Assessing the impact of library services on teachers in schools using the uKhahlamba Teacher Development Centre in KwaZulu-Natal
District Teachers' Development Centres serve as hubs for delivering professional teacher development programmes and ICT support for teachers for information, knowledge and skills. As such, the Teacher Development Centres have a role to play in the careers of educators, particularly in this information age led by the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The study aimed to assess the impact of information services on teachers' teaching practices in schools using the Okhahlamba Teacher Development Centre in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The research objectives of the study were to determine the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of the 21st-century teachers in schools supported by the Okhahlamba Teacher Development Centre, establish the information services and resources available and accessible by teachers at the Okhahlamba Teacher Development Centre, ascertain the competencies of teachers in using information services and resources at the Okhahlamba Teacher Development Centre and find out the challenges teachers face in using information services of the Okhahlamba Teacher Development Centre. The study employed a post-positivism research paradigm. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used in this study. The research designs used were a survey and a case study research designs. The target population was 306 teachers and one librarian. The sampling methods were purposive sampling method for the librarian and systematic sampling method for the teachers. Semi-structured interview schedules and self-administered questionnaires were used as data collection instruments for the librarian and teachers respectively in this study. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis, and quantitative data were analysed using descriptive analysis. The study used the Cognitivism Learning (CL) Theory and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as theoretical support. The findings revealed that the teachers’ needs are information for their schoolwork or teaching, personal reading, study and discussion space, job applications and internet access. The findings also revealed that the teachers search for information in the library and prefer to access information on the internet. The findings on information and knowledge services and facilities available and accessible for teachers revealed that there are computer services, search services, photocopying services, and training services. The findings also revealed the competencies teachers must be able to access the information services and resources; teachers can use computers and are also able to access information on the internet. Regarding the challenges teachers face when accessing information services and resources revealed are the absence of mobile library services that used to serve them in their schools, shortage of books, shortage of relevant information materials relevant to their curriculum as well as their development; they need stable internet access and more computers as they are teaching in the 4th industrial revolution; they need to be notified by the librarian about availability of new resources and all library materials available, accessible and relevant to their work, for their developmental skills, for them to create study rooms for kids in their schools, make internet accessible at the libraries in schools.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations