Thesis-2002-Lesher.pdf (27.99 MB)
Information literacy instruction for Kuwaiti students and the role of cultural relevance
thesis
posted on 2010-10-22, 11:18 authored by Teresa M. LesherThis study identifies the components of an instructional programme for information
literacy that is culturally relevant to Kuwaiti students. It discusses culturally relevant
education, instruction for information literacy, the provision of library and
information skills instruction in Kuwait, and its characteristics as an independent
nation, and as a Gulf, Arab, Islamic, and developing country.
The study further tests the effect of cultural relevance on instruction for information
literacy for Kuwaiti students with an experiment of comparative instruction. The
control group received Western-oriented instruction for information literacy and the
experimental group received instruction that substituted Kuwaiti cultural referents for
some of the Western-oriented referents. The aims of instruction for both groups were
basic levels of proficiency as described in Information Literacy Standards for Student
Learning, and the main vehicle of instruction was the Big SixTM information problem
solving strategy. The only difference in instruction between groups were the images
in the Big SixTM transparencies used for overhead projection, the examples used in
class to discuss various information problems and the corresponding images that
represented the examples.
The study measured the information problem solving achievement of 126 fourth- and
eighth grade students with a pre- post-test, the recall of the Big Six strategy with a
post-test, and student attitudes with a questionnaire. The analyses revealed that,
overall, there is a significant difference in the mean achievement scores in
information problem solving and the recall of the Big Six strategy between students
who received culturally relevant instruction and those who received instruction that
was not culturally relevant. Examined separately, males' scores were significantly
higher in the group that received culturally relevant instruction, while females
responded equally well to both types of instruction. In addition, the study found a
strong correlation between the attitudes of students in the control and experimental
groups, and between males and females within groups.
History
School
- Science
Department
- Information Science
Publisher
© Teresa M. LesherPublication date
2002Notes
A Doctoral Thesis. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University.EThOS Persistent ID
uk.bl.ethos.247936Language
- en