1. School library services: Ghana and Tanzania
2. Classroom libraries: South Africa
3. Teachers Advisory Centres: Kenya
INTERVIEW FRAMEWORK
The aim is to collect data concerning the development and current and future activities of the Schools and Colleges Department (SCD) of Ghana Library Board (GLB)/School Library Service (SLS) of Tanzania Library Services (TLS).
Section A. and B. may be answered through consultation of annual reports and other records.
Section C. will require interviews with officers of the GLB/TLS and teachers in schools/lecturers in education/ministry officials.
A. DEVELOPMENT
1. Staffing
Give the numbers of professional, para-professional and non-professional staff working in SCD/SLS for the following three years:
1975
1985
1995
2. Expenditure
(a) Give the actual expenditure of SCD/SLS in cedis/shillings and equivalent US$ (at the rate of exchange for the year in question) for the following three years:
1975
1985
1995
(b) Give the % of total GLB/TLS recurrent expenditure that was spent on SCD/SLS for the following three years:
1975
1985
1995
B. RECENT ACTIVITIES
3. Give the number of the following that have been undertaken or produced by SCD/SLS since 1990:
(a) advisory visits to schools
(b) visits by school mobile library
(c) lists of recommended books
(d) training courses for school librarians
(e) books/journals purchased and distributed to schools
(f) donated books/journals distributed to schools
(g) manuals on library procedures compiled (h) standards
(i) other
C. PERFORMANCE
4. School Library Service
(a) In your opinion, have the activities of SCD/SLS assisted in the development of school libraries in Ghana/Tanzania? Give reasons and examples.(b) In what ways could the performance of SCD/SLS be improved? Give examples.
(c) Are there any plans to alter the role and/or activities of SCD/SLS or to replace it with something else in the near future? How?
5. School libraries
(a) What is your opinion of the current state of school libraries in Ghana/Tanzania? Give reasons and examples.(b) Do you consider that a school library is essential to the education process? Give reasons.
(c) How can the availability of reading materials in schools best be improved? What should be given priority at the moment?
INTERVIEW SCHEDULE
SECTION 1 - PROVISION/AVAILABILITY
Sufficiency of the collection
1. Is the size of the classroom library (the number of items) sufficient, bearing in mind the number of pupils in your class?2. Is there a mechanism for replenishing your library to address the pupil/book ratio if necessary? If 'yes' what is the procedure for replenishing your collection?
Accessibility
3. How many times can a pupil access your library in one day or during a lesson? Are learners satisfied with the number of times?4. How many items are issued out per learner and for how long can they be kept? Are learners satisfied with the length of time?
SECTION 2 - RELEVANCE
5. Are teachers involved in materials selection for their classroom libraries? If not who is involved?6. Does the material in your library support the curriculum? If yes, how and if not, where are shortfalls/weaknesses in the library collection?
7. From your observation, are learners satisfied with the type of materials included in the library? If not, where are the shortfalls and which materials are not popular?
8. Do you sometimes feel the need to access other types of libraries and if so, do you access them and for what?
9. If yes to 8 above, which libraries do you access?
Any suggestions?
SECTION 3 - STAFF TRAINING
10. Who offers original training for teachers and are there any problems related to training?11. Are there any in-service training or follow-up workshops for sustainability? If so, how often are these sessions?
12. During training are you made fully aware of the objectives of classroom libraries, and are you able to relate those objectives to those of education generally?
Any suggestions?
SECTION 4 - IMPACT
13. How long does it take learners after initiation to the library, to access it independently?14. How long does it take learners to select reference materials and materials for projects independently?
15. How long do learners take to select fiction independently?
16. How long does it take learners to display preferences in relation to fiction genre, context and content?
17. How long does it take learners to start displaying a reading habit by engaging themselves with reading when not formally occupied, without the teacher's instruction?
18. How long does it take, after the initial introduction to the library, for learners to:
- display logical and critical thinking skills?
- to decipher differing viewpoints on a topic?
- to criticize or challenge other viewpoints after first initiation to the library?
- to formulate their own arguments and viewpoints and to draw their own conclusions?19. Do you sometimes need assistance and support from READ in using your library? If yes, is that assistance easily available?
20. Do you get support from the education department for your involvement with READ, specifically the running of classroom libraries?
21. Do parents become involved in their children's reading and, if so, how? If not where is the problem?
A. TEACHER INTERVIEW
Background information
1. Name and address of school.
2. Name of interviewee.
3. Academic and professional qualifications.
4. How long have you taught in your present school?
5. What subjects do you teach?
User satisfaction questions
1. Do you ever use a Teachers Advisory Centre (TAC)?2. If so, how often do you use the TAC and why?
3. If you do not use a TAC or have ceased to use it, why?
4. Do you arrange for your pupils to visit and use a TAC?
5. If so, how often do your pupils visit and use a TAC and why?
6. Does your school management, for example, the headmaster encourage and support the use of your nearest TAC by teachers and pupils?
7. Are the numbers of information materials available in the TAC that you use sufficient? Would you prefer more?
8. What type of materials do you prefer in terms of subject coverage?
9. Is the level of information materials available in accordance with your needs?
10. Are you involved in the selection of materials stocked in the TAC? If not, would you like to see any changes made?
11. Are you able to use the information materials in the TAC whenever you require to do so? If not, what changes would you like?
12. Are you provided with all the information services that you need (e.g. reference, loan, study space, enquiries, advice)? If not, what other services do you require?
13. Have you received any training in the use of materials available in the TAC in teaching?
14. Do you also use another type of library? If so, what is lacking in your TAC that makes you go searching for an alternative source(s)?
15. If you had the choice, what type of service would you prefer for obtaining the books you need to support your teaching?
Impact questions
1. How do you rate your pupils' performance in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education Examinations?2. How was the pupils' performance in the KCPE before the TAC was introduced in this zone?
3. Do you think that the TAC has resulted in or contributed to improvement of the examination pass rate in this school? Why?
4. Do you think that the abilities of pupils have changed with the introduction and use of the TAC? In what way?
5. Do you think that there has been any reduction in school drop out rate or class repetitions since the introduction and use of the TAC by teachers and pupils?
6. Do you feel that the benefits to your pupils exceed the cost of providing materials and services in the Teachers Advisory Centre?
B. ZONAL TAC TUTOR INTERVIEW
1. Name of Zone.2. Name of interviewee.
3. Qualifications and designation.
4. Period of service with the TAC.
5. Date the TAC was established.
6. Opening hours of the TAC.
7. What is the number of persons who use the TAC in a year?
8. What types of materials are available in the TAC?
9. How many books and other information items are available in the TAC?
10. What is the range of subjects covered? How many books in Science, English, other subjects?
11. How current are the books and other materials available in the TAC?
12. How many books or other educational materials are loaned to pupils and teachers in a month? In a year?
13. What types of services are provided to pupils and teachers?
14. What is the source of funding of the TAC?
15. What problems are encountered in the running and operation of the TAC?
