Chapter 8

Information Literacy of Undergraduate

Students in Thailand: A Case of the Faculty

of Arts, Silpakorn University, Thailand

Phussadee Dokphrom

Abstract

This chapter presents selected findings from an exploratory case study,which aimed to identify the information literacy of undergraduatestudents in the Faculty of Arts, Silpakorn University, Thailand. Anembedded case study approach was adopted, data were gathered fromacademics, students, and librarians and relevant policy and curriculumdocuments were examined. Four departments were chosen as units ofanalysis within the case study to represent the different disciplines.These were Departments of Thai, Modern Eastern Languages (MEL),History and Geography. A total of 23 lecturers from these 4departments were interviewed. A total of 35 students from the samedepartments and 10 librarians from the Central Library were surveyedusing focus groups.

For each department, the data was analysed and triangulatedand the information literacy conceptions of academics and studentswere mapped and compared, together with a picture of the depart-ment’s goals and pedagogic approach for information literacy. Finally,findings from all four departments were brought together toprovide holistic insight into the information literacy of students inthe faculty.

Developing People’s Information Capabilities: Fostering Information Literacy in Educational,

Workplace and Community Contexts

Library and Information Science, Volume 8, 111–126

Copyright r 2013 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited

All rights of reproduction in any form reserved

ISSN: 1876-0562/doi:10.1108/S1876-0562(2013)0000008012

112 Phussadee Dokphrom

It emerged from the data that both staff and students identified anumber of personal attributes that were expected of the informationliterate student. These were categorised into four groupings: attitude,research skills, generic skills and knowledge. The study revealed somecommon and distinct characteristics of different disciplines, whichreflect the similarities and differences of perceptions of informationliteracy in this study. The key variations were: the conceptualisationand nature of ‘information’, the degree to which the outside world is ofimportance and the use of specialised technology.

Information literacy education is perceived as a holistic approach,integrated through courses across the curriculum through formal andinformal education. Students are engaged with different aspects ofinformation literacy through different teaching, learning and assess-ment methods and activities. Independent learning is emphasised as ateaching and learning strategy. Discussion-based and coursework-based instructions are identified as best methods in developingstudents’ information literacy. The findings also reveal that teachingand learning information literacy is deemed the responsibility ofacademic lecturers while librarians are not involved in informationliteracy education.

Keywords: Information literacy; higher education; conception;pedagogy

8.1. Introduction

This chapter presents results from an exploratory case study, which aimed toidentify the information literacy of undergraduate students in fourdepartments in the Faculty of Arts, Silpakorn University, Thailand. Themain research questions were:

� What is the perception of information literacy among students, academiclecturers and librarians in the Silpakorn University?� What is the existing state of information literacy education?

Silpakorn University is one of Thailand’s state universities which initiallywas an Arts and Arts-related university, however it has expanded into otherareas including Social Sciences and Sciences, and the Faculty of Arts offers awide range of programmes including Languages, Humanities and SocialScience.

This chapter concentrates on presenting and discussing the results of aninvestigation into conceptions of information literacy and information

Information Literacy of Undergraduate Students in Thailand 113

literacy education. The following sections provide the rationale and contextfor the research. The chapter goes on to describe research methodology andexplain the findings of the research and their contribution to the study ofinformation literacy.

8.2. Rationale and Background for Research into Information

Literacy

8.2.1. Conceptions of Information Literacy

Information literacy has become an internationally studied topic (Rader,2003); however, there is no single definition of the topic. However, the mostwidely accepted and cited definition is that provided by the AmericanLibrary Association (ALA) which defines information literacy in terms offour basic competencies possessed by an information literate individual:

To be information literate, a person must be able to recognise when

information is needed and have ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively

the needed information y . (American Library Association, 1989)

Based on the ALA’s definition, the US Association of College andResearch Libraries (ACRL) worked to create Information LiteracyCompetency Standards for Higher Education which provides a model of thecompetencies of an information literate student. The standards provide theempirical necessities, educational guidelines and assessments to facilitateinformation education for colleges and universities in the United States.According to these standards, an information literate student

1. determines the nature and extent of the information needed2. accesses needed information effectively and efficiently3. evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected

information into his or her knowledge base and value system4. individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to

accomplish a specific purpose5. understands many of the economic, legal and social issues surrounding

the use of the information. (ACRL, 2000)

The ACRL’s standards have been translated into many languages andused within higher educational institutions across the world including theAustralian and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework: Principles,Standards and Practice (ANZIL) (Bundy, 2004).

