INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION LITERACY ON ACADEMIC STAFF PRODUCTIVITY IN UNIVERSITIES IN NORTH CENTRAL GEO- POLITICAL ZONE OF NIGERIA.

ABSTRACT

The  research  work  examined  the  influence  of  information  literacy  competencies  on academic productivity among the academic staff in Nigerian universities in North Central Geopolitical zone. In this contemporary environment of rapid technological change and proliferating information resources there is need for a complementary cluster of abilities necessary to use information effectively, especially for research. In carrying out this study two instruments were used to collect data; first was a standard information literacy competency test which elicited information on what constituted information literacy  and second, an academic productivity index which elicited information  on what constituted academic  productivity.  The  study adopted  a correlation  survey design  to  instigate  the relationship between information literacy and academic productivity. The population of the study comprised of all the academic staff in the 12 universities from North Central geo- political zone. A total of 421 academic staff were involved as sample for this study. The sample  was  composed  through  a  multi-stage  sampling  technique  using  proportionate stratified random sampling.. The data collected were analysed with the use of descriptive statistics (frequency count mean score and percentage), standard deviation,   Pearson Correlation, one way ANOVA and stepwise t-test. The Findings revealed that the largest percentage (56.4%) of the academic staff of the universities understudy, possessed low level of information literacy competency. It also showed that the respondents have very low level of academic productivity, as indicated by 64.3% of the respondents. Findings also revealed  that Professor has the highest mean of (56.58) and standard deviation of (11.68) and they can be said to possess more information literacy competency.   It also showed   Associate Professor has the highest mean of (93.83) and standard deviation of (27.46) and they can be said to have best productivity.   On the influence of information literacy competency  on academic productivity, the findings of the study revealed that there is a positive relationship  between information  literacy and academic   productivity. The implications of the findings for the government, the university administration, Departments of Library and information Sciences,   the academic staff and students and the Nigerian Library Association  (NLA)  have been highlighted.  Based  of the findings a number of recommendations  were  made.  These  include  the  need  for  government  to  show  more political will by increasing the financial resources available to the universities in the area of book and ICT facilities acquisition   and journal subscription, establish and maintain information resource centers. On the part of the universities it is recommended that they should influence policies and provide enabling environment, integrate information literacy course into the school curriculum and provide necessary resources needed for learning.

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Information literacy is increasingly becoming important in the contemporary environment of rapid technological change and proliferated information resources. Because of the increasing complexity of the information environment, individuals are faced with diverse, abundant information choices in their academic studies, in the workplace, and in personal  lives. Information  is available through  libraries,  community resources,  special interest organizations,  media and the Internet – and increasingly, information  comes to individuals  in  unfiltered  formats,  raising  questions  about  its authenticity,  validity,  and reliability.  In  addition,     information  is  available  through  multiple  media,  including graphical, aural, and textual, and these pose new challenges for individuals in evaluation and understanding   (Madu, 2005). The uncertain quality and expanding quantity of information pose large challenges for society   (Kiven and Shafack, 2002). The mere abundance of information  will not in itself create a more informed  citizenry without a complementary cluster of abilities necessary to use information effectively.

According to the American Library Association (ALA) (2008), Information Literacy is a set of abilities that enable individuals to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Information literacy according to Armstrong (2005),  is defined as the acquired skills to know when and why one needs information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner. This concept by CILIP will form the benchmark for information literacy in this study.  The concept affords the researcher the ability to search appropriate resources effectively and identify relevant information.   These competencies above have been  further  explained  in  detail  by  CILIP  (2005)  who  outlined  eight  constructs  of information  literacy. According to them understanding  a need for information  involves

recognizing that information is needed, understanding why it is needed, what kind of and how much information is required as well as any associated constraints.

The  second  competency,  which  is  an  understanding  of  the  available  resources, requires  the  individual  to be  able  to  identify  what resources  (paper,  electronic/digital, human) are available for exploitation, where they are available, how to access them, the merit of individual resource type and when it is appropriate to use them.

