| This study is designed to measure and document the extent to which graduates of teacher education programs in Pennsylvania are prepared to locate, evaluate and use information. The study uses descriptive statistics to interpret the result of an Information Literacy Assessment instrument administered to more than five hundred seniors majoring in education at selected State System of Higher Education institutions. This work offers recent research for academic administrators in their efforts to design and conduct programs that prepare teachers to manage the information environment where they work and learn. This study benefits from related works that look at professional development strategies for teachers. It also bikes note of studies that equate the We of information technologies with enhanced academic achievement for school students and reviews research that looks at the role of information literacy in higher education.; Education majors at the student teacher phase of their studies were tested on their knowledge of the basic concepts, traditional library resources and information technology that are typically employed in academic and school libraries. They were also asked to give their opinion regarding the aspect(s) of their teacher education experience that contributed most to their ability to locate, evaluate and use information. The analysis of test results finds most teachers deficient in their basic knowledge of digital information technologies and only slightly more knowledgeable regarding traditional library resources.; According to respondents, several aspects of their teacher education contributed to their acquisition of related skills. These include class-related assignments, personal initiative, technology access, specific instruction, library use, and human interaction. |
