IMPACT OF SCHOOL LIBRARY ON ACHIEVEMENT AND LEARNING IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.I Introduction
This chapter presented the review of related literatures. It covers the theoretical as well as empirical review with regard to world, Africa and Tanzania perspective. The chapter also shows the conceptual framework of the study
2.2Theoretical Review and Theories that Guided the Study
2.2.1Historical Background of the Library
Historically, the role and development of library was to provide trustworthy information and to help students distinguish reliable information sources of social, political, economic, scientific, technological, educational, and cultural issues among the community (Campbell, 2006).
Estabrook et al (2016) stated that, historical the beginning of library was used to keep the business, legal, historical and religious records of a civilization since the middle of the 20th century. Rapid developments of computers, telecommunications and other technologies have made it possible to store and retrieve information in many different forms easily. Hence the technological and political forces radically reshaped library development.
In Africa rural villages, the formations of Library were closely related to the need of more organic service to meet the information needs of rural peoples. Reading a work of Dent (1961) the idea of library services in rural areas has existed in many African countries for a long time, although documentation process began in recent decades.
Dent (op cit)noted that, as early as 1920s, the community were able to access record in a place where different people went to keep them as for future remind. South Africa is one the country with a good history regarding the use of library in rural villages. As to recognize the importance keeping records, more recent projects have focused on to start village or community library and rooms as for reading like the Book Box services in Botswana, the OSU - initiated libraries in Ghana, the family literally project libraries in South Africa, the village libraries in Tanzania and rural library services in Malawi.
Frost (1971) on his paper declared that, in 1960 the Hockey report recommended the creation of library boards in each of the three countries covered by the survey of library development which Mr. Hockey had been asked to carry out for the governments of these countries which were Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Then in 1963 the act establishing the Tanganyika Library Services Board to coordinate and develop library services in Tanganyika was passed by the National Assembly and later repealed by the 1975 act. In carrying their responsibilities TLSB was responsible to organize, and distributes books, non book materials and other forms of information materials to individuals, schools, institutions and public in general.
The necessities of establishing library in Tanzania also portrayed by Nyerere’s thought on libraries (1967). On his writing, Nyerere noted that, ‘‘books are very important way of transmitting knowledge and for self-improvement; from them we can learn new ideas, new techniques of working and new methods. We can learn about the development of men in all its different aspects; we can broaden our understanding of other peoples and even of ourselves. All the experiences of mankind, all his discoveries and his inventions can be learned from the books through reading. And the provision of a National Library Services in Tanzania means that this knowledge is made available to all our literate citizens and through them to people who have not yet learned to read”.
2.2.2Theories that Guided the Study
This study adopted Self-regulated learning theory (SRLT). Lovett, Meyer and Thille (2008) observed comparable student performance iscontributed by instructor-led and self-regulated learning environments. SRLT is a learning theory which is guided by metacognition (thinking about one's thinking), strategic action (planning, monitoring, and evaluating personal progress against a standard), and motivation to learn. Self- regulated describes a process of taking control of and evaluating one's own learning and behaviour. Self-regulated learning theory emphasizes autonomy and control by students who monitors, directs, and regulates actions toward goals of information acquisition, expanding expertise, and self-improvement.
In particular, with self-regulated theory, learners are the recognizer of their academic strengths and weaknesses, and had a repertoire of strategies they appropriately applied to tackle the day-to-day challenges of academic tasks. Those students held incremental beliefs about intelligence (as opposed to entity, or fixed views of intelligence) and attributed their successes or failures to factors within their control. Finally, students who were self-regulated believed that opportunities to take on challenging tasks, practiced their learning, developed a deep understanding of subject matter, and exerted effort would gave the rise to academic success.
In part, characteristics could help to explain why self-regulated learners usually exhibited a high sense of self-efficacy. In educational psychology literature, researchers had linked these characteristics to success in and beyond school. Self regulated learners were successful because they controled their learningenvironment. That theory was adopted in this study due to the students failure or passing in the CSE examinations. From the theory, if a student would effectively manipulate the environment around (library service among other necessities) may help to add the knowledge from differennt subject specialists as a reults the academic success is guaranted.
