Information Literacy in Turkish Education System
Özet
One of the main objectives of education is to ensure lifelong continuity of knowledge and skills acquired through
formal education. Education systems and environments have been changed due to the proliferation of information and
developments in information technologies. Changes in education systems require students to be equipped with new
skills such as information literacy skills.
Among the 21st century learning skills, problems solving, effective evaluation of information sources, utilisation of
information, and the production of new information seem to be the most important skills that students need in order to
be prepared for the future. The creation of educational experiences is only possible with a curriculum (Hannesdottir,
1982, p.29). However, the biggest problem of the education system of the 21st century is insufficient action research
in school, non-application of critical thinking in education strategy, and the absence of a specialist researcher (librarian)
(Hockersmith, 2010, p.49).
Today, the importance of the above-mentioned skills is increasing because these skills are required for the reproduction
of information. Thus, if students cannot gain information literacy skills until the end of their compulsory education,
the chances of climbing up the business and career stages will most likely be diminished for them (SCANS, 1991;
Önal, 2012, p.101). As a result, Information literacy skills are necessary and compulsory skills for success in education,
work, and everyday life. So, this puts a big responsibility on the shoulders of teachers and school librarians to equip
students with the skills of information literacy (Kurbanoğlu ve Akkoyunlu, 2009, p.3).
The majority of the state schools in Turkey have neither a school library nor a school librarian. Consequently, most of
them are inactive. This situation leaves the responsibility of teaching information literacy entirely to teachers, who are
limited by the scope and requirements of the national curricula.
This study is a part of an ongoing doctoral dissertation. The main aim of this doctoral research study is to find out to
what extent national curricula addresses information literacy. With this aim the content and the scope of curricula will
be evaluated, all strategic plans and documents regarding the national education system will be examined, and a survey
will be conducted to investigate information literacy levels of teachers and students. Research will be carried out
through the utilization of descriptive and content analysis methods. The data related to teachers and students will be
selected through the survey method. The survey sample will be composed of 342 students and 200 teachers working
in a total of 11 science high schools within Ministry of Education in the district of Ankara, the capital city.
With this aim, the research will be composed of several sections. The literature review will focus on the importance
of information literacy and its integration into curricula of secondary education, along with a detailed review of
research in this area and the current situation in Turkey. Data collected through content analysis of curricula and
strategic documents. as well as through the surveys, will be analysed and presented. Conclusions and recommendations
will be drawn. In the doctoral forum, the situation in Turkey based on content analysis of strategic documents and
national curricula will be presented.
