Abstract:
This research examined perceptions elementary school library media specialists
have toward their technology responsibilities and professional roles described in national guidelines. The study sought to determine relationships between theoretical and practical activities related to technology use and the library media specialist roles of teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator. Moreover, considering technology trends in education, this study sought to determine differences between the teacher and instructional partner roles. The review of literature examined information literacy in learning, the history of school library media specialists’
professional roles, and state studies on elementary school media programs and student achievement.
Elementary school library media specialists in Georgia were randomly selected and invited to respond to an online survey. The survey consisted of ordered response items that described library media specialists’ roles and responsibilities. Seventy-five participants rated each item for the extent they practice and value the description. Spearman’s rho was used to determine relationships between the extent library media specialists value and practice their technology responsibilities and professional roles.Wilcox on signed-rank tests were employed to examine the differences between the roles of teacher and instructional partner. Effect sizes determined practical significance.
The role that showed the most correlation between elementary school library media specialists’ practical and theoretical professional duties was the teacher role, and the role that showed the least correlation was the instructional partner role. Results showed no significant difference between the extent library media specialists value the ii roles of teacher and instructional partner, although the library media specialists reported they practice the teacher role to a greater extent than they practice the instructional partner role. The correlation between the value and practice of technology responsibilities were mixed. The results implied professional activities that rely on collaboration between elementary school library media specialists and other educators are not being practiced to the extent library media specialists value the activities.