Libraries learning and teaching in New Zealand schools: a qualitative study in quantitative research design

Abstract

This exploratory research studied: • The state of library development in New Zealand schools. • The contribution that school libraries, School Library Service and public libraries make to learning and teaching in schools. New Zealand research concerning the "inputs" of school library development had last been conducted by Professor Sara Fenwick in 1975. Because of its focus on "inputs", this work had only touched on the role of libraries in school-based learning. Recently, attention had been drawn by the library and education communities to the need to update and extend Fenwick's work. In addition, the National Library needed reliable, current, research based information to inform policy development concerning its services to schools. The lack of previous relevant New Zealand research meant an exploratory study was necessary before postal questionnaires could be designed for a large-scale quantitative study. This thesis examines the experience of using qualitative research to inform the design of a quantitative study, and it reports on the case studies which were conducted in eight schools in February to March 1992. Principals, teachers, teachers with library responsibility, library assistants or school librarians, and, in one case, a trained teacher-librarian were interviewed in these schools. The findings show that school library developments for learning and teaching was most developed in the school with the trained teacher-librarian. The teacher's understanding and use of libraries to support learning, particularly resource based learning, was most advanced in this school. This exploratory qualitative research experience proved valuable both as an approach to inform the design of the quantitative study, and to provide the knowledge and experience necessary for its successful execution.