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Young People's Perspectives on `Information' — Revisited

92 Claremont Road, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, NE26 3TU, England, United Kingdom, ashenton1{at}hotmail.com

Andrew Johnson

Little research has investigated the ways in which young people understand the word, `information', despite the fact that what is learnt from such studies can have clear implications for practice. In order to extend the meagre knowledge base, the authors conducted a quantitative research project that collected, via an electronic questionnaire, data from 348 teenagers in an English high school. Respondents were asked to use a Likert scale to indicate their reactions to thirteen statements pertaining to the nature of `information'. There was much uncertainty or indifference among the pupils in relation to the issues and considerable variation in the balance of opinion between boys and girls. The relative prevalence of a particular response to a certain question also often varied appreciably from one year group to another. The uncertainty and lack of consensus on many matters highlights the problems of using the word, `information', with young people.

Key Words: information • quantitative research • schools • user studies • young people

IFLA Journal, Vol. 34, No. 3, 238-255 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0340035208097225


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