Self-Directed Reading Post

Article 1: A mixed-methods investigation of the relationship between critical thinking and library anxiety among undergraduate students in their information search process
This article reports results of a study of the nature of the associations between critical thinking and library anxiety among undergraduate students. A standardized survey was administered to 137 students to acquire quantitative data for analysis. The same students were asked to write an essay about their library use experiences, which formed the basis for a qualitative analysis. These two methods of analysis revealed connections in the data that helped investigators identify qualitative support for the quantitative results. By consolidating the two investigative methods, an interactive model emerged which contrasts critical thinking skills with library anxiety. This model shows a direct link between critical thinking skills and library anxiety. Students with strong critical thinking skills overcame library anxiety during their library use experiences; whereas students possessing weak critical thinking skills experienced more anxiety and had more trouble overcoming it.
Of significance, was the finding that three key critical thinking dimensions (see Facione) were more frequently observed than others, namely self-confidence, systematicity, and inquisitiveness. These dimensions helped students build on their information literacy skills and overcome anxiety while in the midst of their experience. Possessing these critical thinking dimensions caused students, who weren’t sure how to begin, to develop strategies for their searches and to overcome failures. As information was found, confidence and determination increased, leading to successful outcomes. Students who did not exhibit these dimensions experienced failure. This investigation confirms that librarianship must include “assisting students in the process of learning and using information they have located” (see Kuhltau). Kwon suggests three key objectives that will make library literacy instruction more effective. Instruction librarians should lead students to feelings of confidence about their own cognitive abilities, create a learning environment that encourages intellectual curiosity and persistence, and encourage students to employ focused and systematic approaches when solving research problems.
Article Citation: Kwon, Nahyun. “A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Relationship between Critical Thinking and Library Anxiety among Undergraduate Students in their Information Search Process.” College and Research Libraries 69.2 (March 2004): 117-31.
Other works cited: Facione, Peter A., et al. “The Disposition toward Critical Thinking: Its Character, Measurement, and Relationship to Critical Thinking Skill.” Informal Logic 20.1 (2000): 22Kuhltau, Carol C. Seeking Meaning: A Process Approach to Library and Information Services, 2nd ed. (Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2004).