Lesson 2 - Research Methods

This section was a bit of a review for me. Last term one of my course spent a good deal of time discussing different forms of Research methods. We read an article 'Destination Information' (2004) Library Media Connection which outlined and compared several of the different methods. While reading this article and the Riedling's discussions on Information Seeking, Big6 Information Problem Solving and Research Process (2005, 8-11),  I have come to realize that there is no one method that can be allocated as 'best.' Each student will learn in a different style. This, however, poses some issues for the teacher librarian and the classroom teacher. We must choose a research method we think would work for most of the students.

Riedling (2005) showed us an overview of the three methods mentioned above. Each method had their differences, but overall they are similar. Stripling and Pitts' Research Process has far more stages than Eisenberg and Berkowitz' Big6, but the end results are the same. Students will research, synthesize, produce and reflect. My curiosity with these methods falls back to, our students learn in a variety of ways. Can these research methods incorporate all the different learning methods, to help strengthen student success? Additionally, I wonder as teacher librarians should we be trying to teach students a variety of research methods, so they can choose which method is best for them? Or, should we teach one method to an entire school, have students master it, and apply various forms of learning styles into the research method, such as auditory, visual, and kinesthetic?

From my point of view it makes more sense to teach and mast one method, and have students apply their own styles to that method. The research we could get out of our students should an entire school follow one learning method. If all of the teachers and staff used the same language when discussing research, students could potentially conduct research beautifully.

The key point here is 'if all the teachers and staff.' From discussions with colleagues and classmates I have noticed (especially right now with job action) getting everyone on board a learning train can be less than a simple process. One teacher librarian I have talked to says she wishes her school would follow one research method. She wants to be able to support her staff, and reinforce the learning strategies with the students.

In summary, no one research method is going to be the best, but teacher librarians might be able to find a method that is better suited for their school based on demographics and the learning styles of the students. The teacher librarian also needs to work with the staff (and vice versa) to provide background knowledge and the skills to be successful in which ever method their school chooses.

References

Milam, P. (2004). Destination Information: A road map for the journey. Library Media Connection () 20-24.

Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips, 2nd Ed. Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishing.