Students’ Information Seeking Behaviour

Abstract

The current global pandemic has led to changes in students' learning and teaching conditions. These changes are the transition from classroom learning and teaching methods to e-learning or distance learning and teaching methods. This situation ntroduced different resource applications in the learning resources of the students and the teaching techniques of the teachers. Students' information needs, behaviours and techniques in the pandemic situation created a new system. This study was conducted under the title “Students’ Information Seeking Behaviour” in randomly selected 1AB, 1C and Type II schools under the Zonal Education Office, Jaffna of the Jaffna District to identify the difficulties of the students and propose solutions to the students' information behaviours and information-seeking behaviours. The link for the google form was sent to 260 students who were participated in the online class which were conducted by the Zonal Education Office for Maths and Science subject. Data were collected through Google form from 245 students who completed and submitted the questionnaire successfully. The collected data were systematically analyzed and the results were obtained. The study reveals that 172 (70%) students use the Internet to meet their information needs; 41 (17%) use their Rural area libraries and librarians’ assistance and 103 (42%) students seek assistance from their school librarians. As many as 172 (70%) get the information that they need from friends; 196 (80%) students discuss with their friends;202 (82.4%) approach their teachers and 189 (77%) depend on their parents and relatives; 87 (36%) students obtain the information what they need from social networking sites. The findings show that students' information behaviours have changed the need for information and the methods of obtaining it in accordance with the teaching and learning situation. Therefore, in the current context, there is a need for school libraries and public libraries to adapt learning resources and reference resources to suit the students' use.