The choice of this theory is due to its importance and relevacy as it support students in managing their thoughts, behaviours and emotions in order to be successful in their learning experiences. Again self regulation was essential to the leaning process because it helped students to create better learning habits and strengthen their study skills, apply learning strategies to enhance academic outcomes, monitor their performance and evaluate their academic progress. Due to that , it was responsibility of educational leaders to be familiar with factors which influenced learners ability as to enable them being self regulated towards opting the strategies that could be usedto identify and promote self regulated leaning in their classrooms and libraries.
2.3Empirical Review
2.3.1Influence of Library Resources on student performance
Students that use school library services often perfom better ther test and examination than those who are not using such services. Jato (2014) stated that, school libraries have positive impact on student archievement and thus,school library provides a quiet, well-lit study place and environment that is condusive to mental concentration.
The report prepared by the American Association of School Librarian(AASL) in (2009) pointed out that “school library prograrms improve students learning” policy makers argued “school libraries are an essential part of a complete school program as they provide an equatable, fiscally rensiponssible strategy for sharing resources across grade levels and the curriculum while addressing core reading, information and technology literacies.” AASL (op.cit) elaborate that school libraries often serve as a second classroom.
Matthew (1996) in AASL work showed the value of library resources by noting some of the successbrought by the use of library in industrial age. From the work, library determines the school system of read and write, add and subtract and there, our success in the information age depends on a school system that teaches us how to manage information, utilize technologies, innovate and above all think.” eHow (2011) discovered in her survey of the resources for the teaching and learning of Biology in new secondary schools in Lagos, that there was little resources.
Small (2009), opened an interesting line of inquiry that in an age when budgets for school libraries need to be expanded as to ensure access to information technology and databases continues to become more expensive, evidence of a relationship between the library, information resources, and student achievement is critical. Francis at el (2010) support by saying more students earned proficient or advanced reading scores and fewer students earned unsatisfactory scores where school libraries were better funded.
Laddunuri (2012) in his research titled “Status of School Education in Present Tanzania and Emerging Issues” argued that “pass percentage of the students had been declining continuously from 82.3 percent to 50.7 percent during the last five years, and provided many factors for the students failure in their Form Four examinations including insufficient books in the school library, and high cost of the books when compared to the students economic situations was another reason. He also found that most of the schools had acute shortages of text books as well as laboratory equipment as well as good infrastructure.
Olden, (1968) on his research about “The introduction of public librarianship in post independence Tanzania” noted that, 92 percent of the paticipants agreed that insufficient books in the library did hinder high performance of students, also high cost of the books infulenced students’ failure in their Form Four examination in Tanzania. Dent (2006) viewed that classrooms with few scholastic resources and teachers with little access to supplemental reading materials undermined student learning and academic success.
Rajani (2006) argued on the shortage of resources when he said that “In recent years the provision of books to the school level had increased dramatically, primarily through the ‘capitation grant’. The pupil: book ratios had improved, though were yet to reach adequate levels, possibly because the full capitation grant had not reached the school level on time.
Reading report of Rosenblatt (1998) as sited by Whitmire (2003) argued that a new role of librarians is acts as judge of student performance and academic productivity. On her writing, she concluded that, “as to maintain a significant role the library, relations to the mission of the university should be more clearly articulated and strengthened and its contributions measured and assessed”.
2.3.2Library Experts on Student Performance
Jato (2014) observed that school librarians guides students reading and research process as well as helping them to choose books that fit their interests. eHow (2011) cited by Jato (2014) noted that there was positive correlation between school libraries with qualified librarians and high student performance. Jato (2014) reported that the study conducted in Ohio revealed that 99.4 percent of student surveyed believed that their school librarians helped them succeeded in school.
Smith, (2001) in his research tittled “Texas school libraries, standards, resources, services on student achievement” investigated that early research generally showed correlation between the presence of library or librarian and higher student achievements. Smith, (op.cit) proceeded by saying that most notably in reading – recent research had helped to identify specific functions of school libraries and librarians who most affect achievements. The findings shows that, recent studies regarding library systems in Alaska, Collorado, Oregon and Pennsylvania found that professionally trained and credentialed school library media specialists have a positive effect on student achievement. That was because effective librarians performed a variety of tasks including student instruction and teacher proffessional development.
