Information Needs and Information Seeking Patterns of Secondary School Geography Teachers to Implement National School Curriculum

Information Needs and Information Seeking Patterns of Secondary School Geography Teachers to Implement National School Curriculum

Chundu Zangmo Tamang cztamang@education.gov.bt Ministry of Education (Bhutan)
Tashi tashi.sce@rub.edu.bt Royal University of Bhutan, Samtse College of Education (Bhutan)
Lekh Raj Ghalley lekrajghalley@education.gov.bt Ministry of Education (Bhutan
Summary: 
This study aims to explore the information needs and informationseeking patterns of secondary school geography teachers in Bhutan. The study discussed availability, accessibility, sufficiency of information, and barriers to teachers’ information-seeking as the core themes of the study. This study was carried out by means of a survey collected from a total of 191 geography teachers in the whole country and two focus group discussions consisting of 5 members each. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, while the qualitative data were analyzed using thematic method analysis. The results of the study indicated that the information needs of teachers are mostly related to teaching content, teaching resources, technology, and student’s learning needs. The investigation of the information resources available/accessible to fulfill the indicated information needs revealed that teachers are heavily reliant on online information sources. One of the major findings indicated in the study was a lack of research community in schools and a lack of information literacy among teachers. In the twenty-first century, education has to fulfill the demands of transmitting a growing amount of knowledge in an appropriate way and to be lifelong learners, continually aspiring to learn and teach. Therefore, it is apparent that educators must be aware of the changing demands in teaching and learning. The results of this research may be useful for the educational authorities to develop appropriate policies that promote teachers’ professional development competency and redevelop strategies to replace the inadequacy of information to fulfill curriculum demands.
Keywords: 
Information
Information needs
Information Seeking Pattern
Accessibility
Availability
Sufficiency
and Information barriers.
Refers: 

[1] Adigun, G. O., Olusegun Oke Library, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Kotso, J. A., Kolajo, F. S., College of Education, Akwanga, Nasarawa State, Nigeria, & Olusegun Oke Library, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. (2013). Changing roles of academic and research libraries in scholarly information communication landscape: A case study of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. Greener Journal of Social Sciences, 3(3), 156–165.http://doi. org/10.15580/gjss.2013.3.021213446

[2] Allen, T. J. (1968). Organizational aspects of information flow in technology. Aslib Proceedings, 20(11), 433– 454. http://doi.org/10.1108/eb050169

[3] Bhutan Media and Impact Study [BMIS] (2013), Ministry of Information and Communications Royal Government of Bhutan.

[4] Bisto, C. F. (2012). An investigation of information seeking behavior of geography teachers for an information service intervention: the case of Lesotho. Information Research, 17(4), 1–14

[5] Bitso, C. M. L. (2011). The information needs and information-seeking patterns of secondary level geography teachers in Lesotho: implications for information service (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pretoria).

[6] Bitso, C., & Fourie, I. (2014). Information-seeking behavior of prospective geography teachers at the National University of Lesotho. Information Research: An International Electronic Journal, 19(3), n3.http:// informationr.net/ir/19-3/paper637.html

[7] Boland, R. J. (1985). 10 Phenomenology: a preferred approach to research in information systems. Elsevier Science Publishers.

[8] Borgman, C. L., Smart, L. J., Millwood, K. A., Finley, J. R., Champeny, L., Gilliland, A. J., & Leazer, G. H. (2005). Comparing faculty information seeking in teaching and research: Implications for the design of digital libraries. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 56(6), 636-657. Buckland, M. K. (1975). Book availability and the library user.

[9] Byström, K., & Hansen, P. (2005). Conceptual framework for tasks in information studies. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 56(10), 1050-1061.

[10] Callinan, J. E. (2005). Information‐seeking behavior of undergraduate biology students: A comparative analysis of first year and final year students in University College Dublin. Library Review.

[11] Carlson, B., & Reidy, S. (2004). Effective access: Teachers’ use of digital resources (research in progress). OCLC Systems & Services: International digital library perspectives.

[12] Case, DO (2007) Looking for Information: A survey of research on information seeking, needs and behavior. Emerald Group Publishing.

[13] Cohen, W. M., Nelson, R. R., & Walsh, J. P. (2002). Links and impacts: the influence of public research on industrial R&D. Management Science, 48(1), 1-23.