114 Phussadee Dokphrom

Whilst there are many accounts of information literacy by librarians(including frameworks such as the ACRL Standards (ACRL, 2000), anumber of researchers (e.g. Boon, Webber, & Johnston, 2007) have notedthat the conceptions of students and academics have not been so thoroughlyinvestigated. Research into information literacy in English-speakingcountries and Western Europe has also predominated, whereas there isincreasing interest in the contextual nature of information literacy.

Few attempts to research students and academics’ conceptions ofinformation literacy have been made. Webber, Boon, and Johnston(2005), however, investigated the information literacy perceptions of Englishand Marketing academics. The English academics conceived informationliteracy as

1. Accessing and retrieving textual information2. Using IT to access and retrieve information3. Possessing basic research skills and knowing how and when to use them:

the basic research skills are often linked to or described as bibliographicskills, research methods or library skills

4. Becoming confident autonomous learners and critical thinkers

The Marketing academics conceived information literacy as

1. Accessing information quickly2. Using IT to work with information3. Possessing a set of information skills and applying them to the task in

hand4. Using information literacy to solve real-world problems5. Becoming a critical thinker6. Becoming a confident, independent practitioner

This research revealed similarities and differences between conceptions.The authors conclude that disciplinary differences correlate with differentperceptions of information literacy. Key variations include the types ofinformation resources used and the extent to which the outside world isimportant. The influence of disciplinary differences are also clearlyillustrated in later studies, for example Lupton’s (2008) research into therelationship between information literacy and learning of Australianundergraduate students. The complexity of perceptions of informationliteracy are also illustrated in Bent’s (2008) study of people’s perceptions ofinformation literacy related to the transition from school to highereducation using teachers and students from school and universities.

Few studies have been conducted to cover the perception of informationliteracy in Thailand (e.g. Sawetrattanasatian, 2008). This is the first rigorous

Information Literacy of Undergraduate Students in Thailand 115

empirical study to investigate the conceptions of Thai university studentsand staff.

8.2.2. Information Literacy Education

There is wide recognition of librarians’ involvement in information literacyeducation (e.g. Andretta, 2006; Ratteray, 2002; Stubbings & Franklin, 2006;Webber & Johnston, 2003), particularly the role of librarians in teachinginformation literacy. The literature shows that academic librarians employdifferent approaches to teaching information literacy, for example stand-alone courses, drop-in sessions, course-related instruction and discipline-specific courses or classes, on-line tutorials, etc. (Eisenberg, Lowe, & Spitzer,2004; Kasowitz-Scheer & Pasqualoni, 2002). Moreover, the literature revealsthat librarians across the United Kingdom, United States and Canada puteffort into teaching and assessing information literacy, for example byemploying new ICT applications such as Web 2.0 tools, for exampleWikipedia, blogs, YouTube, RSS feeds, etc. (Godwin & Parker, 2008). Theestablishment of Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (ELIP),an open access, peer-reviewed journal, indicates librarians’ efforts to developand evaluate information literacy instruction.

A number of commentators stress that information literacy is not just alibrary issue; it is an educational and pedagogical issue that affects academicsand information professionals alike. According to Webber and Johnston(2003), information literacy education is not only the responsibility oflibrarians, but also the university stakeholders as a whole. As assessment isan integral element of courses, rapprochement between academics, librariansand students is essential. Librarians need to invest in self-development and inparticular in learning more about pedagogy; academics need to recognise thecomplexity of information literacy and allow time for it in the curriculum;students also need to give more attention to information literacy (rather thanjust technology) and show a willingness to learn.

Successful information literacy education must be developed throughcollaboration between faculties, librarians and administrators to ensure thatit is fully integrated into curricula and supported by all those who areinvolved in its delivery (Hepworth & Wema, 2006; Ratteray, 2002;Stubbings & Franklin, 2006).

8.3. Methodology

The initial aim of this study was to investigate in depth the informationliteracy of undergraduate students. An embedded case study approach was

116 Phussadee Dokphrom

adopted, data was gathered from academics, students and librarians andrelevant policy and curriculum documents were examined. Four depart-ments were chosen as units of analysis within the case study to represent thedifferent disciplines. The Departments of Thai and of Modern EasternLanguages (MEL) were chosen from the language discipline as national andforeign languages. The Department of History and Geography were chosento represent Humanities and Social Science respectively. A total of 23lecturers from these 4 departments were interviewed. A total of 35 studentsfrom the same departments and 10 librarians from the Central Library weresurveyed using focus groups.

