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The aim of this sequential integrated mixed model design study was to examine
information literacy (IL) levels and needs of graduate students in education, social
studies, and humanities at the mid-size Canadian university. This was done through
surveying 201 graduate students who volunteered to fill-in a quantitative
questionnaire that included supplementary open-ended questions. To triangulate data
and as part of the chosen methodological approach, 16 graduate students also took
part in the semi-structured follow-up interviews which included observation of the
participants’ on-task behaviour. In order to consider the IL of graduate students in the
larger context of a library information ecosystem, the researcher incorporated the
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Affordance Theory (AT) frameworks.
The quantitative component of the study was based on the modified Beile Test of
Information Literacy for Education (B-TILED) survey as an instrument to measure
the participants’ IL. The survey questions were organized to address the participants’
demographic, academic and departmental characteristics. The statistically significant
results were found for the B-TILED scores on the following three independent
variables: (i) first language of participants (i.e., non-native English speakers
performed lower), (ii) minimum course requirements completed for the Master’s
degree (i.e., students who did not complete the minimum number of courses
performed lower), and (iii) the department of study (i.e., Master’s of Education and
Master’s of Social Work students performed lower). The data from the follow-up
interviews confirmed that graduate students perceived that they need more IL-related
instruction, as well as a discipline-specific instruction.
Findings suggest that graduate students may benefit from differentiated methods for
gaining the IL skills, through frequent and more hands-on in-library, in-class, and online
IL instruction. The conclusion of this study, points out that those who need
sophisticated search and research skills, require sustained and individualized support
in order to achieve the necessary comfort and mastery in doing so. Thus, with
increased technological development of library tools, a generic onetime library
instruction, usually given in the first semester of graduate program is not sufficient to
provide the most needed IL skills. |
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