On the nexus of academic libraries, literacies, and lifelong learning for academic staff

393 Pages·2017·6.47 MB·English

On the Nexus of Academic Libraries, Literacies, and Lifelong Learning for
Academic Staff

Submitted by
Tatum T. McPherson-Crowie
Bachelor of Arts (USYD), Masters of Arts (Curatorial Studies) (USYD), Graduate Diploma
of Information Management (RMIT), Masters of Business Information Technology (RMIT)

A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Faculty of Education and Arts
Australian Catholic University
Date of Submission February, 2015
ii

Declaration/Statement of Sources

This thesis contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or
in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or
diploma. No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the
main text of the thesis. This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree
or diploma in any other tertiary institution. All research procedures reported in the
thesis received the approval of the relevant Ethics/Safety Committees (where
required).

Signed
Dated 30 January, 2015
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Abstract

This thesis is located in the changing context of higher education and
concomitant changes in the management of higher education institutions (HEIs) and
the nature of academic work. The research explores the role of academic libraries in
providing opportunities to support the lifelong learning of academic staff. It is argued
that within the evolving context and requirements of higher education, the provision of
academic library lifelong learning opportunities are vitally important for academic
staff to meet the changing nature and needs of their work in the short-term, and
enhance their life chances, in the longer term.

Changes in the context of higher education, the management of higher
education institutions and the nature of academic work were found in this study to
have shaped a range of academic staff perceptions pertaining to the provision of
learning opportunities in HEIs. In particular, the ways in which academic staff discern
the academic library’s capacity to provide information services and learning
opportunities in a range of literacies deemed relevant to the lifelong learning of
academic staff.

The study was informed by the theoretical insights of the philosopher Karl
Popper, the philosophical investigations of Ludwig Wittgenstein, and used a range of
qualitative and quantitative research methods in a multiphase mixed methods design
comprised of four phases. A total of 43 academic staff employed in an Australian
university participated in various phases of this study. The mixed methods approach
commenced with the collection of semi-structured interviews data from eight
academic staff in phase one. A modified Delphi method for the collection and analysis
of quantitative data from 25 participants was used in the second phase. This was
followed by the collection of focus group interviews data from five participants in the
third phase. The study concluded with personal lens interviews on lifelong learning
from five participants in the fourth stage of the research.

The findings show that the extent to which academic libraries meet the lifelong
long learning needs of academic staff is shaped by the higher education context of
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their work. Learning opportunities, provided by academic libraries, are challenged by
their setting within higher education institutions, which this study identified as
conditioned and constrained by themes of intensification, within a culture of
performance. Further learning opportunities are perceived to be impacted upon by
institutional expectations of compliance and the effort required and tension
experienced by academic staff in maintaining their own individual and professional
sustainability.

It was found that limiting the negative impact of the intensification of
academic work was central to academic staff concerns about personal and professional
sustainability. Understanding the intensified conditions within which staff are
working, in compliance, to meet the expectations of higher education management and
the expectations of students, and the importance of identifying an individual’s
threshold for sustainability were emphasized as critical considerations in setting future
priorities. Learning opportunities, incorporating a range of literacies, and the available
learning options within HEIs were strongly perceived to contribute to academic staff
productivity, performance and compliance. However, perceptions of current learning
opportunities made available by higher education institutions were repeatedly
characterised as training sessions, where the emphasis is on employee compliance for
the overriding benefit of performance expectations and evaluations.

