Concepts of information literacy and information literacy standards among undergraduate students in public and private universities in the State of Kuwait

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of undergraduate college students attending a public and a private university in the State of Kuwait to understand how they develop their understanding and valuing of information literacy and information literacy standards. Data from student and faculty interviews and student research papers were gathered and analyzed using NVivo. The students' reflections on their prior experiences with research shed light on how the students formed and shaped their concepts on information literacy and their application of selected Information Literacy Competency Standards. Information literacy was not comprehended fully by the students and held different meanings to the participants in this study. The students articulated specific aspects of information literacy and displayed a fragmented understanding of the concept. The themes that emerged focused on the students' research experiences before information literacy instruction, definitions of information literacy, information literacy as a process, influences on developing information literacy skills, documentation, and expectations. The study was conducted with 24 female and male students attending a private university and a public university in Kuwait. Further research needs to be conducted on larger populations locally and regionally to assess student levels and understanding of information literacy as well as the standards in order to design effective holistic approach information literacy instruction.

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