For each department, the data was analysed and triangulated and theinformation literacy conceptions of academics and students were mappedand compared, together with a picture of the department’s goals andpedagogic approach for information literacy. Finally, findings from all fourdepartments were brought together to provide holistic insight into theconception of information literacy of students in the faculty.

8.4. Information Literacy of Undergraduate Students

8.4.1. Conceptions of Information Literacy

The holistic view of an information literate person which emerged is that ofan active and self-directed learner who is knowledgeable and regularlyacquires and understands new information. The information literate personhas the ability to research and use information when required with anawareness of a variety of formats.

The participants perceive that being able to research information requiresregularly acquiring information. Moreover, this requires critical evaluationof the information obtained before accepting it. The participants consideredthis as the way an information literate person maintains their knowledgeand that this contributes towards their ability to critically evaluate andanalyse information when researching it. It also enables a person to be ableto locate the potential sources of information. These are deemed essentialfor them to undertake research. The following quotes illustrate these ideas,from both students and lecturers:

y is a person who search for new information and then he/she will be able to

recognise where information he/she needed is. (MelStu1)

y when you read, you will have some background information, some

understanding, then when you want to search for further information you

will recognise the methods of accessing information or the topics or

keywordsy (ThaLec1)

Information Literacy of Undergraduate Students in Thailand 117

Being active, because if you are ignorant, you won’t be able to know the

information sources, y the most significant aspects are being eager to read

and listen, if you don’t have these two, you won’t be able to find or know the

information sources. (GeoLec3)

The conception of information literacy is illustrated diagrammatically inFigure 8.1.

It emerged from the data that both staff and students identified a numberof personal attributes that were expected of the information literate student.These were categorised into four groupings: attitude, research skills, genericskills and knowledge. These are listed in Table 8.1.

Based on evidence, the attitudinal aspects of information literacy,particularly enthusiasm, are emphasised as vital for the information literatestudent.

Being enthusiastic about learning at all times, this is important. Sometimes I

recommend sources, but students aren’t willing to do research, the

recommendation is worthless. (MelLec5)

We can’t say we have a lot of work in this period because teachers issued

assignments a long time ago, and when we are less enthusiastic and when we

do assignments no wonder we do it poorly, copy people’s work, lack analysis,

lack synthesis. It’s kind of influence. If you sayy for example search skills,

AcquireInformation

ResearchInformation

Evaluate

Analyse

Tasks

PersonalInterests

AcademicPurposes

Locate

Determine

Search

Sources

Knowledge

Attitudes

AttitudesApply and use

InformationSource

Information

Figure 8.1: A holistic view of information literacy conceptions.

Table 8.1: Attributes of an information literate student.

Category Information literacy attribute

Attitudes Attitude towards obtaining information� Enthusiasm� Current awareness� Being observant and curious� Reading attitude� Determination� Open-mindedness

Attitude towards creating knowledge� Well-versed attitude� Interdisciplinary approach

Research skills � The ability to determine the extent of information needed� The ability to recognise the variety of information sources and locate

potential sources� The ability to access information needed from those specified sources� The ability to critically evaluate and organise the information obtained

and its sources� The ability to analyse and synthesise information� The ability to apply and use information effectively and ethically

Generic skills � Language and communication skills� Library skills� English skills� ICT skills� Third-language skills

Knowledge � Discipline-based knowledge� Related knowledge� General knowledge

118 Phussadee Dokphrom

the ability to recognise sources, apply and use information, maintain, organise

information, everyone already possesses these attributes, it is a kind of basic

skill, but if you want to have a good piece of work, you need to be enthusiastic.

(GeoStu3)

Despite the similarities of the attributes that the participants identified,there was variation between disciplines. The study revealed a degree ofcommonality and distinctiveness between different disciplines. The keyvariations were:

� The concept and nature of ‘information’

For example, the History and Thai courses were more text-based comparedto the other disciplines. The participants from both programmes often referto the library, and when referring to ‘library skills’ they speak of beingfamiliar with the actual library.