Closely following the above competence is an understanding of how to find information. This competence involves an ability to search appropriate resources (paper, electronic/digital, human etc) effectively and identify relevant information. Strategies need to be tailored to the resource being used, so as to get the best results from that resource, users need to respond to search results – possibly because there are too few or too many – and know when to stop searching. An information-literate person would also understand that, in addition to purposive search, information can be acquired by browsing, scanning and monitoring information sources.

The  fourth  competence  is  an  understanding  of  the  need  to  evaluate  results.  It requires the ability to evaluate information for its authenticity, accuracy, currency, value and bias. Also the skill involves the ability to evaluate the means by which the results were obtained  in order to ensure that individual  approach  does not produce  misleading  and incomplete results. This is not just whether the resource appears to answer the question, but whether it is intrinsically trustworthy.

Another literacy competence is an understanding of how to work with and exploit results. The competence requires the individual to be able to analyze the information to provide accurate, presentable research result or to develop new knowledge and understand. This involves the ability to understanding, compare and apply the information found.

The sixth competence involves an understanding of the ethical and responsibility  of use of information. Here the individual is expected to know why information should by used in a responsible, culturally sensitive and ethical manner; respecting confidentiality and also giving credit to other people’s work; understanding the nature and use of bias in order to produce appropriate and unbiased report. This could include issues of intellectual property, plagiarism, unfair practice, fair use etc.

Another competence  is an understanding  of how  to communicate  or share  your finding.  This  competence  requires  the  ability  to  communicate/share  information  in  a manner  or  format  that  is  appropriate  to  the  information,  the  intended  audience  and situation.

Finally, is the understanding of how to manage findings. This competence involves the knowledge of how to store and manage the information one has acquired using the most effective method available. Reflecting critically on the process and achievements as well as the source found in order to learn from the experience of finding and using information.

The globalization process in the world today is a function of the exponential growth of information and the convergence of information and communication technologies, particularly in the last decade of the 20th century. With the availability of abundant information,  it  is necessary  for  a  researcher  to  be  able  to  understand  the  information environment. In this way, he/she will be able to identify what resources are available for exploitation, where they are available, how to access them, and appreciate the merits of individual resource  types, and when it is appropriate to use them. To achieve the above, therefore the individual researcher requires an understanding of types of resources (paper- based, electronic, digital, human etc) and when to use them.   This is particularly very important in a university environment especially among the academic staff.

Information Literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning, (Etim and Nsslen, 2007). It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self- directed, and assume greater control over their own learning. An information literate individual according to the American Library Association (2008, 41) is able to:

–         Determine the extent of information needed

–         Access the needed information effectively and efficiently

–         Evaluate information and its sources critically

–         Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base

–         Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose

–           Understand the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of information and access and use information ethically and legally.

The need for information literacy has increased tremendously. According to Wilson (2001) this is not unconnected with the exponential growth in information resulting   from digital information and the new focus of learning in a life-long context. According to him, the need to find, evaluate and make effective use of information has always been with us, however,  with  increased  understanding  of  the  learning  process  and  internet  access  to unedited  works,  the  academics  in  Nigerian  universities  are  faced  with  diverse,  and abundant information choices in their academic work.

Information literacy is a new concept in the information profession. Once called user education or library skills, now the terms information  literacy (IL) or information skills are more usual, according to Debbi and Holloway (2005). Information Literacy as we know it today has its origin. First use of the term “Information Literacy” is credited to Paul Zurkowski  in  1974  who  as  president  of  the  Information  Industry  Association  (IIA)

suggested that people trained in the application of information resources to the work can be called  information  Literates.  This  meants  according  to  him  is  that  they have  learned techniques and skills for utilizing the wide range of information tools as well as primary sources in moulding information solutions to their problems.

