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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Rebecca Rogers, Martille Elias, LaTisha Smith and Melinda Scheetz

This paper shares findings from a multi-year literacy professional development partnership between a school district and university (2014–2019). We share this case of a Literacy…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper shares findings from a multi-year literacy professional development partnership between a school district and university (2014–2019). We share this case of a Literacy Cohort initiative as an example of cross-institutional professional development situated within several of NAPDS’ nine essentials, including professional learning and leading, boundary-spanning roles and reflection and innovation (NAPDS, 2021).

Design/methodology/approach

We asked, “In what ways did the Cohort initiative create conditions for community and collaboration in the service of meaningful literacy reforms?” Drawing on social design methodology (Gutiérrez & Vossoughi, 2010), we sought to generate and examine the educational change associated with this multi-year initiative. Our data set included programmatic data, interviews (N = 30) and artifacts of literacy teaching, learning and leading.

Findings

Our findings reflect the emphasis areas that are important to educators in the partnership: diversity by design, building relationships through collaboration and rooting literacy reforms in teacher leadership. Our discussion explores threads of reciprocity, simultaneous renewal and boundary-spanning leadership and their role in sustaining partnerships over time.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to our understanding of building and sustaining a cohort model of multi-year professional development through the voices, perspectives and experiences of teachers, faculty and district administrators.

Details

School-University Partnerships, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1935-7125

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 July 2020

Kanwal Ameen and Salman Bin Naeem

This study aims to determine the differences in information professionals’ perceived news literacy skills and sharing behaviors with their demographics (gender, age…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to determine the differences in information professionals’ perceived news literacy skills and sharing behaviors with their demographics (gender, age, qualification, professional experience and working designation).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a quantitative research design, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect the data from information professionals working in university libraries.

Findings

Findings reveal that the use of social media channels for sharing news was significantly higher among the professionals in the age group <30 years as compared to the older age groups. Female professionals determine the authenticity of a news story more frequently than males. The study concludes that the factors such as age, education level and work experience significantly influence information professionals’ use of social media for sharing news and their news literacy skills.

Practical implications

The study holds some important practical implications in terms of identifying demographic factors in the perceived news literacy skills and sharing behaviors. Having information about the significant variations in demographics may help in adopting the targeted approaches for organizing news literacy sessions, as well as to develop a framework for news literacy instructions.

Originality/value

This study adopted the Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education given by the Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL) to develop the theoretical framework and questionnaire. The validated questionnaire on news literacy skills has been specifically constructed for the study in absence of finding any in the literature. Moreover, studies were hardly found assessing the difference of demographics with information professionals’ perceived news literacy skills and their news sharing behaviors.

Details

Information Discovery and Delivery, vol. 49 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-6247

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 December 2021

Sarah Margaret James, Suzanne(Sue) M. Hudson and Alexandra Lasczik

Being literate can change the lives of Australian students. Therefore, graduating effective teachers of literacy is an imperative for Australian schools. Professional experience…

Abstract

Purpose

Being literate can change the lives of Australian students. Therefore, graduating effective teachers of literacy is an imperative for Australian schools. Professional experience provides an opportunity for preservice teachers to refine their skills for teaching literacy under the guidance of a mentor teacher. This study investigates from the perspective of preservice teachers, the attributes and practices primary mentor teachers demonstrate when mentoring literacy teaching during professional experience.

Design/methodology/approach

This investigation utilised survey design to gather data from primary preservice teachers (n = 402) from seven Australian universities. The 34 survey items were underpinned by the Five Factor Model of Mentoring and literacy practices prescribed by the Australian curriculum. Preservice teachers self-reported their responses about their literacy mentoring experiences on a five-point Likert scale. The Five Factor Model of Mentoring provided a framework to analyse and present the data using descriptive statistics.

Findings

Findings revealed 70% or more of preservice teachers agreed or strongly agreed mentor teachers had the personal attributes, shared the pedagogical knowledge, modelled best practice and provided feedback for effective literacy teaching. Conversely, only 58.7% of the participants reported their mentor teachers shared the system requirements for effective literacy teaching.

Research limitations/implications

The preservice teachers self-reported their experiences, and although this may be their experience, it does not necessarily mean the mentor teachers did not demonstrate the attributes and practices reported, it may mean they were not identified by the preservice teachers. While there were 402 participants in this study, the viewpoints of these preservice teachers' may or may not be indicative of the entire population of preservice teachers across Australia. This study included primary preservice teachers, so the experiences of secondary and early childhood teachers have not been reported. An extended study would include secondary and early childhood contexts.

Practical implications

This research highlighted that not all mentor teachers shared the system requirements for literacy teaching with their mentee. This finding prompts a need to undertake further research to investigate the confidence of mentor teachers in their own ability to teach literacy in the primary school. Teaching literacy is complex, and the curriculum is continually evolving. Providing professional learning in teaching literacy will position mentor teachers to better support preservice teachers during professional experience. Ultimately, the goal is to sustain high quality literacy teaching in schools to promote positive outcomes for all Australian school students.