Information Literacy of Undergraduate Students in Thailand 119

Spending time in the library is to roam around, familiarise yourself with

different types of information. I think this is very helpful. Instead of searching

from the system, get the classification numbers then go and get the books, if

you browse around bookshelves, you might get something coincidentally y

and this is connected to the first attribute (the ability to locate appropriate

information sources), which we must know what types of information exist,

books, journals, leaflets, etc., where are they.y (HisLec1)

This is in contrast to the Department of MEL, in which staff and studentsrefer to the internet as the primary resource.

Teachers always say that if you want to know if this is the correct sentence, try

to type in Google, if you get results, this means it is a correct sentence.

(MelStu2)

� The degree to which the outside world is of importance

It emerged that there are different ways in which the disciplines engage withthe ‘outside world’. The disciplines of History and Thai take a scholarlyapproach and often relate information, particularly current issues, to theirdisciplinary knowledge.

y be able to explain the incident for example, the separatist movement1 in the

south which has been critical for a long period of time. A person who has no

historical background will see this incident as a group of terrorists. In fact

these areas have been gathering dissatisfaction over the role of the central

government since the time of King Rama I. The local leaders have been

extremely oppressed by the central government which caused this incident.

You will understand what been happening, why and why this incident can’t be

solved y (HisStu1)

In contrast, Geography and MEL place more emphasis on practicalengagement with the real world. Students from these disciplines are expectedto demonstrate these skills.

I believe learning outside the classroom is more important than in the

classroom. If students are interested in something, instead of teaching, we

direct them to watch these movies, read these books or these CDs I think it is

bettery because students will obtain broader knowledge and when they study

1. The South Thailand insurgency is a separatist campaign by Islamic terrorists which is taking

place in the predominantly Malay Pattani region, made up of the three southernmost provinces

of Thailand, with violence increasingly spilling over into other provinces. Although separatist

violence has occurred for decades in the region, the campaign escalated in 2004.

120 Phussadee Dokphrom

by themselves, they gain experiences they will not forget and are able to extend

their knowledge. (MelLec4)

� The use of specialised technology

Although all the participants refer to the use of computers and the internet,analysis revealed that the perceptions of information literacy also correlatewith the use of specialist technology in order for students to make sense ofinformation; this is explicit in the Geography and MEL departments.Geography uses specialist tools such as GIS software for geographicinformation, while MEL regards ICT as its educational tool. The lecturersand students refer to the use of computers and the internet as part of theirlearning activities; they use Korean and/or Chinese search engines andinstant messaging applications to practice language skills thus specifictechnological skills are required from the students.

Students must keep up-to-date with technologies, because obtaining geogra-

phical information involves advanced technologies for example, remote

sensing, GPS even satellite or aerial photos. (GeoLec6)

Most students who study languages, like to chat with foreign friends y

(MelStu4)

8.4.2. Information Literacy Education

Perceptions of information literacy education in this case was different fromthe current practice evident in the literature. In the literature there iswidespread recognition of the importance of librarians’ involvement ininformation literacy education particularly the role of librarians in teachinginformation literacy (e.g. Andretta, 2006; Ratteray, 2002; Stubbings &Franklin, 2006; Webber & Johnston, 2003). In this study, the evidenceshowed that there was no collaboration between the faculty and the library.Teaching and learning is deemed the responsibility of academic lecturers.Information literacy education is perceived as a holistic approach, integratedthrough courses across the curriculum through formal and informaleducation. Students are engaged with different aspects of informationliteracy through different teaching, learning and assessment methods andactivities.

� Provision of information literacy education

Based on the evidence, participants across departments perceived thatcertain aspects of information literacy were provided to students throughgeneral education, first level and major level courses. At general and firstlevels, there was a focus on students’ generic skills, that is English, language

Information Literacy of Undergraduate Students in Thailand 121

and communication, library skills and computer skills and these weredelivered as stand-alone courses. While at major levels, information literacyeducation was integrated through courses and focus was placed on engagingstudents with subject-specific knowledge and the development of higher levelresearch skills, particularly critical and analytical thinking skills. Moreover,students related their attitudinal development to the pedagogical approachand the assessment criteria that lecturers employed.

Although information literacy was encouraged throughout the curricu-lum, students recognised that different programmes concentrate ondeveloping different aspects of information literacy. For example, thedevelopment of certain attitudes (e.g. current awareness, open-mindedness)can be achieved in the Social Science courses whilst information and libraryskills could be obtained from the LIS courses.