As a follow-up, efforts have also been made by the America Library Association to improve on the above concept as provided by Paul Zurkowski. In 1987, American Library Association  (ALA)  convened  a blue  ribbon  panel  of national  educators  and  librarians called, The ALA Presidential  Committee on Information  Literacy. This committee was charged with the following tasks;

1.        To define information  literacy within the higher literacy’s and its importance  to student performance, lifelong learning, and active citizenship,

2.        To design one or more models for information literacy development appropriate to formal and informal learning environments throughout people’s lifetimes; and

3.        To  determine  implications  for  the  continuing  education  and  development  to teachers.

In the release of its final Report in 1989, the American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy summarized in its opening paragraphs the ultimate mission of the National Forum on Information Literacy;

How our country deals with the realities of the information age will have enormous impact on our democratic way of life and on our nation’s ability to compete internationally.

within America’s information society, there also exists the potential of addressing many long-standing social and economic inequities”. (ALAPCIL 1989). P. 11

To reap such benefits, people-as individuals and a nation, must be information literate. To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Producing such a citizenry will require that schools and colleges appreciate and integrate the concept of information literacy into their learning programmes and that they play a leadership role in equipping individuals and institutions to take advantage of the opportunities inherent within the information society. Ultimately, information literate people are those who have learnt how to learned. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to use information in an appropriate manner. (Information literacy guide 2008).

For information literacy to be properly assessed, James Madison University [email protected] has classified the measure in to four  levels, very high  (VH) high (H) low (L)  and  very low.    This  was  used  successfully  to  assess  ACRL  information  literacy standards for higher education.

The information  gap created by rapid   technological change and proliferation  of information resources has made it necessary to look for new ways and abilities to use information effectively, especially for research among the academics, hence the need to examine  the  relationship  between  information  literacy  and  academic  productivity  in Nigerian universities.

In practical terms universities are communities of those who teach and those who learn, places where the minds of maturing student are trained and strengthened and where

the future leaders in a society are prepared not only for the learned professions and tasks of responsibility in the community, but also for the living of a full life. No less importantly, universities are places where by reappraisal and original investigations new additions are continuously being made to the sum of human knowledge and understanding. The Asquith commission’s  report  as  cited  by  Oyemakinde  (2004),  which  laid  the  formation  for university education  in Nigeria, made it clear that the immediate objective of such  an institution was to produce men and women who had the standards of public service and capacity for leadership. In order to achieve the above therefore, research is very necessary, and for research to be carried out, information  literacy is very important. According to Ochai and Nwafor (1990) academics the world over place emphasis on research and publication because of their strong belief that research enhances teaching and the learning process as well as contribute to the body of knowledge. This according to them is the essence of university education.

The  desire  to  develop  an  appropriate  workforce  for  its  activities  prompted  the colonial government in Nigeria to establish the first university college in Nigeria in 1948- the University of Ibadan. Since then, the number of universities has continued to rise such that by 2008 the number of Nigeria universities had increased to more than 100 due to increase  in  population  and  desire  for university  education.  In  the  same  vein,  students enrollment in Nigerian universities has been growing steadily,  (JAMB Brochure 2009).

The above objective of ensuring highly skilled workforce is in line with Mellambi’s position  that,  “no  one  would  deny that  unless  it  is a substantial  centre of research,  a university is unworthy of its name (Mellambi  cited  by Oyemakinde  2004).  To  ensure quality research therefore, there is the need to asses the influence of information literacy on

academic  productivity.  This is in line with the position  of the present research,  which assesses the influence of information literacy on academic productivity.

Productivity in whatever form it takes, academic or industrial, would be seen as the rate of output of production of  work performed by a worker. It can also be described as a measure of overall production of efficiency, effectiveness and performance of an individual worker to the industry (Isawumi 2003). According to Faboyin (1983) productivity is the relationship of some volume of output to a specific volume of input. According   to   Ajide (2001) productivity can  be defined  as the ratio of production  to the resources used in providing it. He argued that at the national level, productivity is often referred to as human productivity which can be termed as goods or services produced by an individual in a given time. According to him the need for productivity improvement cannot be over emphasized since it is the only way for an independent nation to improve the standard of living of her population. This is the reason why this present study is looking at the relationship between information literacy and academic productivity. To optimize productivity therefore, believable, simple and  accurate measurement as well as qualified standards are needed.

