The study's research questions investigate how, where, and when 12th graders access the Internet, for what purposes 12th graders use the Web when searching for information, how 12th graders search for information on the web, what are the web. The current study found strong indications that 12th graders lack information evaluation skills as well as cognitive skills and that they are not aware of what constitutes plagiarism.
Introduction
Background and outline of the research problem
The Internet thus plays an important role in relation to high school students' current and future studies. Against this background, the current study of the web-based information behavior of Namibian grade 12 students is considered an important undertaking.
Statement of the research problem and key questions to be asked
Significance of the study
Therefore, an understanding of their information needs and, in terms of the present study, of their information-seeking behavior is essential. In the emerging virtual environment, knowledge about the information behavior of learners on the web is crucial for those willing to help learners effectively meet their information needs online.
Delimitations of the study
Theoretical framework and methodology
Background of the two high schools used in the study
The school is considered the pride of the Nordic region and this is confirmed by its annual grade 10 and 12 results. It is considered a center of excellence as the majority of students pass with distinction.
Outline of the remainder of the dissertation
Most students at Mweshipandeka speak Oshiwambo and come from the surrounding northern part of Namibia. It has some of the best teachers in the country in the fields of science and commerce and because it achieves a good pass rate every year, it is known for its excellence in the region.
Summary
Introduction
Information behavior terminology
- Information behavior
- Information needs
- Information-seeking behavior
- Information-searching behavior
- Web information-seeking behavior
- Information use
According to Stilwell (2010:3), information behavior is "a broad concept that covers information needs, information-seeking behaviour, information search and information use". Information-seeking behavior is about the interactive use of the three basic resources, namely people, information and system (e.g. the web).
Related studies on the Web information behavior of learners
Studies done overseas
A study conducted by Todd (2003) in the USA looked at patterns of information seeking and use by learners. In general, teachers who participated in the study categorized the impact of today's digital environment on their students.
Studies done in Africa
Lorenzen (2001) conducted a study in the US on high school students' use of the Web for the purpose of completing schoolwork. The results of this study show that students used the Web, but that "their ability to evaluate the material they found was weak." 2012) investigated "how teenagers do research in the digital world".
The Web and information-seeking
A brief history of the Internet
The Internet was based on the idea that there would be multiple independent networks of rather arbitrary design, beginning with the ARPANET as the pioneering packet-switch network, but soon including packet satellite networks” (Leiner et al. 2012:np). It involved a system of protocols used for wide area networks and it made the Internet possible (Glister 1993:14).
Emergence of the Web and development of search tools such as search engines and Web
High school education and Web information seeking
Extent to which the Web has affected the information-seeking behavior of learners
As a result, some teachers report that 'research' for their students has shifted from a relatively slow process of intellectual curiosity and discovery to a quick, short-term exercise aimed at locating just enough information to complete an assignment” . In the teachers' survey responses, 94% of teachers said that students are most likely to use Google or other online search engines in handling a typical research assignment, placing Google far ahead of other sources.
Sharing and exchange of information via Web 2.0 technologies
Social bookmarking is a method for Internet users to store, organize, search, and manage bookmarks of Web pages on the Internet, usually in the form of tags. Podcasting is a method of distributing audio recordings over the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed of new files” (Beldarrain 2006:142).
How, where and when do learners access the Internet?
Access to the Internet
22 US students access the Internet through schools, public libraries, and at home (Krige 2009). Students in developing countries mostly access the Internet in schools and public libraries, as noted by authors such as Nkomo (2009), Libraries and Archives Service of Namibia (2008) and Baffour-Awuah (2002).
Use of mobile technology among learners
23 As can be seen from the literature, many students in developed countries access the Internet at home because most homes are connected. Similarly, Latrobe and Havener (1997), writing at a time when the Internet was in its earlier stages of development, point out that high school students sought information of a general nature or related to academics, future plans, relationships, current lifestyle, and health.
Searching for information on the Web
How learners search for information on the Web
Both new and experienced web users had difficulty interpreting the information they found due to their limited global knowledge, reading difficulties, lack of familiarity with web layout conventions, and the web's slow responses. Interestingly, "both novices and experienced Web users often faced challenges when the goals of their searches deviated significantly from dominant paradigms or assumptions on the Web" (Walton, Marsden, and Vukovic 2001: np).
Users’ information-seeking steps
For example, the user starts surfing the web from one of his/her home pages or favorite sites (these can be selected online channels of information, namely, search engines and directories such as Google and Yahoo, or sites of social networks such as YouTube). For example, the user searches a particular resource or a website for all the information presented on that page about a particular topic.
Web information searching skills of learners
Abilities to search for information on the Web
Provision of training and equipping learners with Web information-seeking skills
In the current study, the "Web Movements" listed above were presented to the respondents and asked how often they followed or used such steps (see question 18, Appendix 2). These include a call for more lecturers, "increasing the number of computers to expand Web access", extended computer lab opening hours, and Web training offered as part of every academic program or included in the general curricula of all students .