These considerations, operating within the changing context of HEIs, condition
and shape the academic library’s ability to fulfill its potential as a facilitator for
learning opportunities, advantageous to academic staff facing institutional challenges
and responsibilities, addressing the short- and long-term goals of academic work and
pursuing their needs for lifelong and life-wide learning. Among the priority area for
academic libraries to focus upon in meeting the lifelong learning needs of academic
staff, statistically significant correlations highlighted the areas of new modes of
learning and accessible publishing. For academic libraries to meet the identified
lifelong learning needs of academic staff library management and staff need to work
from an individually and institutionally informed approach to be able to provide and
facilitate the authentic, complementary, and extensible learning opportunities deemed
to be most relevant and preferred by academic staff.
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I conclude from the analysis of data collected during the four phases of data
collection in this study that critical to understanding current concerns and setting
future priorities in the nexus of academic libraries, literacies and the lifelong learning
of academic staff are the themes I have identified as intensification, sustainability,
compliance, and performance. These themes were shown in the data to condition and
shape academics’ perceptions of, participation in, and relationship with, academic
libraries and their notions of lifelong learning. Academic staff, academic libraries and
academic institutions, I suggest, are in a vulnerable position at a critical and complex
juncture. Addressing the concerns and conditions identified in this thesis, would
contribute to more resilient academic institutions and a more capable, better prepared,
fulfilled and informed academic community with broader lifelong learning
opportunities and life chances.
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Acknowledgements

I would like to express my profound gratitude to my supervisors Emeritus Professor Judith D.
Chapman and Associate Professor Sue McNamara.

I would also like to express my special appreciation and thanks to Emeritus Professor David
N. Aspin.

I offer special thanks to colleagues, family, and friends who offered to read this work for their
assistance, encouragement, critiques, corrections, patient support, and meaningful comments,
which have helped me to improve the clarity of the thesis.

I would also like to express my thanks to the generous people at several institutions and
organisations for their encouragement and support during my candidature: Australian
Catholic University Faculty of Education and Arts; Australian Catholic University Library;
Cambridge University Faculty of Divinity Library; Cambridge University Faculty of
Education; Cambridge University Faculty of Education Library; Cambridge University Judge
Business School Information and Library Services; Cambridge University Library; The
English Faculty Library, Cambridge University; The International Academic Forum; The
Standing Committee for University Teaching and Research Education Association; and St.
Edmund’s College Cambridge.
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Table of Contents
Declaration/Statement of Sources ________________________________________________________ ii
Abstract ______________________________________________________________________________________ iii

Acknowledgements ________________________________________________________________________ vi

Table of Contents __________________________________________________________________________ vii

List of Tables ________________________________________________________________________________ xi

List of Figures _____________________________________________________________________________ xiii

List of Appendices _________________________________________________________________________ xiv

Chapter 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________ 1

Introduction to the Study ___________________________________________________________________ 1

The Nexus of Academic Libraries, Literacies, and the Lifelong Learning of Academic Staff _ 2
Genesis of the Study _______________________________________________________________________________ 6
Assumptions, Values, and Beliefs Underpinning the Study _____________________________________ 8
The Aims of the Study ____________________________________________________________________________ 10
Significance of the Study _________________________________________________________________________ 11
Definition of Terms _______________________________________________________________________________ 13
The Research Design _____________________________________________________________________________ 16
The Research Site _________________________________________________________________________________ 16
‘Glendalough’ University __________________________________________________________________________ 17
Higher Education Institutions _____________________________________________________________________ 18
Academic Libraries ________________________________________________________________________________ 21
Limitations and Delimitations ___________________________________________________________________ 23
Addressing the Potential for Researcher Bias __________________________________________________ 24
Chapter 2 ___________________________________________________________________________________ 26
Thesis Structure __________________________________________________________________________________ 24
Review of the Literature __________________________________________________________________ 26