Academic  productivity  in  relation  to  the  objective  of  university  education  is therefore  seen  as  the  measure  or  the  required  output  expected  of  an  academic  staff. Academic  Analytics  (2008)  which  specializes  in  the  creation  of  the  faculty scholarly productivity index has what it called the only objective measure of faculty productivity.

According to Academic Analytics   the index or competence for academic productivity includes:

How many books written?

How many journal articles written? How many grants won?

How many times publications been cited?

How many awards won? (http://www.academicanalytics.com.)

This outlined academic productivity base as outlined by Academic Analytic will form the bedrock of this study with respect to productivity level. This is also in line with the roles and functions of university education.

In many universities in Nigeria, promotion guidelines are available to measure the required output. For instance in the University of Ibadan, guideline for promotion (2005), stipulates that to move from Lecturer I to Senior Lecturer, an academic staff is expected to have produced at least six journal articles in addition to other publications. To move from Senior Lecturer to Reader the staff must have ten journal articles plus other publications, while to become a Professor he should have fifteen journal articles in addition to other publications.  The  recently  revised  promotion  guideline,  makes  provision  for  what  is popularly referred to as “off shore on shore”. By this provision, a certain percentage of the publications must be published outside the shore of Nigeria. The reason for this is for Nigerian scholars to make greater impact on the international scholarly   scene and also have better visibility. This position is central to the objective of this study.

Academic productivity has now assumed international dimension. With information technology, it is possible to use internet to access information internationally. Locally, the Libraries are veritable sources of information for researchers. It is now   possible to use internet to gauge the visibility and impact of any country or any academic. In most cases this is measured by the research output of the individual academic.

The National Universities Commission has set standards based on some criteria for works published in Nigeria. In all, visibility and impact on the international scholarly scene are very important (Aina 2005). Bottle and Adesanya cited in Okafor (2007) found out that Nigerian productivity was one-sixth of British  sample. This low academic productivity especially in highly rated foreign journals can be due to the fact that only abstract in there journals are selected for Science Citation Index (SCI) or on-line indexing. The reason for this low level of productivity is not far from the position of O’connor and Voos (1981), who  argued  that  the  factors  that  militate  against  the  publication  output  of  Nigerian academics include some variables which affect the information environment.

A major factor   which affects academic productivity negatively is the problem of lack of access to resources, (Nzotta, 1997). The books, journals and ICT facilities are often not there for use. Apart from the problem of lack of access to resources, there is also the issue of distractions resulting from extracurricular pressure. There is the need to survive in an environment where water, light, fuel, etc are not readily available.

Another factor is the issue of lack of infrastructure and security. These add to the problems of the academics in Nigerian universities. Another critical factors which affects academic productivity is what Banet-Weiser (2009) called gender inequity in academia. Gender  inequity  according  to  her  involves  what  might  be  termed  “extra-curricular pressures: “female faculty are often overloaded with student advising duties, and frequently juggle pressures of family and motherhood in university settings. The pressures of what is called the “second shift,” where the additional labor that women perform in the  context of familial  and  domestic  relations  is  rendered  invisible,  becomes  quite  complicated  in academia because of the time constraints of typical university practices such as tenure and promotion.

However, some researches have identified some traits in women which pre-dispose them favourably to higher productivity in all human endeavors including academic productivity. According to (Obaje 2008) “mythologies around the world have ascribed to women the supreme literacy achievements of creating alphabets and inverting languages” pg 51. According to Obaje, women were once at the centre of the world of learning. On the cause of disparity in productivity, Ivory ceiling (2008) has argued that child care and lack of research collaboration  are the two factors that cause significant gender difference in scientific publishing. Women with young children and women who do not collaborate in research with other scientists are clearly less productive than both their men and female colleagues.

