Teacher Librarian Collaboration during COVID-19 Study

 This phenomenological study explored and analyze six school librarians’ experience of changes in their professional roles during the pandemic. Three major themes emerged: the local context of the school librarians’ roles during the pandemic, the pandemic as an antagonist to the school librarians’ former and present roles, and the experience of tensions within the evolution of the school librarians’ roles.

The results suggested that the pandemic’s contributions to students’ learning loss present an ongoing, critical need for school librarians’ core value of positively impacting student achievement. Implications for school librarians are that they are strongly positioned to thrive during further evolutions of their roles as instructional settings continue to diversify.

Colvin, K., Croft, M. (2024). Indicators of Successful School Librarian and Teacher Collaboration: A Phenomenology. School Library Research, 27.

https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/colvin-et-al.pdf

School libraries and COVID-19 study

 Arkansas school librarians were surveyed about their efforts during and after COVID-19. Questions addressed planning and implementation, skills that supported online learning, and concerns. The survey revealed that librarians wanted to help their schools pivot to online learning, and found several ways to insert themselves into the school's structure (e.g., resources and professional development) through their specialized knowledge and skills relative to curriculum, technology, online resources, and online education.

Wake, D., Hu, H., & Shaw, E. (2023). School librarians creating space for connection and collaboration. Knowledge Quest, 51(5), 50-55.

School-Academic Librarian Collaboration

Abstract: Collaborations between school and academic librarians centered around the professional development of K-12 media specialists may represent a scalable and sustainable method by which school and academic librarians can support information literacy. This article outlines a pilot project developed between The Ohio State University Libraries (University Libraries), located in Columbus, Ohio, and the Columbus City Schools (CCS) that was intended to forge connections between school and academic librarians through professional development.

Hammons, J., & VAasudev, K. (2023). Connecting school and academic librarians through professional development: A pilot project. College & Research Libraries News, 84(1), 32. <https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/25740/33658>.

Libarian-Teacher Co-Instruction Study

A recent three-year study examined how school librarians and classroom teachers co-teach to facilitate learner-centered instruction, including inquiry and maker learning. The research team found that that co-teaching occurred through co-planning prior to and throughout the units. School librarians reported to have used various instructional methods such as scaffolding, modeling, mentoring, and coaching. Classroom teachers reported to have brought differing expertise as the content-area experts. The co-teaching relationships evolved over time, and the findings suggest school librarian-classroom teacher co-teaching significantly facilitates learner-centered instruction in schools. 

Koh, K., Ge, X., & Prytrlls, J. (2022). Librarian-Teacher Co-Teaching and the Role of School Librarians in Facilitating Inquiry and Maker Learning. School Library Research. www.ala.org/aasl/slr

Mentorship research

New research examines school librarians’ perceptions of the Continuum of Care model for assessment of need, program theory, program process, impact, and efficiency. Researcher Rita Reinsel Soulen extends her prior research with an analysis of practices that enable school librarians to develop mentoring skills, which lead to more opportunities for collaboration with other educators. Her study finds that actions taken by the school librarian may promote new teachers’ resilience, leading to better-defined best practice by school librarians helping new teachers. 

Soulen, R. (2021). Enabling Collaboration through Mentorship: Examining the Role of the School Librarian. School Library Research, 24. 

https://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/pubs/slr/vol24/SLR_EnablingCollaboration_V24.pdf

AASL studies

 AASL’s final snapshot survey results found changes have occurred over the past year that will impact school librarian practice for years to come. Respondents noted that their role in their school district or building increased during the current school year. When asked how their practices have changed, technology troubleshooting, e-book promotion, virtual professional development, and step-by-step instructional material for use of online tools and databases received the most “doing more” responses.

AASL. (2021). Final school library snapshot survey results. Knowledge Quest. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/final-school-library-snapshot-survey-results/

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New research published in AASL’s peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research (SLR), explores three topics. SLR articles can be accessed for free at www.ala.org/aasl/slr.

1) Kammer et al. examined successfully completed collaborative projects at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Each project used integrated instruction or curriculum and were analyzed within the context of “what strategies make collaboration successful? 

2) Burns and Dawkins explored the alignment of the Standards Framework for School Librarians from AASL’s National School Library Standards with the ALA/AASL/CAEP Preparation Standards. The research team’s goal was to identify overlap between expectations school librarians are presented with during their preparation for practice and the Competencies they are asked to demonstrate in practice.

3) Thpmpson et al. examined the difference in school librarians’ teacher self-efficacy among those who worked in elementary, middle, and high schools. The research team attempted to determine if elementary school librarians’ self-efficacy could be a predictor of reading scores for the schools’ overall average rates on the Virginia Standards of Learning assessment.

• Kammer, Jenna, Matt King, Allison Donahay, and Heather Koeberl. “Strategies for Successful School Librarian and Teacher Collaboration.”
• Burns, Elizabeth, and April M. Dawkins. “School Librarian Preparation and Practice: An Exploration of the AASL National School Library Standards and ALA/AASL/CAEP School Librarian Preparation Standards.”
• Thompson, Jessica, Michelle Barthlow, and Kelly Paynter. “School Librarians’ Teacher Self-Efficacy: A Predictor of Reading Scores?”

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Group Work Study

Students learn best from one-on-one interaction with an adult, but group work follows as a strong alternative, according to an analysis of 71 studies -- mostly from the US and UK. Data shows that students benefit from working in pairs, as well as in groups of three or four. The ones that produced the strongest learning gains for peer interaction were those where adults gave children clear instructions for what do during their conversations. The instructions force children to debate and negotiate, during which they can clear up misunderstandings and deepen their knowledge.
Tenenbaum, H. R., Winstone, N. E., Leman, P. J., & Avery, R. E. (2019). How effective is peer interaction in facilitating learning? A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000436
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-75000-001?doi=1

Teacher / Librarian Collaboration

New research examines classroom teachers' perceptions of their own openness to change and collaborating with school librarians in the context of information literacy instruction. Classroom teachers indicated a belief that teaching information literacy skills was the role of both school librarians and teachers. However, grading and teaching content were the role of the teacher. Collaboration usually consisted of dividing up the lesson rather than working together on standards, planning and assessment. Implementing change is facilitated through surveys and faculty/department meeting discussion.

Crary, S. (2019). Secondary Teacher Perceptions and Openness to Change Regarding Instruction in Information Literacy Skills. School Library Research, 22. http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/pubs/slr/vol22/SLR_SecondaryTeacherPerceptions_V22.pdf

Collaboration and Computers in Learning

According to a new study, using such strategies and technologies in conjunction had a more positive impact than having individual students use computers, or having students collaborate without using computers.

Key findings include:

-       First, the collaboration had significant positive effects on knowledge gain, skill acquisition, and student perceptions in computer-based learning conditions.

-       Second, computer use led to positive effects on knowledge gain, skill acquisition, student perceptions, group task performance, and social interaction in collaborative learning contexts.

-       Third, the use of extra learning environments or tools produced a medium effect for knowledge gain, and supporting strategies resulted in a positive effects on knowledge gain.

Chen, J., Wang, M., Kirschner, P. A., & Tsai, C. (2018). The role of collaboration, computer use, learning environments, and supporting strategies in CSCL: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 88(6), 799-843. https://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0034654318791584