Academic Libraries and the Learning Context__________________________________________________ 27
The Context of Higher Education Institutions ____________________________________________________ 27
Academic Libraries and Information Literacy ____________________________________________________ 30
Academic Libraries and Information Provision __________________________________________________ 34
Academic Libraries, Literacies, and Opportunities for Lifelong Learning ____________________ 36
Academic Libraries and Literacies ________________________________________________________________ 36
Opportunities for Literacies _______________________________________________________________________ 40
Literacies for Lifelong Learning ___________________________________________________________________ 44
Academic Staff and the Need for Lifelong Learning ____________________________________________ 45
The Changing Context for Academic Staff Learning ______________________________________________ 45
The Impetus for Academic Staff Learning ________________________________________________________ 49
The Opportunities for Academic Staff Learning __________________________________________________ 52
Lifelong Learning and Academic Libraries _____________________________________________________ 55
Lifelong and Life-wide Learning __________________________________________________________________ 55
Life Chances for Lifelong Learners ________________________________________________________________ 56
Life Chances Supported and Enhanced by Academic Libraries __________________________________ 58
Chapter 3 ___________________________________________________________________________________ 64
Concluding Comments ___________________________________________________________________________ 62
Research Methodology and Methods ___________________________________________________ 64

Theoretical Framework __________________________________________________________________________ 65
Evolutionary Epistemology _______________________________________________________________________ 65
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Theoretical Perspective ___________________________________________________________________________ 66
The Design of the Study __________________________________________________________________________ 68
Philosophical Perspective _________________________________________________________________________ 73
Methods: Justification for the use of Mixed Qualitative and Quantitative Methods of Data
Collection and Analysis ___________________________________________________________________________ 75
Instrumentation __________________________________________________________________________________ 79
Phase 1: Semi-structured Interviews _____________________________________________________________ 81
Phase 2: The Modified Delphi Method ____________________________________________________________ 83
Phase 3: Focus Groups _____________________________________________________________________________ 90
Phase 4: Personal Lenses on Lifelong Learning Interviews ______________________________________ 90
Participants _______________________________________________________________________________________ 91
Collection of the Data _____________________________________________________________________________ 92
Analysis of the Data _______________________________________________________________________________ 93
Verification ______________________________________________________________________________________ 101
Ethical Issues ____________________________________________________________________________________ 106
Chapter 4 __________________________________________________________________________________ 108
Concluding Comments _________________________________________________________________________ 106
Perceptions: Phase One Semi-structured interviews ________________________________ 108

Data Collection Phase One: Semi-structured Interviews ____________________________________ 109
Data Collection Procedures ______________________________________________________________________110
Phase One Data Synthesis ________________________________________________________________________114
The Delphi instrument as informed by the tentative findings of Phase One ___________________116
First Trial and Tentative Findings for Phase One _______________________________________________117
Second Trial and Tentative Findings for Phase One _____________________________________________118
Phase One Data Collection and Synthesis Summary ____________________________________________118
Data Analysis Phase One: Semi-structured Interview _______________________________________ 119
Summary of Phase One Analysis _________________________________________________________________125
Phase One Results ______________________________________________________________________________ 125
Support ____________________________________________________________________________________________128
Intensification ____________________________________________________________________________________130
Compliance________________________________________________________________________________________131
Academic Staff Conceptualisation of Literacies _________________________________________________133
Chapter 5 __________________________________________________________________________________ 137
Concluding Comments _________________________________________________________________________ 135
Issues, Concerns and Priorities: Phase Two Modified Delphi Method _____________ 137