The publishing industry in Nigeria is not well developed, some journals disappear after two or more years of existence. Most reputable journals are foreign based and with the quality of research here it is difficult to get works published.  Looking at the issue of low academic productivity from external angle, Alemna (1996) explained that it was not always  easy  to  publish  in  foreign  journals  because  much  of  the  research  in  Nigeria addresses local issues which are not likely to interest an overseas audience.

Omolewa  (2008)  lamented  that many of the professors  in Africa are only local professors who are hardly known outside their institutions and are not recognized for the quality of their knowledge or scholarship. To be acknowledged as an international scholar, an academic must publish internationally. For this to be possible, the academic must have access to wide range of information resources, must be current and know what is going on in his field. Only an academic who is information literate can do this, hence the relevance of information literacy to academic productivity can not be overemphasized. In view of the

above, this research seeks to find out how information literacy  correlates with academic productivity in Nigerian universities, in the North Central Geo-political zone.

Statement of the Problem

Most universities  the world over are founded on the concept of service to man, primarily to meet the development needs of the society. This is done through a systematic approach  to research  as knowledge  acquired  is subjected  to constant  questioning    and evaluation,  and  used  in  the  acquiring  of  further  knowledge.  To  achieve  the  above academics must be information literates. Information literacy competence affords the researcher the opportunity to have a wide range of information resources, ability to find and  evaluate  resources  etc.  These  are  necessary  for  research  however,  this  cluster  of abilities necessary to use information effectively is lacking, (Kevin and Shafack, 2002). This  study  therefore  aims  at  investigating  the  influence  of    information  literacy  on academic productivity among the academic staff in the  Universities, in the North Central geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

Studies by Mabawonku (2005) and Aina (2005) have shown that the contribution of Nigerian academics to the international scholarly community is low. Mabawonku(2005), using the National Universities Commission (NUC) criteria for standard to assess academic productivity in Nigeria, argued that many of the publications from the academics would not meet  the  NUC  standard.  A  study  by  Aina  (2005)  has  also  revealed  that  Nigerian publications make very little impact on the international scholarly scene. This according to him could be tied to the lack of visibility which decreases input. Visibility in the web is now widely used to determine the issue of output.

The  problem  of  low  productivity  especially  in  international  journals  as  is  now required in  some universities has adversely affected the promotion of Nigerian academics, for instance,   at the University of Ibadan about 50% of the academic staff could not be promoted  in  the  last  two  annual  promotion  exercises.  This  low  level  of  academic productivity has also  affected  Nigerian  Universities  in the rankings  by web popularity (www.4icu.org). For instance, in the ranking of first 100 top universities and colleges in Africa, only two Nigerian Universities, Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Ibadan, out of about one hundred Universities in the country, came distant 47 and 58 respectively. Sixteen South African Universities were ranked, representing about 41% of the universities and colleges in South Africa, as opposed to about 2% in Nigeria. Nineteen Egyptian universities were ranked representing about 50% of the universities in Egypt. A tiny country like Benin was indicated four times in the ranking, representing more than seventy percent of the universities in Benin.

The implication of all these is that the universities may not be able to meet its primary  objective  which  is  the  developmental  need  of  the  society.  With  low  quality research output, the application of research outcome for development suffers greatly.

In view of this therefore, what could be the influence of information literacy on academic productivity among academic staff in North central geographical zone of Nigeria, this is the central focus of attention of this  study.

Purpose of the Study

The broad purpose  of this study is to find  out the extent  to which information literacy correlates with academic productivity among the academic staff in Nigerian universities, in North Central Geopolitical zone.

Specifically, the study will;

1.     Assess the level of information literacy competence possessed by the academic staff of universities in the North Central Geo-political zone.

2.     Determine  the  level  of academic  productivity  possessed  by academic  staff  in

Nigeria universities under study;

3.     Ascertain  the  relationship  between  the  ability  to  evaluate  search  results  and productivity of the academic staff.