Originality/value

While the role of mentor teacher is well recognised, there is a dearth of research that explores the mentoring of literacy during professional experience. The preservice teachers in this study self-reported inconsistencies in mentor teachers' attributes and practices for mentoring literacy prompting a need for further professional learning in this vital learning area.

Details

International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6854

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 March 2021

Kirsten Kinzer

Public administration, or the implementation of public policies by civil servants, will be central to implementing the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. And yet, few…

Abstract

Purpose

Public administration, or the implementation of public policies by civil servants, will be central to implementing the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. And yet, few American master of public administration (MPA) programs explicitly focus on sustainable development or sustainability literacy. This study asks whether it is possible to build professional sustainability literacy within a general MPA course, specifically in a course on quantitative methods.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a natural experiment conducted in three sections of the graduate course Quantitative Methods in Public Administration at UNC Wilmington, the study explores the relationship between student growth in professional sustainability literacy and a student’s level of foundational sustainability literacy, pro-environmental behavior, background knowledge in statistics and their interest in sustainable development within public administration.

Findings

The study finds that there is a statistically significant relationship between growth in a student’s professional sustainability literacy and two variables: above average foundational sustainability literacy and a high level of interest in sustainability policies and programs.

Originality/value

This study is the first to consider an embedded approach to sustainability education in the field of public administration.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 22 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 February 2020

Carolyn S. Hunt and Deborah MacPhee

This article presents a case study of Kelly, a third-grade teacher enrolled in a literacy leadership course within a Master of Reading program. In this course, practicing teachers…

Abstract

Purpose

This article presents a case study of Kelly, a third-grade teacher enrolled in a literacy leadership course within a Master of Reading program. In this course, practicing teachers completed an assignment in which they implemented a literacy coaching cycle with a colleague, video-recorded their interaction, and conducted critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the interaction. The authors explore how engaging in CDA influenced Kelly's enactment of professional identities as she prepared to be a literacy leader.

Design/methodology/approach

Data presented in this article are taken from a larger study of four white, middle-class teachers enrolled in the course. Data sources included the students' final paper and semistructured interviews. The researchers used qualitative coding methods to analyze all data sources, identify prominent themes, and select Kelly as a focal participant for further analysis.

Findings

Findings indicate that Kelly's confidence as a literacy leader grew after participating in the coaching cycle and conducting CDA. Through CDA, Kelly explored how prominent discourses of teaching and learning, particularly those relating to novice and expert status, influenced Kelly in-the-moment coaching interactions.

Originality/value

Previous literacy coaching research suggests that literacy coaches need professional learning opportunities that support a deep understanding of coaching stances and discursive moves to effectively support teachers. The current study suggests that CDA may be one promising method for engaging literacy coaches in such work because it allows coaches to gain understandings about how discourses of teaching and learning function within coaching interactions.

Details

International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, vol. 9 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6854

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 October 2020

Tessa Withorn, Joanna Messer Kimmitt, Carolyn Caffrey, Anthony Andora, Cristina Springfield, Dana Ospina, Maggie Clarke, George Martinez, Amalia Castañeda, Aric Haas and Wendolyn Vermeer

This paper aims to present recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography…

8451

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering various library types, study populations and research contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, reports and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2019.

Findings

The paper provides a brief description of all 370 sources and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

Originality/value

The information may be used by librarians, researchers and anyone interested as a quick and comprehensive reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 48 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 May 2020

Shamshad Ahmed and Tariq Rasheed

This study aims to examine the relationship between personality traits and digital literacy skills among university librarians of Punjab, Pakistan.

1374

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the relationship between personality traits and digital literacy skills among university librarians of Punjab, Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

Five research hypotheses were established to achieve the study objectives. Two instruments; namely, “big five inventory (BFI)” scale of personality traits and a structured questionnaire of digital literacy skills (library literacy, computer literacy, tool literacy, information retrieval literacy and research support literacy) were used to collect the data. Pearson correlation test and correlation research design were used to examine the relationship between digital literacy skills and personality traits of university librarians.

Findings

The findings of the study revealed significant relationships between personality traits and all digital literacy skills. The study concluded that librarians having the extraversion trait are more inclined toward digital literacy skills and they can perform well in the libraries as compared to professionals with other traits.

Research limitations/implications

This study measures the digital literacy skills among the librarians of “higher education commission” recognized universities of Punjab, Pakistan. The study conclusions and findings are limited in scope to only the librarians of these universities. Such topic has no previous research.

Practical implications

This study has practical implication for university libraries, library associations, librarians and library professionals. The results of the study are also useful for librarians to acquire digital literacy skills, which are necessary in the current digital environment to manage the libraries.

