Exploring the Information Literacy Needs and Values of High School Chemistry Teachers

Abstract

To meet the information literacy (IL) needs of chemistry students, The College of New Jersey’s (TCNJ) Library and Chemistry Departments have created a three-year seminar with a strong IL component. The program focuses on IL skills necessary for success in industry and graduate or professional education, but may lack features specific to those students becoming secondary school educators. In order to determine whether there is a need for additions to the program, TCNJ librarians inquired about information literacy with current secondary education chemistry teachers in the United States. Through a survey, the researchers investigated the participants’ perceived value of IL, the skills emphasized in high school chemistry curricula, potential difficulties in embedding IL skills, and the types of resources available to high school chemistry teachers and students. Fifty-five percent of survey participants reported that there is a moderate to high priority for IL in their chemistry curriculum. Ninety-two percent responded that students search the Internet for chemistry information. The researchers also reviewed literature about IL standards, curriculum standards in secondary education science, the importance of critical thinking skills, and the IL skills of K–12 students and teachers. The results of the survey and the review of the literature show that there is an opportunity to equip our secondary education chemistry majors with an IL pedagogy so that they can, in turn, effectively instill in their future high school students the values and habits exhibited by critical consumers of scientific information.

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