Data Collection Phase Two: The modified Delphi method __________________________________ 137
Design of the modified Delphi method questionnaire___________________________________________138
Conduct of the Round One Delphi Questionnaire _______________________________________________142
Data Collection and Synthesis of the Round One Delphi Questionnaire ________________________146
Round One Delphi Questionnaire Summary _____________________________________________________146
Conduct of the Round Two Delphi Questionnaire _______________________________________________147
Data Collection and Synthesis of the Round Two Delphi Questionnaire _______________________147
Round Two Delphi Questionnaire Summary ____________________________________________________148
Conduct of the Round Three Delphi Questionnaire _____________________________________________148
Data Collection and Synthesis of the Round Three Delphi Questionnaire ______________________148
Round Three Delphi Questionnaire Summary ___________________________________________________151
Phase Two Data Collection Summary ____________________________________________________________151
Data Analysis Phase Two: The modified Delphi method ____________________________________ 151
Descriptive Statistics of the Delphi Panel ________________________________________________________152
Round One Delphi Questionnaire Analysis ______________________________________________________154
Round Two Delphi Questionnaire Analysis ______________________________________________________155
Round Three Delphi Questionnaire Analysis ____________________________________________________155
Data Analysis of the qualitative data collected in the modified Delphi method ________________156
Summary of Phase Two Analysis _________________________________________________________________158
Phase Two Results ______________________________________________________________________________ 159
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Correlation 1: New Modes of Learning __________________________________________________________163
Correlation 2: Accessible Publishing _____________________________________________________________169
The Focus group instrument as informed by the findings of Phase Two _______________________175
Chapter 6 __________________________________________________________________________________ 186
Concluding Comments _________________________________________________________________________ 183
Opportunities and Services: Phase Three Focus Groups ____________________________ 186

Data Collection Phase Three: Focus Group ___________________________________________________ 186
Data Collection Procedures ______________________________________________________________________188
Phase Three Data Collection Summary __________________________________________________________189
Data Analysis Phase Three: Focus Groups ____________________________________________________ 189
Phase Three Coding Summary ___________________________________________________________________192
Summary of Phase Three Analysis _______________________________________________________________197
Phase Three Results ____________________________________________________________________________ 197
Chapter 7 __________________________________________________________________________________ 203
Concluding Comments _________________________________________________________________________ 201
Lived Experiences of Lifelong Learning: Phase Four Personal Lenses on Lifelong

Learning ___________________________________________________________________________________ 203

Data Collection Phase Four: Personal Lenses on Lifelong Learning ________________________ 203
Data Collection Procedures ______________________________________________________________________204
Phase Four Data Synthesis _______________________________________________________________________205
Phase Four Data Collection Summary ___________________________________________________________208
Data Analysis Phase Four: Personal Lenses on Lifelong Learning __________________________ 208
Summary of Phase Four Analysis ________________________________________________________________223
Phase Four Results _____________________________________________________________________________ 224
Chapter 8 __________________________________________________________________________________ 227
Concluding Comments _________________________________________________________________________ 225
Results and Discussion: Achieving a Synthesis _______________________________________ 227

Summary of Results ____________________________________________________________________________ 227
Discussion of the findings ______________________________________________________________________ 235
Qualitative themes identified across three phases of the study ________________________________235
Intensification ____________________________________________________________________________________238
Sustainability _____________________________________________________________________________________240
Compliance________________________________________________________________________________________243
Performance ______________________________________________________________________________________248
Summary of qualitative findings _________________________________________________________________250
Statistically significant correlations resulting from the modified Delphi method _____________252
Chapter 9 __________________________________________________________________________________ 258
Concluding Comments _________________________________________________________________________ 255
Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations _______________________________________ 258

Summary of the Study __________________________________________________________________________ 259
Consideration of the Findings in light of Current Debates __________________________________ 267
Conclusions _____________________________________________________________________________________ 269
Recommendations for the Advancement of Theory and Research _________________________ 276
Recommendations for Practice ________________________________________________________________ 279
Recommendations for Future Research ______________________________________________________ 282
References _________________________________________________________________________________ 286
Concluding Comments _________________________________________________________________________ 284
Appendices ________________________________________________________________________________ 301
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List of Abbreviations

ALA American Library Association
ALIA Australian Library and Information Association
ANZIL Australia and New Zealand Information Literacy (framework)
CAUL Council for Australian University Librarians
CILIP Chartered Institute for Library and Information Professionals
HE Higher Education
HEIs Higher Education Institutions
ICTs Information and Communication Technologies
IFAP Information for All Program
IFLA International Federation of Library Associations
LIS Library and Information Science
LMS Learning Management Systems
NPM New Public Management
OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
RIN Research Information Network
RLUK Research Libraries United Kingdom
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization