“Computer what's your favourite colour?” children's information‐seeking strategies in the classroom

Abstract

This research investigates children's information seeking in primary and intermediate school classrooms as seen by their teachers. We report the results of a series of semi‐structured interviews with teachers of pre‐teen children. The teachers discussed specific issues that children encounter during information search, including query construction and information triage difficulties. Further issues were identified during the interviews regarding motivation, frustration and poor strategies for overcoming barriers. We compare the results of our teacher interviews reported here with the results of an interview study with children. This paper concludes that even with significant advancements in technology, teachers and children still require further assistance in order to succeed in their inquiry practices.

Children’s query formulation and search result exploration

“…Observations by the research team during studies over numerous years has been that these schools have comparable technology access. Interview studies [72] also suggest that similar teaching practices relating to information seeking are conducted in all three schools.…”

“…Participants included children from two primary schools and a single intermediate school. The three schools that participated in this study are the same as those that participated in our related studies with children [71] and teachers [72]. These three schools have decile ratings of 4, 5 and 9, respectively.…”

An Exploration of the Search Behaviors of Children When Using an Online Library Catalog

“…In fact, "it is access to other people that often makes or breaks an information search as children at this age are geared toward social interaction, with caregivers or other adults or, increasingly, their peers" (Meyers et al, 2009, p. 337). In extending Vygotsky's concept of Zone of Proximal Development -suggesting that adults "play important roles in developing information-seeking skills through modeling and scaffolding behavior" - Meyers et al (2009) found that peers are also involved in mediating tween information skills, "particularly in the realm of everyday-life information problems" (p. 337-338; (see also, Foss et al, 2012;Moore, 1995;Vanderschantz & Hinze, 2019).…”

“…Regardless of which child development theory is adhered to, it is accepted that children have different emotional needs and abilities than adults and that these needs and abilities change over time as they move toward adulthood (Large, Nesset, & Beheshti, 2008;Meyers, Fisher, & Marcoux, 2009;Vanderschantz & Hinze, 2019). Even where the process of information seeking mirrors that of adult searchers, the child's ability to navigate the same process may be markedly different (Raqi & Zainab, 2008;Vanderschantz & Hinze, 2019).…”

“…Regardless of which child development theory is adhered to, it is accepted that children have different emotional needs and abilities than adults and that these needs and abilities change over time as they move toward adulthood (Large, Nesset, & Beheshti, 2008;Meyers, Fisher, & Marcoux, 2009;Vanderschantz & Hinze, 2019). Even where the process of information seeking mirrors that of adult searchers, the child's ability to navigate the same process may be markedly different (Raqi & Zainab, 2008;Vanderschantz & Hinze, 2019). As reported by Large et al (2008), a review of developmental theories results in "two important consequences" for the study of children's information-seeking behavior: 1) "[I]t would be rash to apply findings gathered from adults' information-seeking behavior to their younger counterparts" and 2) "it also argues for the need to consider differently children at different ages and development levels " (p. 123-124).…”