Architects, Renovators, Builders, and Fragmenters: A Model for First Year Students' Self-perceptions and Perceptions of Information Literacy

Abstract

The transition from high school to college is fraught with academic, social, and emotional changes for first-year students. This year long qualitative study uses cognitive dissonance theory to examine first-year students' changing perceptions of their information literacy competencies throughout their freshman year. Through the examination of students' self-reflections and semi-structured interviews, the study produced cognitive dissonance in students, revealed four information literacy journeys, demonstrated the shifting of students' definitions of research, and shed light on the emotional labor involved in college-level research. Implications for information literacy instruction and future research are discussed.