Abstract
This exploratory study examines the application of methods used in the United States to evaluate the impact of school library programs and services on student learning to a setting in Uppsala, Sweden. The Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries study of Todd and Kuhlthau served as the model for data collection in Uppsala middle and high schools and subsequent analysis. Modifications to the original study and details of the data collection and analysis are provided. Findings suggest that many students do perceive that the library program provides different categories of help in their learning processes, that students may benefit from direct instruction in all stages of the information problem-solving process, and that the application of methods to school library settings worldwide may enable meaningful comparisons of practice in school libraries. Findings are limited by the amount of time between data collection and analysis, and modifications to the methodology applied in the original study. Still, this effort marks a critical benchmark in international efforts to demonstrate the impact of the school library on student achievement.
Analysis of the 2012 Study Results provided by
John Marino, PhD and Barbara Schultz-Jones, PhD Department of Information Science, University of North Texas
Study Coordinated by Lisa Åström, Tony Melander and Åsa Mattsson
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