An Exploration of Teacher and Librarian Collaboration in the Context of Professional Preparation (original) (raw)
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Language and Literacy, 2022
This narrative describes a collaboration between three university literacy faculty and a subject librarian undertaken to embed library instruction across the semester in three required courses-children's literature, early literacy, and disciplinary literacy-in order to help undergraduate preservice teachers better understand and incorporate children's literature and high interest literature into their teaching. Concrete, scaffolded, hands-on experiences for preservice teachers with teaching materials helped to build awareness of foundational concepts in literacy instruction. Librarian/faculty collaborations have the potential to improve literacy teacher preparation programs by providing designed opportunities for active, concrete engagement coupled with structured reflection.
School Library Media Research, 2008
Two Heads Are Better than One: The Factors Influencing the Understanding and Practice of Classroom-Library Collaboration proposed to identify the factors involved in educating future K-8 classroom teachers about collaboration for instruction with school library media specialists (SLMSs). This longitudinal study monitored the growth of teacher education students' understandings of collaboration through their preservice education, student teaching, and first year of classroom teaching. The participants were enrolled in a teacher preparation program facilitated by the researcher, a former SLMS. The goal of this mixed-methods case study was to suggest critical components of preservice education, student teaching, and first-year teaching experiences that influence novice classroom teachers' classroom-library collaborations. This article provides an overview of the study, a review of relevant literature, and the data collected, including findings from four surveys as well as other data sources. This study shows that interventions during preservice education were important influencers. However, the findings clearly indicate that the educators serving in K-8 school library positions and the supports, or lack thereof, for classroom-library collaboration during student teaching and first-year classroom teaching were the most influential factors in determining whether or not these beginning educators collaborated with SLMSs for instruction.
Preparing Stakeholders for the School Librarian’s Instructional Partnership Role
Advances in library and information science (ALIS) book series, 2013
Although the American Association of School Librarians and researchers in the field have identified the instructional partner role as critical to the future of school librarianship, many school librarians report that their colleagues and administrators are unaware of the importance of this role, and that they are reluctant to practice or support it. Other library stakeholders report that school librarians themselves are not adequately prepared to effectively practice this role. While many practitioners believe it is the university's job to prepare preservice educators and administrators to participate in collaborative planning, teaching, and assessment, some university faculty believe that until classroom-library instructional partnerships are consistently practiced in the field, preservice education efforts to instill this model will fall flat. This chapter reports on an in-depth literature review of the research-based evidence for the value of successful instructional partnerships and the barriers that have been identified in enacting them. An analysis of the literature suggests a comprehensive effort on the part of all stakeholders-both in the field and the academy-is necessary to ensure that the work of school librarians is integrated into the classroom curriculum where it can make a measurable impact on student learning outcomes.
School Libraries Worldwide, 2021
Thematic content analysis was used to identify the practices, and barriers of inter-professional collaboration among teacher-librarians and classroom teachers. Twelve structured research were identified and information regarding the themes was extracted verbatim. The data collected on practices were analysed to see how they correlated with to Loertscher and Koechlin’s (2016) conceptual framework for collaboration and co-teaching among teacher-librarians and classroom teachers. The barriers were examined and analyzed to gain an understanding of suitable recommendations to alleviate same. It was discovered that the involvement of school administration in the collaborative process; the presence of curriculum integration; and the provision of a common space for teaching were important practices for successful inter-professional collaboration. On the other hand, the lack of understanding of the role of both professionals and the workload of teachers were identified as some of the barrier...
Back to the Future: Prospects for Education Faculty and Librarian Collaboration Thirty Years Later
Education Libraries
Thirty years ago, education conference panelists shared concerns regarding collaboration between education faculty and librarians and they presented ideas for expanding these partnerships. A review of their ideas raises an important question: In what ways have their ideas for collaboration and partnership been realized? To answer this question, the authors conducted a review of the literature regarding education faculty-librarian collaboration. Findings indicate that when collaborating with education faculty, there are three roles librarians have embodied: librarian-as-reference, librarian-as-consultant, and librarian-as-instructor. These roles contribute to the realization of the panelists’ proposed ideas and offer suggestions for future collaboration and research possibilities.
2016
This paper reports on a professional development initiative that targeted teams of teachers and librarians working with high school students on strengthening an inquiry approach to capstone projects. While much has been written about student-focused models for information search and use, little has been reported on how training for the instructional teams might be structured to embody a constructivist inquiry approach with the adults who are facilitating this type of learning for students. This article describes the design and implementation of a statewide training program “Pathways to Excellence and Achievement in Research and Learning” (PEARL) that was implemented in Hawaii. The author reports on the theoretical framework for the training, interventions used, data collected, and the influence of the training on teaching practices focusing on information literacy instruction.
2014
In Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs (2009), the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) identified the instructional partner role of school librarians as the most critical role for the future of the profession. To determine the extent to which school librarian preparation programs prepare pre-service school librarians for this role, this mixed-methods case study examined program ranking responses and questionnaires from nine universities and colleges that prepare these candidates for practice. Instructors who teach courses in school librarianship submitted a program of study document on which they rated the percentage of readings/viewings and assignments that focus on the instructional partner role in courses offered exclusively for pre-service school librarian candidates. Participants were invited to complete follow-up questionnaires that asked for details regarding readings, textbooks, and assignments. The findings of this case study demonstrate...
2013
This article discusses the results of an exploratory research project in which library and information studies (LIS) faculty and education faculty were asked about their views on teaching pre-service school librarians and teachers 21st Century Skills (as defined by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills) and librarian-teacher collaboration. Researchers used a case-study approach to investigate and compare the views and experiences of LIS faculty and education faculty at a research institution. Participants indicated their sense of which skills were taught in each discipline. In addition, they described their own experiences in collaborating with teachers and/or librarians, as well as their views on where collaboration was taught in their respective curricula, where it could be taught, and how it might be taught most effectively. Findings indicate that while education faculty members tend to have a broader view of LIS than do LIS faculty and see education and LIS as having largely o...
Educating for School Library Leadership: Developing the Instructional Partnership Role
2013
The American Association of School Librarians and researchers in the field have identified the instructional partner role as critical to the future of school librarianship. Educators of school librarians must help prepare preservice candidates to serve effectively in this role. This research report describes a content analysis study conducted in three sections of LS5443: Librarians as Instructional Partners, an online graduate course. The purpose of the study was to investigate course features, assignments, tools, and resources that made the greatest change in candidates' understandings of the competencies needed to enact instructional partnerships. The findings suggest dispositions, communication skills, and collaborative practices, including the use of technology tools required to collaborate with three or more classmates, influenced study participants' previously-held understandings of instructional partnerships.Keywords: LIS education, LIS school librarian students, inst...