Using Journals to Build Information Literacy Skills: Action Research Focusing on Cognition and Self-Efficacy Among Upper Elementary Students

Students growing up in an information age must be effective users of ideas and information (American Association of School Librarians, 1998). They need to access information efficiently, evaluate information critically, and use information accurately and creatively (Ibid.). To facilitate the mastery of these skills, teachers and librarians must constantly experiment with pedagogical strategies that promote acquisition of effective information search habits. This qualitative research investigation focused on how journal writing, as a pedagogical strategy, reflected students' understanding of the information search process. A team comprised of the school librarian, a teacher, a university graduate assistant, and the session presenter conducted the action research study with one class of upper elementary students, at a public school in Honolulu, Hawaii. They used multiple data-gathering modes to implement the investigation as students completed two month-long research assignments. This session focuses on methodology, findings and implications based on the study. Research Questions Essential questions addressed were: • How does journal writing reflect students’ understanding of and feelings during the information search process? • How can journal writing influence instructional decisions and modifications?