[14] Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research Design (international student edition): Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed). Sage publications.

[15] de la Vega, A., & Puente, R. T. (2010). Availability and use of printed, audiovisual, and electronic information by high school teachers of communication and social sciences in public educational institutions in Peru. Libri, 60(4). http://doi.org/10.1515/libr.2010.026

[16] Dilevko, J., & Gottlieb, L. (2002). Print sources in an electronic age: a vital part of the research process for undergraduate students. the Journal of Academic librarianship, 28(6), 381-392.

[17] Erdem, A. R. (2006). Dünyadaki yükseköğretimin değişimi. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 15 (3), 299–314.

[18] Ertemel, A.V., & Ammoura, A. (2021). Is YouTube a Search Engine or a Social Network? Analyzing Evaluative Inconsistencies. Business and Economics Research Journal 12(4):871-881. DOI:10.20409/berj.2021.357

[19] Foster, A. (2005). A nonlinear model of information‐ seeking behavior. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and technologyTechnology, 55(3), 228-237

[20] Ganiyu, B. O., & Zubairu, I. K. (2010). Project cost prediction model using principal component regression for public building projects in Nigeria. Journal of Building Performance ISSN, 1(1), 2010

[21] Hussain, G. A., & Ahmad, P. (2014). Information Seeking Behaviour of the Teachers and Students at College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh: A study. Asian Review of Social Sciences, 3(1), 45-54.

[22] Ikoja-Odongo, R., & Mostert, J. (2006). Information seeking behavior: a conceptual framework. South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science, 72(3), 145–158.

[23] Karma, K. (2021). Geography teachers’ self-efficacy, beliefs and students’ motivation for learning [Unpublished masters dissertation]. Samtse College of Education.

[24] Khan, S. A., & Shafique, F. (2011). Information needs and information-seeking behavior: A survey of college faculty at Bahawalpur. Library philosophy and practice, 16.

[25] Khan, S. A., & Shafique, F. (2011). Information needs and information-seeking behavior: A survey of college faculty at Bahawalpur. Pakistan Journal of Library & Information Science, 12 (1), 1-6. https:// digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/484

[26] Kim, K. S., & Sin, S. C. J. (2008). Perception and selection of information sources by undergraduate students: Effects of avoidant style, confidence, and personal control in problem-solving. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 33(6), 655-665.

[27] Komolafe-Opadeji, H. (2011). Use of Internet and electronic resources amongst postgraduate students of a Nigerian private university. Information Technologist (The), 8(1), 29-34.

[28] Kundu, D. K. (2015). Nature of the Information Seeking Behaviour of Teachers Engaged in General Degree Colleges and Teachers’ Training Colleges: A Critical Analysis. Athens Journal of Education, 2(3), 257–273.

[29] Lee, J. Y., Han, S. H., & Joo, S. H. (2008). The Analysis of the Information Users’ Needs and Information Seeking Behavior in the Field of Science and Technology. Journal of the Korean Society for Information Management, 25(2), 127-141.

[30] Liew, C. L., Foo, S., & Chennupati, K. R. (2000). A study of graduate student end-users’ use and perception of electronic journals. Online Information Review, 24 (3), 302-315. doi: 10.1108/14684520010350650

[31] Liu, Z., & Yang, Z. Y. L. (2004). Factors influencing distanceeducation graduate students’ use of information sources: A user study. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 30(1), 24-35

[32] Mahapatra, R. K., Swain, D. K., & Jena, K. L. (2011). Information seeking behavior of teachers of engineering colleges in the capital city of Odisha: a case study. Pearl: A Journal of Library and Information Science, 5(3), 26-36.

[33] Mardis, M. A. (2009). Viewing Michigan’s digital future: Results of a survey of educators’ use of digital video in the USA. Learning, Media and Technology, 34(3), 243-257.

[34] McKenzie, P. J. (2003). A model of information practices in accounts of everyday life

[35] Nkebukwa, L. L. (2019). Assessing of informationseeking behaviour of academic staff in the emerging electronic information era: a case study of cbe and irdp in Tanzania. Business Education Journal, 6(1). Nwokedi, V. C., & Adah, J. (2009). Information needs of post-primary school teachers in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Information Technologist (The), 6(2).