Majority from the Social Science programme, students who didn’t take this

programme have a chance to develop them from the required course in the first

year such as Thai Civilisation module because we have to watch the news and

read newspapers and journals to give examples, so we can get more marks.

(ThaStu4)

The Thai civilisation module, opened my eyes a lot because sometimes I think

like this but the lecturer informed us that some people perceive things in

different ways, so I recognised that different people have different opinions.

(ThaStu2)

Since we enter a major programme, we study the particular field, my friends

who take LIS programme as a major will have opportunities to learn IL more

than other students y (ThaStu4)

It is worth highlighting that information and library skills are recognisedas being mainly provided once through the Information Worldmodule whichis taught by a team of lecturers from the Department of Library Science andnot the librarians. Although there is evidence to show that the library offersseveral services, such as a library induction and enquiry service, these are notrecognised as a sources of library skills. This coincides with the findingsfrom the librarians’, which revealed that they do not perceive that they madea contributions to the students’ library skills practice and perceivedthemselves as service providers.

Regarding the Information World module, students made the criticismthat they do not obtain much knowledge or skills from the course. Thisreflects the failure of method and time of delivery. Most students criticiselecture-based instruction; they believe it to be an inappropriate method bywhich to teach library skills. Moreover, they claim that it is delivered tooearly in the curriculum, when they do not recognise the needs of the

122 Phussadee Dokphrom

knowledge and skills, and only focus on passing the requirements of thecourse. Students require this teaching to be offered again at a higher levelwhen they are required to do independent coursework.

I want to take the Information World module again, particularly the sections

provided by the Library Science department because at that time I didn’t see

its importance, I felt it was boring and I didn’t understand it. Now I see how

important it is, I would attend every session. (ThaStu3)

In the first year, I didn’t need it that much. (ThaStu8)

In addition to formal education, the evidence from cross-unit analysisrevealed that within their university careers, students are also engaged withinformation literacy from extra curriculum activities, for example depart-mental seminars, student clubs, faculty exhibitions, etc. For example, in theGeography and MEL departments students were required to take part inthese activities, and they perceived that these helped develop theirinformation literacy, largely by enabling them to practice their research skills.

� Pedagogical approaches

Common to all, the lecturers emphasise the importance of independentlearning as a teaching and learning strategy and they identified approachessuch as discussion-based and coursework-based instruction as the bestmethods for developing students’ information literacy. In addition, studentsrecognised the value of coursework as a means of learning and developingall aspects of information literacy including attitudes, knowledge, researchand generic skills.

Within one assignment, it requires all skills. If you asked what we have learned,

it is everything. The ‘Information World’ module teaches all skills; how to cite,

how to search and how to use information, but this is lecture-based. We learned

few skills in the first year, later we practice all the skills when we do coursework,

we will use all the skills. It is an improvement. (GeoStu3)

The findings reveal that participants, including the lecturers, acrossdepartments emphasised that developing students’ attitudes was a personalaim of the lecturers. This reflects their pedagogic approaches. For example,encouraging students to read is emphasised by the History, Thai and MELdepartments and was mentioned by the Geography department. Providingstudents with current information was also stated as important, by thelecturers from the Departments of Geography, History and Thai.

For example, I will introduce articles which I think are acceptable, useful and

have issues related to students. These articles exist in different journals such as

Information Literacy of Undergraduate Students in Thailand 123

the Journal of Political Science, at Thammasat University. Sometimes these

are not directed to our field, but I want students to recognise the viewpoints of

different disciplines. (ThaLec1)

When I teach I always introduce new supplementary books, or in the case of

new information, I will notify them, try to find updated information for them.

For example, new articles, I will inform them but not all details, to urge them

to follow up which is quite effective, some issues I lectured, if they want to

know more y . ‘This is the article’s name’ y some students follow up, some

students come to discuss it with me y it works! (ThaLec2)

Interestingly, there is an agreement amongst all the participants that therewas variation among students in terms of attitude, particularly ‘enthusiasm’and this was influenced by their personal backgrounds, for exampe family,education, financial situation and their own interests. Changing attitudes wasrecognised as one of the most challenging aspects of teaching. However, theyrecognised that it was the responsibility of the lecturers to develop suchattitudes in the students during the degree programmes.

y . Sometimes I feel the rest are our responsibility to give them, but being

willing to learn, willing to research comes with them, when they possess these

which are in their nature, the rest, e.g. debating, questioning, answering,

writing, etc., if these are low, they are our duties, as tertiary teachers, to train

them. We can assign coursework y (HisLec1)

