Evaluating the Information Access Skills of Students of a College of Education in Ghana

Abstract

Access to relevant information determines the quality of life of an individual in society and the academe. Academic institutions have established information literacy programmes to enhance students’ access to information. With the elevation of colleges of education to tertiary status in Ghana, pre-service teachers are now required to conduct research to improve their reflective thinking in order to be certified. However, the information access skills of students in colleges of education in Ghana are uncertain. This study draws empirical evidence from students in the Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya College of Education, Wa, Ghana on their information access skills. Primary data were collected from 303 respondents from the college using a stratified sampling procedure. The data were collected using a questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics. The results indicate that information is available to students through different sources such as the Internet, libraries, and contact with friends and authorities. However, students were limited in respect to access to relevant online resources for their academic activities due to inadequate information access skills. Potential solutions are discussed.

Keywords

• information access
• information literacy
• library use
• internet access
• college of education