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School libraries’ impact on secondary education: a users’ study

Georgios Bikos (Department of Library and Information Systems, Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Athens, Greece)
Panagiota Papadimitriou (Department of Library and Information Systems, Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Athens, Greece)
Georgios A. Giannakopoulos (Department of Library and Information Systems, Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Athens, Greece)

Library Review

ISSN: 0024-2535

Article publication date: 26 August 2014

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer an overview of students’ and teachers’ perceptions of school libraries’ impact on academic performance in secondary education in Greece, using sociological analysis to assess the data and contextualise it in the particular case and social context of Greece after the crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper developed structured questionnaires for the key categories of users visiting school libraries, teachers and students, trying to explore a set of questions which would give us a better image of their behaviour. The results from our empirical study, following the creation and distribution of a purpose made questionnaire in secondary schools in the area of Athens, was then evaluated in the context of sociological analysis. This paper argued that social factors may explain discrepancy in opinions regarding school libraries’ (SLs) role.

Findings

The data which the paper present elucidates, not only the frequency and ways in which pupils of an age up to 14 years use SLs but also their own and their teachers’ assumptions as to the degree in which SLs affect their performance. In this way, the data documents currently dominant perceptions of key categories of users in the Greek context but also reveals, via its critical assessment, the kinds of social factors that enhanced or hindered its impact on learning and academic performance in secondary education in Greece.

Research limitations/implications

The paper consists of a study based on a limited sample of users from Greek schools in Athens; hence, its results are indicative.

Practical implications

The paper considers possibilities in which educational and cultural policies in relation to SLs should shift attention following the findings and their interpretation.

Social implications

The paper provides policy implications regarding Greek education. The paper provides some recommendations as to ways in which SLs and research in their users may provide a fresh way of implementing strategies as to their role in Greek education in the period of recession.

Originality/value

This study focuses exclusively on the Greek context, taking into consideration, for the analysis of the data derived from the empirical survey undertaken in Greek schools, sociological parameters tied to the Greek context after the crisis.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Professor Daphni Manessi for constructive criticism and useful remarks and Dr Assimina Kaniari for proofreading the English text. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2nd International Conference on Integrated Information, IC-ININFO, held in Budapest, Hungary, from 30 August to 2 September, 2012, http://history.icininfo.net/2012/

Citation

Bikos, G., Papadimitriou, P. and A. Giannakopoulos, G. (2014), "School libraries’ impact on secondary education: a users’ study", Library Review, Vol. 63 No. 6/7, pp. 519-530. https://doi.org/10.1108/LR-11-2013-0139

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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