It takes times to gain these skills. In short periods of time (university studies)

you cannot obtain anything, even if you get them they will soon disappear. But

if it is with you as habit or skill, it takes some time (to develop), you gradually

gathered from schools, primary, secondary schools. (MelStu4)

The findings also reveal that the lecturers helped students with theirenquiries for completing coursework: giving advice regarding the extent ofthe work, referring to information sources and search techniques werementioned by all the lecturers across the disciplines. Moreover, somelecturers mentioned book introductions and the demonstration of searchtechniques. The students also revealed that friends were important sourcesof information, particularly for searching techniques and ICT practice.

� Assessment

The participants similarly perceive that assessment plays an important rolein information literacy education, particularly summative assessment. Thelecturers, librarians and students themselves perceive that grading is a toolto motivate students’ learning. Assessment methods that are generallyemployed are ‘class attendance’, ‘coursework’ and ‘examination’. Class

124 Phussadee Dokphrom

attendance is counted as a small part of the assessment, however it wasconsidered to be significant by participants. Since discussion-based learningis considered one of the best methods to develop students’ informationliteracy, this is the way to motivate students to participate in discussions.Examinations, and in particular coursework, are considered the mosteffective ways to assess, as well as motivate, students’ learning.

8.5. Discussion and Conclusion

Similarly to the literature, information literacy is described as the ability toresearch information and researching information consists of a set ofconsecutive processes which are: determining the extent of informationneeded, locating the potential sources, searching for the information neededin the identified sources, critically evaluating the information obtained,analysing and synthesising the information obtained with existing knowl-edge and applying and using it to accomplish the task. However, theconceptions of information literacy derived from this study include moreencompassing proactive behaviours. The participants prioritised beingactive learners and regularly obtaining new information as key features.

The identification of attitudinal aspects, for example enthusiasm andgeneric skills, that is English and Third languages skills as being integral toinformation literacy, whereas previous information literacy models orframeworks do not comment on emphasising these elements. Thesecontribute, for the first time, to a research-based framework for informationliteracy that is specific to the Thai Higher Education context and alsoconfirm the importance of contextual differences of information literacy.

The emphasis on the attitudinal aspects of information literacy, whichwere explicitly identified by students, lecturers and librarians, implicitlystated in Webber et al. (2005), for example becoming confident, independentpractitioners, emphasises the need to broaden the current informationliteracy frameworks for higher education to include the development of keyattitudes. The correlation between the distinct characteristic of differentdisciplines and differences of perceptions of information literacy also addsto the evidence that the nature of information literacy varies betweendisciplines.

This study also reveals a holistic picture of information literacy educationat the Faculty of Arts, Silpakorn University which exists as a holisticapproach, integrated through courses across the faculty’s curriculum.Students are engaged in information literacy education through formal andinformal education. Students are engaged with different aspects ofinformation literacy through different teaching, learning and assessment

Information Literacy of Undergraduate Students in Thailand 125

methods and activities. Independent learning is emphasised as a teachingand learning strategy. Discussion-based and coursework-based instructionsare identified as best methods in developing students’ information literacyand assessment plays important role in motivating students’ leaning. Thus,teaching and learning information literacy is deemed primarily theresponsibility of academic lecturers.

The findings from this study constitute a significant departure from theliterature which indicates the widespread acknowledgement of librarians’involvement in information literacy education and illustrates that librariansare key people in leading information literacy instruction. Whereas in thiscase, the Information World module, which explicitly includes teachinglibrary skills, is taught by a team of lecturers from the Department ofLibrary Science and not the librarians. Librarians are not involved ininformation literacy education, but are perceived as service providers.

In conclusion, this study has made a new contribution to knowledge bylooking at lecturers’, students’ and librarians’ perceptions of informationliteracy within a single study. A list of attributes associated with aninformation literate student was presented and the emergence of attitudinalattributes is emphasised. This provides a different perspective on informa-tion literacy which is not addressed in the existing literature. The findingsfrom this study also confirm the contextual and disciplinary differences ofinformation literacy. Perceptions of information literacy reflect theperception of information literacy pedagogy and thus impact on informa-tion literacy educational practice. Information literacy education not onlyinvolves library and information science professionals, but also teachers andlearners. Therefore, successful implementation of information literacyeducation needs close corroboration between these stakeholders in orderto design course curriculum and pedagogy.

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