Sources of information on the Web used by learners
Learners’ search engine use
A study by Nkoma (2009) makes a number of suggestions regarding what the institutions surveyed can do to equip students with better online information seeking skills. Ask Jeeves for Kids was developed in 1996 as an engine and meta-engine, with no target age group specified.
Learners’ use of other Web information sources
NetLibrary's importance to high school students is due to the fact that it offers a growing range of full-text e-books, helping high school students meet their information needs for school-related projects. . There are sites that provide more specialized information on specific career fields and academic subjects for school students.
Learners evaluation and use of information found on the Web
Accuracy and trustworthiness of information found on the Web
As a starting point for assessing students' understanding of plagiarism, McGregor and Williamson asked students what they thought plagiarism was. McGregor and Williamson (2005) point out that most of the students who participated in their research did not plagiarize and that those who did knew what plagiarism was, but the plagiarism was unconscious.
Challenges faced in Web-based information seeking
- Time
- Controlled source of information
- Information literacy skills
- Curriculum structure
- Access but no accessibility
- Institutional policies
- Teachers’ views and perceptions of Web information seeking
- Connectivity and infrastructure
Viseu, in her research on “The use of the Internet by students in Portuguese schools”, also presents the rules for Internet access as problematic. I think that's the biggest problem; While the Internet can be a strength, it is also a major problem, even in the classroom.
Models and theories of information behavior
According to Wilson, the model attempts to describe an information seeking activity and suggests the relationships between phases of information seeking behavior. The model suggests that information seeking behavior is a consequence of a need perceived by an information user who, in order to meet that need, makes demands on formal (e.g., in the context of this study, web-based academic resources) or informal information sources or services ( (e.g. information that is recorded and reported outside the formal publication process and is generally available on the Internet).
Summary
The third chapter will present the research methodology used to address the research questions.
Introduction
Research methodology
Research paradigm
Interpretivism
Interpretivism advocates the necessity for the researcher to understand the differences between people in their roles as social actors. The challenge here is to enter the social world of researchers and understand it from their perspective (Saunders et al. 2009:117).
Positivism
Crucial to the interpretivist philosophy is that the researcher must adopt an imagined position.
Research approach
Qualitative research
By definition, qualitative research is a research method used in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and other contexts. Sarantakos (1997:6) states that qualitative research uses data collection and analysis methods that are non-quantitative.
Quantitative research
In addition to that, qualitative research methods, according to Durrheim (in Terreblanche, Durrheim and Painter 2006:46), give researchers the opportunity to study selected issues thoroughly. As mentioned above, the qualitative method, as far as it is used in the present study, is evident in the structured (open) questions in the questionnaire.
Research design
Such an integrated approach was achieved through the use of a questionnaire that included open questions that generated qualitative data and closed questions that provided quantitative data. Open-ended questions invited the expression of respondents' feelings and views, perceptions, and opinions about Web information seeking.
Data Collection tools / techniques
Questionnaires
Dawson (2002:86) argues that open-ended questions allow the respondent to answer in his or her own words. The advantages of closed questions include that the questionnaire can be administered more quickly, it is often easier and faster for the researcher to record answers and easier to code.
Population
Additionally, probing is not possible, which can be problematic for questions with multiple response formats and for open-ended questions. To overcome this in the current study, questionnaires were administered and collected in person, immediately after completion.
Sampling
Sampling methods
In this study, the study population was categorized by study fields (or strata) using stratified sampling. This study did not necessarily aim to examine behavior as linked to a specific field of study.
Sample size and response rate
In a quantitative study, the intention is often to randomly select samples to obtain representative results. However, it should be noted that a field of study may have implications for access to technology.
Reliability and validity of instruments
55 Through the pre-test, the researcher discovered that there were some fields of study at both schools that she did not know about. Content validation was achieved by ensuring that the items in the questionnaire were related to the questions that the present study aimed to answer.
Data collection procedure
Words that respondents do not understand were explained in the final version of the questionnaire. The feedback obtained from the pre-test thus helped to improve the quality of the instrument in areas such as the accuracy of the questions, how they covered the content and their suitability for the respondents.
Data analysis
Using this approach, the researcher was able to identify key themes/threads in the responses. In the current study, the variables in the questionnaire were therefore coded before the data was entered into SPSS.
Summary
Dawson states that quantitative data analysis is performed at the end of the data collection process. The Statistical Program for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the quantitative data.
Introduction
Response rate
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
- Gender
- Age
- Field of study
- Accessing the Internet
From the results in Table 5 below, it can be seen that the majority of respondents, seven or 31.8%, are without access to the Internet due to non-working computers, while six (27.2%) do not have a computer and thus access to the network. Four (18.1%) said their cell phones could not access the Internet, and three (13.6%) said they did not have the skills to do so.
HOW, WHERE AND WHEN IS THE INTERNET ACCESSED?