[36] Ntui, A. I., & Udah, A. E. (2015). Accessibility and utilization of library resources by teachers in secondary schools in the Calabar education zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. Global Journal of Human-Social Science: Arts & Humanities–Psychology, 15(8), 1-12.

[37] Nwokedi, V. C., & Adah, J. (2009). Information needs of post-primary school teachers in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Information Technologist (The), 6(2). http:// doi.org/10.4314/ict.v6i2.52727

[38] Okoli, G. C., & Azubuike, F. C. A. CLN. (2021). Information Needs and Information Seeking Behaviour of Secondary School Teachers. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 6172. https://digitalcommons.unl. edu/libphilprac/6172

[39] O‘Reilly, C. A. (1982). Variations in decision makers‘ use of information sources: The impact of quality and accessibility of information. Academy of Management Journal, 25(4), 756–771. http://doi. org/10.2307/256097

[40] Perrault, A. M. (2009). An Exploratory Study of Biology Teachers’ Online Information Seeking Practices. School Library Media Research, 10

[41] Rafiq, M., & Ameen, K. (2010). Information seeking behavior and user satisfaction of university instructors: A case study. Library Philosophy and Practice, 11(1), 1-12. Sánchez, G., & Valcárcel, M. V. (1999). Science teachers› views and practices in planning for teaching.

[42] Ranaweera, P. (2008). Importance of information literacy skills for an information literate society.https://www. researchgate.net/publication/28809097_Importance_ of_Informati on_Literacy_skills_for_an_Information_ Literate_society

[43] Ray, K., & Day, J. (1998). Student attitudes towards electronic information resources. Information Research, 4(2), 4-2.

[44] Rosenberg, V. (1967). Factors affecting the preferences of industrial personnel for information gathering methods. Information Storage and Retrieval, 3(3), 119- 127

[45] Servais, M. M. (2012). Understanding teachers’ information needs, perceived competencies, and informationseeking behaviors for special education information.

[46] Shahzad, K., & Khan, M. T. (2015). Key Trends in Information Seeking of Government College University Lahore Teaching Faculty. Pakistan Library & Information Science Journal, 46(1).Sherab, K., & Dorji, P. (2013). Bhutanese teachers ‘ pedagogical orientation in the primary classes: a factor on quality education. Jiste, 17(1), 18-28

[47] Shehryar, M., Khan, G., Jan, S. U., & Akram, S. (2021). Information Needs and Seeking Behavior of School Teachers.Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 5442. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/5442

[48] Shehryar, M., Khan, G., Jan, S. U., & Akram, S. (2021). Information Needs and Seeking Behavior of School Teachers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan.

[49] Slater, M. (1963). Types of use and user in industrial libraries: Some impressions. Journal of Documentation.

[50] Snyman, M., & Heyns, D. (2004). The information needs of Afrikaans teachers. Mousaion, 22(2), 211–229.

[51] Tahira, M., & Ameen, K. (2016). Information needs and seeking behavior of science & technology teachers of the University of the Punjab, Lahore. Pakistan Journal of Information Management and Libraries, 10

[52] Thilagavathi, T., & Thirunavukkarasu, A. (2015). Information needs and seeking behavior of faculty members of Avinashilingam University, Coimbatore. International Journal of Digital Library Services, 5(3), 69-76

[53] Williams, D., Coles, L., Richardson, A., Wilson, K., & Tuson, J. (2000. Integrating information and communications technology in professional practice: an analysis of teachers’ needs based on a survey of primary and secondary teachers in Scottish schools. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, 9:2, 167-182, DOI:10.1080/14759390000200089

[54] Wilson, T. D. (2000). Human information behavior. Informing Science, 3(2), 49-56.

[55] Woodward, D. G. (1997). Life cycle costing—Theory, information acquisition, and application. International journal of project management, 15(6), 335-344.

[56] Wu, M., Chen, S., & Hsieh, M. (2002). A study of elementary school teachers’ searching behavior for instructional resources on the Internet. Journal of Educational Media and Library Sciences, 42(4), 481.

[57] Xie, I., & Joo, S. (2010). Selection of information sources: Accessibility of and familiarity with sources and types of tasks. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 46(1), 1-1

[58] Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An Introductory Analysis (2nd Eds). New York: Harper and Row

[59] Zhang, P., & Benjamin, R. I. (2007). Understanding information related fields: A conceptual framework. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 58(13), 1934- 1947

Articles in Issue