Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Principals and teachers' perspectives of their school libraries and implications for school library policy
    (Taylor & Francis, 2021) ;
    Shamala Sundaray
    ;
    Merga, Margaret
    ;
    Gao, Jonathan
    Research has demonstrated that school librarians can make a meaningful contribution to student reading proficiency, learning and academic achievement. This study examines the perspectives of school leaders and teachers in Singapore schools to better understand how they use their school library, their attitudes toward the library collection and environment, and their perception of their library coordinators' roles. Findings suggest that school leaders and teachers under-utilize the library, perceive it to be mainly a study space for students, feel that the library space and book collection should be improved and were not clear about the roles of their library staff. The study suggests that it is crucial to implement policy and professional development courses to support collaboration between principals, teachers and school librarians.
    WOS© Citations 3Scopus© Citations 3  135  247
  • Publication
    Open Access
    “I use the library sometimes just to lose myself”: School libraries supporting students’ wellbeing and flourishing
    (Sage, 2024) ;
    Binny, Amanda Louise
    This study draws on data from a larger design-based research study on the impact of library redesign in three Singapore secondary schools, focusing on students’ responses about their revitalised library spaces. Focus group data (N = 42) were analysed. Findings revealed that students appreciated a comfortable, peaceful and welcoming learning environment, and valued choice and opportunities for diverse activities within the library. Reading for pleasure, known to enhance wellbeing, was also supported by a well-resourced and designed school library. Crucially, students valued choice for quiet or noise-tolerant spaces within the library for different activities. The study underscores school libraries’ significance as multifaceted environments that foster student wellbeing, highlighting the need for continued investment in the enhancement and promotion of school library spaces. Recommendations for supporting student wellbeing through school libraries are offered, as well as suggestions that school libraries consider their role to support student flourishing.
      23  472
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Developing future-ready school libraries through design thinking: A case study
    (Sage, 2021) ;
    Elia M. Hamarian
    ;
    Lim, Lisa Yu Qi
    ;
    Lim, Qianwei
    ;
    Ng, Skyler Ynn Zee
    School libraries around the world need to revitalise their spaces, collections and programming to continue to be relevant for teachers and students living and learning in an information-saturated technological global age. Efforts in the rethinking of library usage and design are most effective when they are contextualised and localised, based on user needs and country or school budgets. Design thinking is a useful approach for schools to understand the needs of their populations and design targeted improvements for their libraries’ specific users. This article explains how one secondary school collaborated with university researchers to use design thinking to re-envision the role and functions of its school library. The evidence collected through the process was integrated into the redesign of an improved library for the students. This article provides a model for evidence-driven school library improvement projects.
    WOS© Citations 4Scopus© Citations 6  461  985
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Levelling the reading gap: A socio-spatial study of school libraries and reading in Singapore
    (Wiley, 2016)
    This article takes a comparative socio-spatial approach at the intersection of social class and reading politics to provide a fresh way of examining school reading policies and practices, unearthing previously hidden spaces of inequity for reading intervention. The juxtaposition of two nested case studies in Singapore, one of an elite all-boys’ school and another of a coeducational government school with students in different academic tracks, revealed inequitable practices, specifically in the designs and uses of school library spaces between schools serving different social classes. The study argues that attempts to design reading interventions should move away from the view of student-as-problem to structure-as-problem in order to discover new perspectives for reading intervention. Additionally, this study demonstrates how foregrounding social class in educational research is necessary for effective design of educational strategies that aim to transform education and society by narrowing the gap between students from different social classes.
    WOS© Citations 10Scopus© Citations 13  80  211