The Role Of The School Library In The
Teaching And Learning Process In The University Of Buea
Abstract
This
study examined the role of school library in teaching and learning and sought
to establish the relationship between the use of school library resources and
teaching and learning in Cameroon. The study was conducted in the university of
Buea using the case study methods of interviews, observation.
The
findings revealed that students and teachers appreciate the presence and
function of the school library acknowledging it as fundamental in every
educational system especially at the basic school level. The findings also
revealed that students and teachers actually used the library resources in site
of the fact that one of the challenges facing the library was the inadequacy of
its stock.
It
is hoped that the findings of the study will persuade the Ministry of Education
and the Government of Cameroon to reconsider the role of school libraries in
schools. Recommendations are made toward improving school libraries in general
and the university of Buea Library in particular
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
The
role of school libraries is increasingly being recognized as essential in
education provision as they provide information and ideas that are fundamental
to the educational needs of the students. According to the International
Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the United
Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) School
Library Manifesto, the school library offers information and ideas that are
important to enable students to function fully in today's knowledge society by
providing essential information materials. In this process they will become
life-long learners and become responsible citizens (IFLA/UNESCO School Library
Manifesto, 1999).
The
American Association of School Librarians [AASL] notes that school libraries
are crucial to the development of educational skills with their provision of
physical and intellectual access to the information resources and vital for
learning (AASL, 2012).
School
libraries provide students with the opportunity to acquire life-long learning
skills so they may develop their imagination as well as critical thinking
skills. As they use the school library, students acquire the habit of reading
and are able to evaluate and use information appropriately (IFLA/UNESCO School
Library Manifesto, 1999). School libraries, as learning laboratories, allow
students to interact directly with library materials and acquire research
skills for future academic pursuits (Unagha, 2008: 3).
Moreover,
school libraries give students the chance to read about other cultures to
broaden their minds, and opportunities for voluntary reading which are crucial
for the development of the enjoyment of reading, which has positive benefits on
learning (Nassimbeni and Desmond, 2011: 95). Von Sprecken and Krashen (1998:
12) revealed that there is a link between the availability of books in the
classroom, time allotted for reading, and the extent and extensiveness of
reading. Makenzie (2004) commenting on the importance of reading which she
promotes through the reading tents in Kenya makes the link with development:
• to achieve sustainable human development requires people who are literate and able to think critically and analytically.
• the developing world is now more than ever aware of the value of universal literacy as a link between culture and development and as an instrument to equip its citizens with skills and knowledge required for development, reading is key to development (Makenzie, 2004:2).
Though
school libraries are fundamental to the effective delivery of education,
successive governments have done little toward the provision of school
libraries in all the public basic schools in Cameroon.
1.2 Background of the study
The
ultimate purpose of education is to ensure the development of the individual’s
social and intellectual abilities and the formation of a knowledgeable society
as a requirement for development (Ohene-Agyekum, 2008).
This
in effect suggests that the purpose of education is to assist a person to
manage his or her own affairs and contribute towards the development of the
nation. Umar (2004:15) stresses that through the process of education, people
are expected to obtain knowledge and hence specialize in specific fields of study.
It is this knowledge that allows people to contribute meaningfully to national
development.
The
development of any nation or community depends largely on the quality of its
education.
According
to Yara and Otieno (2010:2) education is a fundamental human right. The key to
sustainable development, peace and stability within and among countries is the
provision of education to the populace of such countries. The presence of
school libraries to encourage and facilitate reading is therefore of prime importance.
The
educational landscape in cameroon today is a result of major policy documents
and reports, which have helped in meeting the educational needs and aspirations
of the people. Various governments before and after independence, recognizing
the importance of the development of the nation have expended considerable
amounts of national resources to promote education at all levels. In all these
developments, particular attention was paid to and is now being focused on
basic education so that well-educated children may grow up to be good
functional adults in society. For instance in 1998 the Cameroon educational
policy was stipulated which stated that “every child has the right to
education”
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Researchers
such as Todd (2002) and Lance (2000) have written widely regarding the
relationship between the use of the school library and favourable learning
outcomes. They are of the view that with the collaboration of the school
library, students will be able to access and use appropriate information for
effective learning.
These
and other researchers have found evidence in the USA for the beneficial effects
of using the school library on learning outcomes. A typical example is the
South Carolina school libraries study that showed how school libraries
contribute to students‟ success.
Most
of the teachers interviewed in this study mentioned that they involved their
students in library by referring them to a book in the library. The teachers
confirm that the use of the school library is beneficial to students‟ learning
(Lance, Schwarz and Rodney, 2014). The IFLA/UNESCO School Library Manifesto
(1999) identifies three fundamental beliefs that are at the core of the
establishment and functioning of libraries in schools as follows:
•The
provision of information is essential in today’s society as it is becoming more and more information and
knowledge based society.
•There
is the need for a competent Librarian to equip students to acquire literacy
skills enabling them to live as useful and responsible citizens.
•When
school librarians and teachers work together students achieve higher level of
literacy, reading, learning, and problem -solving.
The
foregoing assertions indicate that school libraries are so important that they
should be viewed as necessary in every public basic school in the country for
students to reap all the benefits.
1.4 Purpose of the Study
The
main purpose of the study was to investigate the role of the school library in
the teaching and learning process in the university of Buea
1.5 Objectives of the Study
The
objectives of the study were:
- To explore the relationship between the use of the school library resources and teaching and learning in the school.
- Recognizing the importance of reading in the promotion of literacy, another objective was to explore the effect of voluntary reading of the school library resources in the learning of the students.
