scholarly journals Auditing information literacy skills of secondary school students in Singapore

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaheen Majid ◽  
Yun-Ke Chang ◽  
Shubert Foo

The aim of this study was to assess the information literacy (IL) and cyber-wellness skills of secondary 3 (grade 9) students, who are aged 14-15, in Singapore. The Ministry of Education in Singapore has introduced aspects of IL in schools through incorporating components into the syllabi of various subjects. A pilot-tested online survey, validated by IL experts from Canada, Hong Kong, Kuwait and Thailand, was used for data collection. The survey was taken by 2,458 students from 11 secondary schools in different geographical zones of Singapore. It was found that the use of school libraries and their resources was at a very low level. The majority of the students approached classmates and friends for help in solving their information-related problems. Only a small fraction consulted their school librarian. The overall IL assessment score showed that the students possessed a ‘middle’ level of IL skills which is better than previous (pre-curriculum integration) IL assessment studies in Singapore. As curriculum-embedded IL skills are taught by subject teachers, their level of preparedness could be a matter of concern. Similarly, fragmentation of IL concepts in different subject textbooks may cause co-ordination problems among teachers. This paper highlights the need for developing a roadmap for providing IL skills at different grade levels and in different subject areas. It is expected that the findings of this study will be useful to curriculum planners, teachers, schools librarians and others involved in IL education.    

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun-ke Chang ◽  
Xue Zhang ◽  
Intan Azura Mokhtar ◽  
Schubert Foo ◽  
Shaheen Majid ◽  
...  

Appropriately measuring information literacy skills is essential to understand their educational impact as well as exploring pedagogies to improve teaching of these skills. This paper reports findings of a baseline study to understand the information literacy level of secondary school students in Singapore. A comprehensive instrument encompassing a new dimension of ethical usage of information as well as major IL principles and guidelines was developed for data collection. A total of 298 responses were gathered through the online survey. The findings indicate that overall there was a scope to improve students’ IL skills. That stated, higher order IL skills (such as information use, synthesis, and evaluation) demand more attention, as comparatively lower levels of proficiency were observed in this study. 


Author(s):  
Elizabeth Probert

There have recently been increasing numbers of published articles lamenting school students’ lack of information literacy skills. All strongly state the urgent need for improvement. The problem may arise from classroom teachers’ lack of knowledge of information literacy skills and their related pedagogical practice but there is little research. This presentation reports on a project, involving a cluster of New Zealand schools, which investigated both teacher’s and students’ understanding of information literacy and classroom practices. The results have established the need for better teacher understanding and practice. One solution will be to trial appropriate professional development.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 137-145
Author(s):  
Fatima Baji ◽  
Zahed Bigdeli

Given the lack of a standardized and normalized assessment tool for measuring Iranian primary school students' levels of IL, this study adapted and modified the Tool for Real-time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills to evaluate the IL skills of a group of the 6th grade students. In this research, descriptive research design was used and the data were collected through a survey. A sample of 701 female and male students in the 6th grade from Ahwaz city was selected. Stratified random sampling technique was used to draw/choose representative sample. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, median, interquartile deviation, scores of percentile ranks, and z, Zn, T scores were used to specify the IL skills test norms. According to the results, the mean score of female students in IL skills assessment was 11.56, while in males was 9.04. This demonstrates that the Iranian 6th grade students have weakness in IL skills; this issue is due to the lack of IL instruction in school curriculum and despite the adoption of various documents to improve the education system in Iran in recent years. Findings of this research provide insights towards the IL assessment tool development of k-12 students in Iran and establish a baseline for introducing TRAILS testing in k-12 setting in Iran.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 631-653
Author(s):  
Sanaz Soltani ◽  
Shahrokh Nikou

PurposeInformation literacy is defined as discrete abilities that a person requires to have in order to find, assess, use and share information. As information literacy skills play a prominent role in the students' academic achievement, students and in particular international students coming to continue their postgraduate studies in other countries may face problems in finding and using library services. The purpose of this paper is to explore and investigate the information literacy skills, challenges and needs of international and domestic students at the Finnish universities.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey (82 respondents) and qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 international and 10 domestic students.FindingsAcademic library services are used but in different ways. The findings indicate that international students have a relatively low level of information literacy skills compared to domestic students and faces various challenges, especially in the beginning of their studies.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was exploratory, and data were collected from limited number of Finnish universities and may not be representative of the underlying population.Practical implicationsAcademic libraries should provide effective courses on research methods and library services to the international students while keeping in mind the international students language and cultural barriers.Originality/valueThis is one of the first attempts in information literacy research that focusses on international and domestic students' information literacy skills at the higher education environment. As such, the results provided in this paper can help librarians and decision-makers at the higher education environments to plan better and become more efficient in delivering information services meeting students' information needs and expectations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-137
Author(s):  
S. Muthukumar ◽  
S. Srinivasa Ragavan

We examined the information literacy skills in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in higher secondary school students of were conducted. This study demonstrates and elaborates to analyze information literacy search skill among the school students, to know the purpose of visiting the library, to identify areas of information literacy skills among the students and their search strategies and to students’ ability to locate useful information. The sampling was taken in eight schools in three different districts of Tamil Nadu State. A total of 305 students were surveyed in four Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) and four CBSE Affiliate Private Schools. Our study highlights that information literacy skills are found in both schools; though more information skills are having CBSE affiliated private school schools rather than Kendriya Vidyalaya School.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Neal Wilson ◽  
Caroline E. Engler ◽  
Jessica E. Black ◽  
Derik K. Yager-Elorriaga ◽  
William Michael Thompson ◽  
...  

In the 21st century, students have access to a plethora of information. As such, the skills required to access and effectively sort through this information (information literacy skills) become ever more important for success in both academic and non-academic settings. This study sought to assess the efficacy of two educational games designed to increase high school students' information literacy skills. Using a randomized controlled trial in a high school setting, the games were integrated into a standard curriculum and tested for efficacy. Post-test results indicated that both games effectively transmit targeted skills. Additionally, improved performance (relative to controls) on end-of-instruction testing (EOI; end-of-year state testing) suggest that these skills transfer across important academic domains. The study provides strong evidence to support the use of these two educational games to supplement and enhance information literacy instruction.


2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Porter

Information literacy skills are critically important for the undergraduate biology student. The ability to find, understand, evaluate, and use information, whether from the scientific literature or from Web resources, is essential for a good understanding of a topic and for the conduct of research. A project in which students receive information literacy instruction and then proceed to select, update, and write about a current research topic in an upper-level cell biology course is described. Students research the chosen topic using paper and electronic resources, generate a list of relevant articles, prepare abstracts based on papers read, and, finally, prepare a“ state-of-the-art” paper on the topic. This approach, which extends over most of one semester, has resulted in a number of well-researched and well-written papers that incorporate some of the latest research in cell biology. The steps in this project have also led to students who are prepared to address future projects on new and complex topics. The project is part of an undergraduate course in cell biology, but parts of the assignments can be modified to fit a variety of subject areas and levels.


2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Raish ◽  
Emily Rimland

Digital badges are an educational innovation used to measure learning of specific skills, such as information literacy. However, few studies have quantitatively surveyed employers for their perceptions about information literacy skills or digital badges. An online survey was developed and sent to employers to gauge perceptions of information literacy skills of college graduates and the use of the innovation of digital badges to represent competencies that students have accumulated. Here are the results of the survey: information literacy and metaliteracy skills are valued in the workplace; employers would like more detailed representations of student skills; and digital badges are a possible way to showcase student achievement.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document