it also investigated cyber wellness skills. It was desirable as now social media have become a popular source for information seeking and sharing.

Use of information and communication technologies for administration and management of schools in Nigeria

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 183-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Funmilola Olubunmi Omotayo ◽  
Michael Chinweike Chigbundu
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Task Technology Fit

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the adoption and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by school administrators in the management of schools, as well as factors that influence use of ICTs by the administrators. Design/methodology/approach Survey research design was adopted. A two-stage sampling procedure (random and purposive) was used to select the respondents, while quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data collection. Findings Findings reveal that the school administrators use various ICTs to carry out administrative and management duties. Task characteristics, task-technology fit, attitude and perceived ease of use have significant relationships with use of ICTs by the administrators. Research limitations/implications The findings and conclusion from this paper cannot be generalised to all schools in Nigeria because the population was limited to only private secondary schools. Practical implications The study contributes to an existing knowledge on adoption and use of ICTs in schools, and provides information to policymakers on factors that should be given consideration when there is a need to implement ICTs in schools. Social implications This paper could assist school administrators that are yet to adopt and implement ICTs in their schools of the need to do so in order to enjoy the benefits associated with ICTs use in the workplace. Originality/value This paper is one of the first pieces of empirical research that has adopted the integrated technology acceptance and task-technology fit models to investigate use of ICTs by administrators of schools in Nigeria.

Are we on the same page?

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mina Min
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
National Identity ◽  
Citizenship Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intended Curriculum ◽  
Unique Identity ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Hong Kong Students ◽  
Negative Perceptions

Purpose – Hong Kong is a case that demonstrates the distinctively multi-dimensional nature of citizenship within and in relation to a given nation. The purposes of this paper are to: first, discuss Hong Kongers’ unique identity and the influence of political, historical and economic factors on them in order to show the value of challenging the “national citizenship” approach as a dominant discourse in the intended curriculum of Hong Kong citizenship education; second, analyze the efforts of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to foster a stronger sense of Chinese national identity in Hong Kong students; and third, evaluate the appropriateness of this nationalistic approach by examining its compatibility with and coherence to in relation to the implemented and attained curriculum. Design/methodology/approach – This study analyzes existing scholarly discussions on the PRC’s emphasis on Chinese national identity in citizenship education and negative perceptions held by teachers and students regarding the approach and presentation of their actual teaching and learning practices for citizenship education with empirical data. Findings – This paper illuminates the mismatch found between the intended curriculum and the implemented and attained curriculum in terms of the viewpoints of good citizens. Originality/value – The notion of “cultural citizenship” is suggested as an alternative approach to developing the curriculum of Hong Kong citizenship education. This paper will be of interest to those curriculum scholars, educational authorities and teachers who are interested in developing and implementing the curriculum of citizenship education.

scholarly journals School Librarians in Action: A Comparative Study of School Library Programs in Croatia and Hong Kong

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Tam ◽  
Samson Choi ◽  
Anica Tkalcevic ◽  
Zvjezdana Dukic ◽  
Joy Xiaobing Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
School Library ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Library Instruction ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Support Students

The study explores library programs in primary and secondary schools in Croatia and Hong Kong. The aim is to find what library programs the school libraries in Croatia and Hong Kong run in their schools, how these programs affect students’ learning and what are similarities and differences between school libraries in Croatia and Hong Kong. The study findings show that school libraries on both locations run programs to support students’ reading and to enhance their information literacy and research skills. School library programs in Croatia and Hong Kong include some similar components but also differ in some respects in approach and content. School librarians in Croatia involve wider community engagement while school librarians in Hong Kong apply technology for collection development and library instruction. Library programs in schools in both locations transcend the school walls and reach beyond the school curriculum as well.

scholarly journals Ecuadorian and Uruguayan teachers' perceptions and experiences of teaching online during COVID

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ximena D. Burgin ◽  
Sheila Coli Coli ◽  
Mayra C. Daniel
Keyword(s):  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Available Technology ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological ◽  
K 12

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic is a unique event that forced K-12 schools to rethink the delivery of instruction to protect the well-being of school system stakeholders. Teachers, school administrators and parents had to adapt to and embrace new ways of teaching and learning by utilizing available technology. The purpose of this study is to examine the challenges encountered by in-service teachers when moving from face-to-face to online teaching.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilized a qualitative phenomenological research methodology to examine Ecuadorian and Uruguayan teachers' perceptions and experiences transitioning from face-to-face to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. This comparative study used convenience sampling to include 12 K-12 teachers from Ecuador and Uruguay.FindingsThe results of this study produced two themes that evidenced the demands placed on educators. The first theme was job demands, relating to teachers' perceptions about workload, preparation time and curriculum issues. The second theme related to available support provided by the school administrators and technology issues faced by teachers and students. Even though the teachers demonstrated adaptability for educating students during the pandemic, the experiences from both countries should be considered by teacher training programs and in post-graduate professional development.Originality/valueThis article examined how COVID-19 affected teachers in Uruguay and Ecuador. Data analysis documented the challenges encountered by teachers transitioning to online learning during the pandemic. The findings inform a larger audience about the needs of teachers working online.