Wavell at el (2001) revealed that where there was evidence of impact on learning, there were associated key factors of collection levels, library staffing levels and collaboration between the librarian and teachers. Training of teachers and librarians was demonstrated to raise mutual understanding of each other's contribution and roles within the school library setting and training should include information skills development, collection mapping, planning and evaluation. Smith (op.cit) argued that supporting staff was essential if library media specialists were to full affect student achievement.
The New York Comprehensive Center (2011) identifies that, “through collaboration with meaningful goals, and by providing students with access to technology (coupled with technology instruction), school libraries had helped to improve teacher effectiveness. Schools and districts could be more reluctant to cut school library spending if they understood the positive impact libraries had on teacher and leader effectiveness, and, in turn, student growth.” Spinks (2009) stressed the value of library experts when he said “achievement was higher in schools with higher levels of certified staffing in the library (more certified library media specialists and more hours worked by these professionals).
A professionally trained library specialist could optimize the factors (quality of information resources, level of patron usage, and level of instructional collaboration) and maximizing their program’s impact on student achievement. More certified staff hours resulted in greater optimization of these impacts. Library media centers operated solely by uncertified staff did not contribute to achievement”.
Whitmire (2003) on his study named “What Do Faculty Need? Pointed that indicators of quality library is when linked to student performance and must include reference, staff, and budget. Furthermore Francis at el (2010) argued that more students earned proficient or advanced reading scores and fewer students earned unsatisfactory scores where there was a full-time endorsed librarian.
2.3.3Library Services on Student Performance
Haycock (1995) revealed that in schools with good library services students performed significantly better in reading comprehension and in their ability to express effectively ideas in relation to their readings. Lonsdale (2003) in his research titled “Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement” suggested that the impact of the school library reduced as students moved through high school. He proceeded by saying that in schools with good libraries and full time librarians student performed better at higher levels in reading comprehension and in knowledge and use of reference materials than students in schools with minimal or no library service. Lonsdale (op.cit) revealed that a strong library program that was adequately staffed resourced and funded could lead to higher student achievement. The presence of a strong computer network connected to the library’s resources classrooms and laboratories had an impact on student achievement. Spinks (2009) insisted that test scores were higher when computer networks made high quality information resources available outside the library media center.
Wavell (op.cit) noted that there was a body of research supporting the view that school libraries could have a positive impact on academic achievement. Wavell (op.cit) continued by saying that such an environment was particularly at primary and early secondary level pronounced. More general views on the need of having a library service in every school were those raised by Francis at el (2010) who said, school library was an integral part of educational system that could not be ignored without jeopardizing the quality of education in schools.
The school library was an important part of elementary, middle and high school programs without which students would not thrive academically and invariably find it most difficult to conduct academic research before they reached college level. Adefarati (2002) highlighted the aims of school library among them being a source of subject information centre and support the school curriculum. Jato (2014) saying that school library was very important in shaping students habit as regard reading for leisure, to pass examinations and to obtain information on different aspects of life.
International Institute for Communication and Development (2005) on its “ICT Policy for Education Tanzania” noted “Students learn more with up-to-date learning materials in their own language”. Francis at el (2010) on the other had insisted on the needs of students to visit school libraries more often so as to improve their scores in different subjects. Reading the work of Spinks (2009) “Library Media Programs and Student Achievement” one noted that research has shown student achievement is higher when library media specialists collaborate with classroom teachers to teach information literacy. That is, when teachers and library media specialists work together to co-plan, co-teach, and co-assess a learning experience.
Library media centers were staffed at higher levels (more positions, more hours), Library media center had larger collections of better quality information resources.
The resources were used more frequently by students and staff and Library media specialists spent more time collaborating with classroom teachers to teach information literacy curriculum standards. However , despite the information noted on the need of having well established library services in secondary school premises, this study will explore further the presence and utility of such library services in influencing academic performance of students, in their certificate of secondary education examination