Information literacy education through mediated learning and multiple intelligences A quasi-experimental control-group study

Purpose – This paper aims to present the findings of a study that investigated the impact of information literacy (IL) teaching approaches, which are grounded in pedagogy, on students’ level and applicability of IL competencies. Design/methodology/approach – A quasi-experimental control group study was carried out with 476 students, aged from 13 to 15 years old, from four secondary (high) schools in Singapore. The students were given a pre-intervention test in the beginning. Out of the 476 students, 279 students (from two schools) went through a mediated learning intervention programme, while the remaining 197 students went through a multiple intelligence intervention programme. Students were organised into smaller groups of five each, and were given a group project to do. Students in the experimental sub-clusters were exposed to the respective intervention approaches, while students in the control sub-clusters were left on their own to carry out the project. A post-intervention test was administered to all students at the end of the intervention programmes. Findings – The results of the group reports and project evaluation done by three independent and neutral teacher-examiners, as well as those from the preand post-intervention tests, found that the application of either mediated learning (or close coaching) or multiple intelligences helped students perform better in the learning and application of IL skills. Research limitations/implications – The study managed to involve 476 students from four secondary (high) schools only. A larger number of students from more schools would have been more desirable. In addition, the inclusion of students from primary (elementary) schools and tertiary institutions would be useful in strengthening the findings. However, the study has sufficiently provided evidence that appropriate pedagogy is important in enhancing the learning and application of IL competencies amongst students. This could in turn yield initiatives on various aspects of IL-related research, such as in IL policy formulation, and IL pedagogy. Practical implications – The application of appropriate pedagogical approaches in teaching IL makes the learning and application of IL competencies more effective. Originality/value – Although it is widely accepted that IL competencies are useful in helping students perform better, both academically or otherwise, limited empirical evidence is available showing the relationship between IL education and IL competencies. The paper highlights the impact of appropriate pedagogy in imparting and entrenching IL competencies in students.