- Gaining access to the Internet
- Most used Internet mode
- When Internet is accessed
- Time learners spend on the Internet
The majority of respondents (76.9%) therefore state that they spend three hours or less per week on the Internet.
PURPOSES FOR WHICH INFORMATION IS SOUGHT ON THE WEB
What the Internet is used for
Purpose of seeking information on the Web
The results in Table 9 below show that the largest number of respondents use the Web for school-related work, followed by entertainment with the respondents, while the lowest number of 36 or 26.0% use the Web for personal topics. general awareness.
Aspects of school related work
Why not using the Internet for school work
HOW IS INFORMATION SEARCHED ON THE WEB (STEPS INVOLVED) 4.6.1 Steps taken when searching for information on the Internet.
HOW IS INFORMATION SEARCHED FOR ON THE WEB (STEPS INVOLVED)
Steps taken in searching for information from the Web
Information found or not found
The four respondents whose searches were unsuccessful were asked in an open-ended question to describe the next steps they took to obtain the desired information and whether they were successful.
How often users perform information-seeking steps
WEB INFORMATION SEARCHING SKILLS
- Web abilities
- Learners’ perception of their abilities with regard to searching for information on the Web
- Received formal training
- Usefulness of the training received
- Suggestions on how to equip more people with Web information-seeking skills
Respondents were asked in an open-ended question to suggest what, in their opinion, their schools could do to equip students like them with the skills to search for information on the web (question 17). Equip students to search for information on the web Percentage of frequency The school should give enough time to use the Internet 33 32.3.
WEB SOURCE/S OF INFORMATION USED
Learners’ search engine use
Most used search engine
Learners’ reliance on Web information source
EVALUATION AND USE OF INFORMATION
- Accuracy and trustworthiness of information found on the Web
- Reason/s for answer given regarding the accuracy/trustworthiness of information on Web
- Information evaluation criteria
- Plagiarism
- Referencing and acknowledgements
- How to acknowledge
- Evaluation of information steps
In an open-ended question, participants were asked to provide reasons for their opinions on the accuracy and reliability of information accessed through search engines. Respondents who were to some extent suspicious of information on the Internet mentioned the fact that anyone can put anything on the Internet (12 or 11.7%) and that some information on the Internet is outdated (8 or 7.8%).
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY GRADE 12 LEARNERS WHEN
Challenges of searching the Web for information
Suggestions for addressing identified challenges
Suggestions to tackle problems Frequency Percentage The school should allow sufficient time to use the Internet 33 32.3. The school must be provided with sufficient computers 31 30.3 Provide adequate training in ICT and online searching 20 19.6.
Additional comments
Twenty (19.6%) respondents believed that the school should provide adequate training in ICT and the use of the Internet, and 10 (9.8%) mentioned the need for a sufficient number of ICT teachers.
Summary
Introduction
Background information
- How, where and when do Grade 12 learners access the Internet?
- What are specific purposes for which Grade 12 learners search for information on the Web?
- How do Grade 12 learners search for information on the Web?
- What are the Web information searching skills of Grade 12 learners?
- What sources of information on the Web do Grade 12 learners use?
- How do Grade 12 learners evaluate and use information found on the Web?
- What are the challenges faced by Grade 12 learners when searching the Web for information?
- Additional comments
- High school learner’s information behaviour
- Summary
88 in 5.3.3.1 they do suggest a certain systematic approach to searching for information on the web on the part of the respondents. Students were asked to provide suggestions on how to address the challenges they face when searching for information on the Internet.
Introduction
Summary of the study
A brief history and explanation of the Internet is given, and the conceptual framework on which the study is based is presented. The present chapter, Chapter Six, presents the main findings of the study together with the conclusions and recommendations that emerge from them.
Main findings and conclusions
- How, where and when do Grade 12 learners access the Internet?
- What are specific purposes for which Grade 12 learners search information on the Web?
- How do Grade 12 learners search for information on the Web
- What are the Web information searching skills of Grade 12 learners?
- What sources of information on the Web do Grade 12 learners use?
- How do Grade 12 learners evaluate and use information found on the Web?
- What are the challenges faced by Grade 12 learners when searching the Web for information? 104
The results of the present survey show that the vast majority of respondents use Google, followed by Yahoo search. The demonstrated knowledge of the web is the result of the increasing use of the Internet and online services in the educational environment.
Recommendations for further research
More emphasis should be placed on information literacy to help students become responsible information users with attention to the value of information. Teachers with a sound knowledge of web information literacy should be employed by schools and teach students relevant skills.
Summary
Information Needs and Information Seeking Behavior of Arts and Humanities Teachers: A Study from University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Adolescents of the information age: Patterns of information seeking and use, and implications for information professionals.
LETTER OF CONSENT
QUESTIONNAIRE
When you evaluate information on the web, how often do you use the steps listed below. What challenges, if any, do you face when searching for information on the web at school?
