Assessment and Perception of Information Literacy Skills Among Teacher Education Students

ABSTRACT

This study aims to assess the information literacy skills of a sample of undergraduate teacher education students and explore their perceptions about those skills. Participants completed iSkills, an online assessment from the Educational Testing Service aligned with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Standards, and a subsample participated in focus-group discussions regarding their test experience and perceptions of information literacy. This article focuses on the qualitative findings from these discussions. Participants were unfamiliar with the term “information literacy” but see it as essential to their success and that of their future students, especially in the context of a diverse, urban school district.

KEYWORDS:

• assessment
• focus groups
• information literacy
• preservice teachers
• teacher education