An examination of information literacy instruction on the information-seeking skills of primary school children in Jamaica

Abstract

This article outlines an assessment of the impact of information literacy (IL) instruction on grade six students’ information-seeking skills. It was the view of the researcher that if students were actively taught IL at the early stages of their natural and cognitive development, they would acquire skills that would not only be fruitful but life-changing. The quasi-experimental method was used in carrying out this research. The findings presented were those of a pre-test and then a post-test done after intense IL instructions were given to grade six students (children aged 11-12 years). The results showed that there were marked improvements in the quasi-experimental group’s use of reference resources and in their overall research skills. The recommendation is made that greater emphasis should be placed on IL instruction at the primary level in Jamaica in order for students to be more efficient information-seekers as they move up the education system within the country.