The Perception of Teachers and School Library Media Specialist on the Role of School Library Media Specialists in Selected Secondary Schools in Ogun State

Abstract

This research work investigated teachers and media specialist perceptions of the roles of school library media specialists in selected secondary school in Ogun State. Two sets of questionnaire was raised and administered personally by the researchers on probability based on purposive random sampling techniques. The data was analyse using simple percentages and t-test statistics at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the analysis showed that the teachers do not perceive school library media specialists as teaching colleagues in the school rather they are seen as teachers of basic library use skill. Findings also revealed that teachers perceive the school library media specialists as school library media centres collection builders. Moreso, the analysis confirmed that the teachers believed that the school library media specialists has nothing to do with the students record rather the teachers perceived the school library media specialists as the one selecting media materials for students as well as organizing learning resources in the school. Findings also shows that the school library medial specialists themselves do not fully understand their role in the school. In line with the above, findings showed that about 69.9% of the school library medial specialist do not support the teaching roles. On the basis of the above, the teachers need to be trained so as to be fully aware of the role of school library media specialists in the school. Also, governments need to support the school administration in the area of funding particularly the funding of the school library media centre so as to meet the need of the students. Not only that, the schools need to incorporate in the school time table, a time when the school library media specialists will meet with the students to teach them what they need to know about the school library media centre and the school library media specialists, likewise the teachers and the principals.