How integration of information and communication technologies impact academic achievement? An empirical study on Sindh education foundation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amjad Ali Rind ◽  
Muhammad Mujtaba Asad ◽  
Shahmeer Ali Marri ◽  
Fahad Sherwani ◽  
Fazal Ur Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Science Scores ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of Introduction of Smart Teaching and Learning (INSTAL) project on students' academic achievements in terms of students' science scores. Information and communication technologies (ICT)-based initiative was introduced in Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) schools at District Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan. The aim of the study was to identify whether science test scores of students have been improved with the use of INSTAL facility at schools or remained the same at SEF-supported schools.Design/methodology/approachThe quantitative research approach has been used in the current study, and within it a quasi-experimental research design was employed. The descriptive (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent sample t-test and paired sample t-test) were computed to find the pre- and post-difference in science scores of students. Both primary and secondary data were used. The primary data were gathered through questionnaire from 48 science teachers. Whereas, secondary data of 382 students who used ICT-based facility under INSATL project for two academic years were taken from quality assessment test (QAT) scores conducted by third party in SEF-assisted schools in District Khairpur.FindingsThe findings of the study revealed that the students' science scores improved by 10% in one year and 23% in two years with the use of ICT-based facilities under INSTAL project. Also, it can be concluded from the results that ICT has a positive as well as statistically significant impact on students' science learning by using INSTAL facility in schools. Results of the study show that students' level of interest toward learning science has been enhanced by the use of ICT.Practical implicationsAs the world is rapidly moving toward digitalization, the modes of teaching and learning have been changing. ICT plays a very significant role in the betterment of education. ICT helps to achieve socio-economic development of a country. However, Pakistan, being a developing country, has not that much resources, and ICT-based learning is not common in Pakistan. Therefore, it is very important to be aware people about the usage of technology in teaching and learning. The present study is an attempt to create such type of awareness. Moreover, the current study may be the first kind of study in the context of Pakistan which used TPACK as theoretical framework, and this study may contribute to the body of knowledge in the context of ICT.Originality/valueImplementing ICT-based software for teaching and learning in rural context of Pakistan was a challenging task, but it has brought positive results in terms of student's achievement. This may be the first study that has been conducted in the context of adopted schools of SEF.

scholarly journals Evidence-based School Library Practice

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Tam ◽  
Ružica Rebrović-Habek ◽  
Zvjezdana Dukić
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Library ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Local School ◽  
Objective Evidence

The study explores the involvement of school librarians from Croatia and Hong Kong in EBLIP. The main goal of this study is to find out what types of evidence school librarians from Croatia and Hong Kong use in their library practice and how useful they find different evidence types. The research method used in this study is survey and data were collected with an online questionnaire created and delivered with SurveyMonkey. The study reveals that school librarians in Croatia and Hong Kong use a wide variety of evidence sources in support of their library practice. Most often they use evidence from observation, professional interactions and library statistics. School librarians in both regions agree that these three types of evidence are the most useful for their library practice. However, if school librarians wish to demonstrate to stakeholders how school libraries contribute to teaching and learning they need to generate some more objective evidence through formal research. LIS educators and local school library associations may be encouraged to develop educational programs that will enhance school librarians' competences in formal research and involve them in participatory research community.

Principal leadership and school capacity effects on teacher learning in Hong Kong

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijuan Li ◽  
Philip Hallinger ◽  
James Ko
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Principal Leadership ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
System Level ◽  
Teacher Professionalism ◽  
Teacher Professional Learning ◽  
School Capacity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teacher Professional

Purpose – Over the past decade, studies of school leadership effects have increasingly aimed at identifying and validating the paths through which principal leadership impacts key teaching and learning processes in schools. A recent meta-analysis by Robinson and colleagues identified principal practices that shape teacher professional development experiences in schools as the highest impact path used by instructional leaders. The purpose of this paper is to examine relationships between principal leadership, dimensions of school capacity, and teacher professional learning in 32 Hong Kong primary schools. Design/methodology/approach – The study employed a cross-sectional research design and quantitative methods to analyze teacher perceptions of principal leadership and key school conditions. The research employed hierarchical linear regression analysis to explore survey data collected from a sample of 970 teachers. The surveys covered a range of principal leadership and school capacity dimensions, as well as a measure of teacher professional learning. Findings – Results indicated that multiple dimensions of principal leadership made significant contributions to both school capacity and teacher professional learning. The presence of cooperation, trust, communication, support for students, and alignment, coherence, and structure in schools also affected teacher professional learning. Research limitations/implications – These findings contribute to the global discourse on leadership for learning. The study addresses the need established by multiple scholars (e.g. Leithwood, Hallinger, Heck, Robinson, Witziers) for research that further illuminates “paths” and “intermediate targets” through which leadership impacts teaching and learning. The findings elaborate on the means by which leadership can enhance school capacities that directly impact teacher classroom practice and student learning. Consistent with other scholarly research (e.g. Bryk and Schneider, Louis and colleagues, Sahphier and King) the findings also point toward the importance of establishing selected workplace conditions (e.g. trust, cooperation, communication) as a foundation for fostering teacher professional learning. Practical implications – The study reinforces the finding from other studies that it is productive for principals to foster an environment aimed at enhancing teacher professionalism. The study also highlights the potentially dysfunctional consequences that can arise from competing system-level initiatives aimed at increasing monitoring and teacher accountability and fostering teacher professionalism. Originality/value – The study contributes to a small but growing body of leadership effects research conducted in non-Western societies. As such the study offers insights with relevance for understanding leadership processes in other Asian and non-Western cultures.

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