[Project] A Study on Information Needs and Seeking Behavior of Taiwan Local Education Teachers

Project No.：NSC 89-2413-H-002-022
Period：2000.7-2001.7

Project Introduction

The purpose of this research is to systematically study the information need, seeking, and use behavior of middle school teachers of Taiwan historical resources, and to explore the implications of the findings for digital library system design.

This research employs multiple methods, first by qualitative approach followed by quantitative approach. The study investigated elementary and high school teachers, and compared the findings with those of the scholar user group, using literature analysis, deep interview, and questionnaire survey as the methods for data collection, and content analysis, case study, and statistic analysis for data analysis.

The results lead to (1) a better understanding of information seeking and use
behavior of scholars and high school teachers of Taiwan historical archives; (2) deeper knowledge and empirical data for developing theory on human information behavior of Taiwan local people; (3) identification of important teaching and learning resources on Taiwan and the salient characteristics of those resources; (4) development of information organization guideline for localized digital library and museum systems.


Relevant Paper

1.Chang, Shan-Ju L. (2002).An empirical investigation into digital library users: A case study of Taiwan digital museum Tamsui River. University Library Quarterly, 6(2), 51-64.
Abstract
Most digital libraries in Taiwan are designed by content providers and system designers. The purpose of this research attempts to propose a user study model for empirical investigation of web users, useing a case study of Taiwan Digital Museum Dan-Shwei River as an example. This article reports the multiple methods used and the results found in this study, including the design principles and some substantial suggestions for practice.
Keywords:Digital Libraries, User studies, Teachers, Information needs assessment, Elementary Education, Usability Test


2.Chang, Shan-Ju L. (2004). An investigation into information needs and information seeking behaviors of elementary school teachers teaching Taiwan cultural heritage. Journal of Library & Information Science, 30(2), 116-133.
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to systematically study the information needs, seeking and use behavors of school teachers of Taiwan historical resources, and to explore the implications of the findings for digital library system design.

The study investigated elementary school teachers, using literature analysis, in-depth interview, and questionnaire survey as the methods for data collection, and content analysis, case study, and statistic analysis for data analysis. This article reports the results from the qualitative study.

The results lead to (1)a better understanding of information seeking and use behaviors of primary school teachers of Taiwan cultural heritage; (2) deeper knowledge and empirical data for develoging theory on human information behaviors of teachers in Taiwan; (3) identification of important teaching and learning resources on Taiwan and the salient characteristics of those resources; (4) development of information organization guideline for localized digital library and museum systems.
keywords:Elementary School Teachers, Information Needs, Information Seeking, Digital Libraries, Education Resources