Social implications

Library professionals can get digital literacy skills to face the challenges of digital age.

Originality/value

Some researchers examined the relationship of personality traits with the social networking sites, internet addiction, knowledge sharing behavior, information seeking behavior and academic performance. This study in particular identified the relationship of personality traits with the digital literacy skills, which are essential for managing the libraries. It helps libraries to find suitable library professionals and also help managers in assigning the duties based on these personality traits and digital literacy skills.

Details

Digital Library Perspectives, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5816

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 30 September 2020

Diane Kern, Aimee Morewood, Allison Swan Dagen, Miriam Martinez, Samuel DeJulio, Janis Harmon and Misty Sailors

Purpose: To describe the importance of exemplary literacy teacher preparation today, the changing landscape of teacher preparation accreditation and the recently revised and…

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the importance of exemplary literacy teacher preparation today, the changing landscape of teacher preparation accreditation and the recently revised and launched International Literacy Association (ILA) National Recognition programs.

Design: In this chapter, the authors examine the current context of literacy teacher preparation in the United States, including the changing landscape of national accreditation, national recognition, and certification requirements. Next, the authors provide a brief overview of the ILA Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 (Standards 2017) (International Literacy Association (ILA), 2018) and consider how Standards 2017 may inform literacy teacher preparation programs, state standards, and certification. Then, the authors discuss how the role of reading/literacy specialist in Standards 2017 is being applied in the ILA National Recognition program. To close the chapter, the authors share guiding questions and two case studies from exemplary literacy preparation programs – West Virginia University and the University of Texas at San Antonio – in an effort to provide practical examples of program innovation and improvement in these challenging times in literacy teacher preparation.

Findings: The authors discuss the current context of teacher preparation today, the ILA Standards 2017 with specific attention to the reading/literacy specialist role and standards.

Practical Implications: ILA National Recognition program involve reflection, self-study, on-site visits by peers to support and inspire ongoing literacy teacher preparation program quality and improvement.

Details

What’s Hot in Literacy: Exemplar Models of Effective Practice
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-874-1

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 September 2022

Subaveerapandiyan A., Priyanka Sinha and Jeremiah Emeka Ugwulebo

This study aims to assess the digital literacy of African library and information science (LIS) professionals. Digital literacy skills are required in the digital library…

1000

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to assess the digital literacy of African library and information science (LIS) professionals. Digital literacy skills are required in the digital library environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Relevant literature was reviewed on this topic; previous study questionnaires, various university LIS curriculum, content analysis and job advertising were used for preparing the survey questionnaire. This study used an ex post facto research design. Purposive sampling was adopted in this study, and data were collected from Google form by sharing the research questionnaire by hyperlink which was undertaken from March 15, 2022 to May 24, 2022. The data were collected by a structured questionnaire. A four-point Likert scale was used to measure how library professionals acquired digital literacy skills. Content analysis of more than 500 job vacancies over the past three years (2018–2022) of library job advertisements was taken randomly.

Findings

This study’s findings show that the majority of the good at basic level of digital literacy skills at the same time have less in advanced digital literacy skills. The finding of this study shows the majority of them have to upgrade and learn about advanced digital literacy skills.

Practical implications

This study recommends adopting a new syllabus and updating a LIS curriculum based on the library’s technological development. Furthermore, this study’s potential result suggests more practical classes instead of theoretical study and it is useful to the library schools, associations, MOOC providers and lifelong learners.

Originality/value

This study is conducted with 102 African library professionals from 13 countries. This study discusses futuristic digital literacy skills and basic literacy skills. This study is beneficial to those who are preparing a new curriculum in LIS fields.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 13 December 2023

Christopher L. Small

This chapter will provide an analysis of current educational conditions of Black males within our K-12 school system and the ongoing instructional implications for school leaders…

Abstract

This chapter will provide an analysis of current educational conditions of Black males within our K-12 school system and the ongoing instructional implications for school leaders working to address literacy leadership and practice. It will provide insight and motivation for school leaders as they navigate political, social, and policy systems that surround the current educational climate and instructional expectations. Readers will engage in a reflective, collaborative, and constructive learning process related to how successful school leaders enhance teaching and learning on their school campuses for Black males and what behaviors are critical to supporting teachers and students through the process. Specifically at the elementary level where foundational decoding, fluency, and comprehension skills are developed and cultivated for early learners we must be intentional with all aspects of the learning process and our instructional pedagogy. This chapter will work to expand the body of knowledge surrounding Black males as we commit to deconstructing existing and reconstructing inclusive, equitable, and just learning environments. Implications for research, policy and practice, including recommendations to support ongoing formal and informal professional learning opportunities for educators to openly discuss their understanding of Black males, challenges they face, and strategies that they have found to be successful will be disclosed.

Details

Black Males in Secondary and Postsecondary Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-578-1

Keywords

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