"Some Level of Skill for Life": Secondary Teacher Librarians Supporting Student Information Literacy Skill Transfer Beyond Secondary School

• Published in: Communications in information literacy Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 31 - 50
• Main Authors: Garrison, Kasey, Oddone, Kay
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tulsa Communications in Information Literacy 01.01.2025
• Subjects: Agricultural Occupations; Agricultural Skills; Australia; Communities of Practice; Educational Strategies; Environmental Influences; Higher education; Information literacy; Information seeking behavior; Information Skills; Information Transfer; Inquiry method; Learner Engagement; Learning; Learning Experience; Librarians; Library Personnel; Library Skills; Literature reviews; Phenomenology; Problem solving; School librarians; School libraries; Secondary school students; Secondary schools; Self Efficacy; Skills; Student Participation; Student Records; teacher librarians; Teacher Transfer; Teachers; Teaching Methods; Transfer of Training; transferability; Young adults
• ISSN: 1933-5954; 1933-5954
• DOI: 10.15760/comminfolit.2025.19.1.3

Students entering higher education are expected to transfer information literacy skills and knowledge developed through their primary schooling and sharpened in their secondary years. However, the constant evolution of the information landscape means the mastery of these skills presents challenges for students to develop and teachers to teach. Through interviews, this phenomenological study examines the perspectives and practices of 19 Australian secondary teacher librarians supporting student information literacy skill transfer in school and life contexts and considers important changes in the teaching of these skills. Findings suggest time and content overload are preventing integration across subjects and limiting students’ ability to apply skills in real world situations. Further, participants identified changes in important ethical issues around information like copyright and intellectual property, especially for students entering university. Potential solutions to these challenges include the adoption of whole-school or state-wide approaches to information literacy and partnerships with secondary schools and universities.