Information access and evaluation skills of secondary school students in Ghana
Information access and evaluation skills of secondary school students in Ghana
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Date
2017
Authors
Owusu-Ansah Mfum, Christopher
Yeboah, Patience
S. Dadzie, Perpetua
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Library Philosophy and Practice
Abstract
Information Literacy (IL) is a necessary skill needed by students to survive in the dynamic
information environment of the 21st century. This study explored the IL skills of secondary
school students in Ghana with specific focus on students’ abilities in finding and evaluating
information. The study was conducted in two “first-class” secondary schools in the Kumasi
Metropolis of the Ashanti Region of Ghana; Opoku Ware Senior High School and Yaa
Asantewaa Girls’ Senior High School. A survey instrument was developed to assess the skills of
the students in that regard. Questionnaires were distributed to an overall sample size of one
hundred and seventy (170) students in the two schools. In addition, four teaching staff of the
schools were also interviewed to corroborate the findings from the students. The findings
revealed that students in the two schools lack the ability to effectively access information for
their academic work. The study also discovered that students in the participating schools lack
the basic skills to differentiate good information from bad ones. The study recommends, among
others, the integration of IL into the secondary school curriculum in Ghana; and collaboration
between librarians, teaching staff and the Ghana Education Service to promote IL among
students to promote lifelong learning.
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Citation
Yeboah, P., Dadzie, P. S., & Owusu-Ansah, C. M. (2017). Information access and evaluation skills of secondary school students in Ghana. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1552(5), 1-22.