To find out a variety of information needs and uses, this study investigated in which case middle school students need information and how they are satisfied with each needs according to the context of information needs. This study has two purposes. O...
To find out a variety of information needs and uses, this study investigated in which case middle school students need information and how they are satisfied with each needs according to the context of information needs. This study has two purposes. One is generally to understand which information they need and how they use the information. The other is to obtain fundamental data to improve school library in order to provide efficiently students with information services.
This study was conducted by qualitative methods and quantitative methods. Among 'W' middle school students(from first grade to third grade) located in Gwangju metropolitan City, the largest, middle and the smallest class of each grade in the number of checked out books were classified. Totally 358 questionnaires were given out and 344 questionnaires were collected(the rate of response is 96%). To supplement contents obtained by questionnaires, 9 students of each grade (totally 27students) were interviewed.
The results are summarized as follows;
(1) The response that the information for homework, preparation for lesson, preparation for the test, and university and career development is definitely or at least needed is as follows; 67.4%, 62.2%, 77.3% and 71.8%. The rate of response that information is needed in leisure activities appeared 49.7%. As shown above results, on the whole, these results showed that information is greatly needed.
(2) Although the information needs occurred by any reason except preparation for the test, the favorite channel to get information is the Internet. On the whole, nearly 35% of respondents selected the Internet as the favorite channel. On the contrary, the rate of response school library as an information channel is desperately low (3.7% of all); This is the lowest level.
(3) First and second grade's Internet dependance to solve homework is much higher than third grade(first grade: 71.8%, second grade: 77.8%). Third grade respondents selected the Internet as the favorite information channel(56.3%). Relatively, respondents that use personally owned material appeared 31.1%.
(4) As grade gets higher, Internet dependance as the first information channel to get information for lesson gets lower. On the contrary, personally owned material dependance gets higher.
(5) Personally owned books rather than the Internet is the source of Information to prepare for the test. But, first grade and second grade showed 55.6% and 54.6%(There is nearly no difference between the two). Third grade is 62.2%; Dependance on personally owned books is higher. Dependance on the Internet is 17.6%(second grade) and 16.8%(third grade). There is nearly no difference between the two. But, first grade appeared 26.5%.
(6) To determine career development including university, they use the Internet and personal communication including teacher, family/relative. The rate of the Internet vs. personal communication use is 42.8%:41%(first grade), 38.9%:57.4%(second grade), 44.6%:40.3%(third grade).
(7) The Internet use to get information about culture and interests in leisure activity is overwhelmingly high. In personal communication, the priority over friends is high. The response that friends are the important information channel is each 14.8% and 14.3%.
(8) In the use of school library, It appeared that 40% of respondents never use school library. The main reason is that they can get information without using school library. The other reasons are the lack of material in school library and the lack of general interest in reading a book.
(9) Because many students realize the necessity to learn how to use school library, 67.2% of the all respondents say "Yes" about that. The favorite way to learn is combining theory and practice(41.4% chosen).
(10) In library operation, need to equip computers, printers, and duplicators appeared 30.8%. And need to reflect on request of students in library operation appeared 30.5%. These two needs are the most urgent items to improve in library operation.
(11) Material management field in school library entirely was not different. So, the need to reflect on request to buy books appeared 28.5% and the need to arrange books to read conveniently without damaged books appeared 26.5%. The request to buy newly-published books periodically appeared 27.3%.
(12) In point of education by school library and information service, student's response to question, "what is improved first", appeared evenly various in given six suggested items. But, among items, response that school library must present needed material for the purpose of measuring performance and solution of homework appeared 25.2%. This rate is the highest of the assessment other items.
The followings from this study of school library are suggested;
(1) Students need information by a variety of reasons. Therefore school library must secure data to meet these diverse information needs, or must strengthen service to be able to make a minimum approach. First of all it is information about study that they need. Providing students with information needed in learning knowledge, school library helps them to learn by themselves and to do discovery study. In order to do so, school library as the core of education in school, must play a leading role in solving the student's learning and homework and personal requirement.
(2) Students need leisure information about culture and hobby, the newest information of university and career development except for information of a study. School library must help students to collect data for university and career development sufficiently and to utilize interpersonal information, and finally to get data for university which students need quickly. So, school library timely provide students with diverse individual difference with appropriate information.
(3) Through teaching how to search and use school library material, school library helps students to search and to study by themself. That is to say, school library must make students develop information practice ability to use library data. School library must equip optimum education environment which can develop rapid and accurate data practice.
(4) As we can know through the behavior of information uses, it is shown that the dependance on the Internet is very high, and this dependance will increase more and more as time goes by. Therefor, school library must equip multimedia facility, the newest-model computer and printer, duplicator, visual presenter etc.
(5) School library must be a living culture and art center which students approach in their daily life. School library must strive to make students feel friendly towards library and to use a library continuously. At this atmosphere, students will improve their voluntarily will to use library and problem solving ability.