4.     Determine the relationship between an understanding of resource availability and productivity of the academic staff.

5.     Determine the relationship between knowledge of how to find information and productivity of the academic staff.

6.     Determine the relationship between an understanding of  ethics and responsibility of use of information and academic staff productivity.

7.     Ascertain  the  relationship  between  the  ability  to  communicate  or  share  your findings information and productivity of the academic staff.

8.     Ascertain the relationship between a knowledge of a need for information  and productivity of the academic staff.

9.       Determine the relationship between the ability of how to work with or exploit results and productivity of the academic staff.

10.    Determine  the  influence  of  academic  category  on  the  information  literacy competencies possessed by the academic staff.

11.    Ascertain the influence of academic category on the productivity of the academic staff.

Research Questions

The following research questions will guide this study.

1.     What is the level of information literacy competence possessed by the academic staff of the universities understudy?

2.     What is the level of academic productivity possessed by academic staff in the universities understudy?

3.     What is the relationship between the ability of how to evaluate search results and productivity of the academic staff?

4.     To what extent is the understanding of resource availability and productivity of the academic staff related?

5.     To what extent is the knowledge of how to find information and productivity of the academic staff related?

6.     To  what  extent  is  the  understanding  of  ethics  and  responsibility  of  use  of information and academic staff productivity related?

7.     What  is the relationship  between  ability of how  to communicate  or share the information and productivity of the academic staff?

8.     What  is the relationship  between  a knowledge  of a need  for information  and productivity of the academic staff?

9.     To  what  extent  is  the  ability  of  how  to  work  with  or  exploit  results  and productivity of the academic staff related?

10.    To what extent does the academic category influences the information  literacy competencies possessed by the academic staff?

11.    To what extent does  the academic  category influences  the productivity of the academic staff?

Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance.

1.        There is no significant difference in the mean of information literacy competencies of various category of academic staff.

2.        There is no significant difference in the mean of productivity of various category of academic staff.

3.        There is no significant  relationship between the information  literacy competence and the productivity of academic staff.

Significance of the Study

The impact of this study would be on government, university administration and the academic staff. Specifically , it is hoped that government will be moved to increase the financial resources available to the universities in the area of book acquisition and journal subscription. Also the financial resources would help in the acquisition of ICT facilities for use in the universities. The university administration on their own part would introduce courses on information literacy for both the students and the academic staff. With increase in  resources  like  books,  journals  ICT  faculties  and  conscious  effort  by the  university administration  to teach courses on information  literacy, the academic staff will become more information  literate and this will ultimately increase  their academic productivity. With quality research proposals, it becomes easy for them a access research grants locally and internationally.

To  national  and  international  recognition,  this study when  adopted  by Nigerian academics, would expose them at both national and international levels. The direct result of this is that it will make the country’s universities more visible and improve their web ranking.

It is observed that there is a dearth of researches done in this area of information literacy studies in Nigeria. This is therefore a contribution to the literature in this area.. Each segment of this study stands out as a viable researchable area in information literacy on the Nigerian scene as well as creating newer researchable areas. This work will much more expand the frontiers of knowledge in the area of information literacy in general.

The  study has  provided  empirical  evidence  of  the  level  of  information  literacy among academic staff in the universities understanding and how it affects academic staff

productivity. This research report will be communicated through academic journals, books and conference papers.

Scope of the Study

Geographically, this study is restricted to academic in the universities in the North Central geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The content is on information literacy which is the acquired skill to know when and why you need information, where to find it and  how to evaluate, use and communicate it in  an ethical manner and academic productivity which is research output. It is also restricted to the extent to which information literacy correlates with academic productivity among the academics based on the variable of academic status, awareness  of  information,  an  understanding  of  a  need  for  information  ability to  find information  and  understanding  of  how  to  evaluate  and  use  information  in  an  ethical manner.

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