Information literacy skills among high school students: An exploratory study of six schools in the South East region of Botswana

Abstract

Over the past four decades or so, information literacy skills have quickly gained centre-stage status in the educational sector as a strategy of coping with the overload of information. This study reports the results of an exploratory investigation (N=279) into information literacy skills among final year high school students in six schools located in the south eastern Botswana. The objectives of the study were twofold: (1) to determine the information literacy level among final year students, and (2) to gain a broader understanding of information literacy skills practices in Botswana high schools. Data were gathered via self-administered questionnaires and additional qualitative data were obtained from structured interviews with teacher-librarians. Results indicate three main issues: first, poor information skills among the students; second, heavy reliance on the use of prescribed textbooks; and finally, the curriculum as a barrier towards the effective integration of information literacy skills into the educational system.