School Library Learning Environment Assessment in International Schools

Abstract

Evidence of how an assessment of the learning environment in an international school library equips the teacher librarian with valuable data that may challenge assumptions of how the learning environment is perceived by students is presented through disclosure of the full results of a two year research study examining the application of a learning environment paradigm to the lower school library setting in an international school in Germany. The process of completing a comparative examination of the relationships among student perceptions of their lower school library program with grade levels Third (ages 8 and 9), through Five (ages 10 and 11) is detailed. In addition, the assessment instruments will be discussed and presented. Use of these instruments in this study of the psychosocial aspects of the learning environment offers valuable ideas and techniques for teacher librarian
consideration and development.