ERIC Number: EJ1054437
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 31
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2165-1019
EISSN: N/A
The Information-Seeking Behavior of Intrinsically Motivated Elementary School Children of a Collectivist Culture
Crow, Sherry R.
School Library Research, v18 2015
This study, conducted in June 2014 in Kampala, Uganda, is a follow-up to a similar study conducted in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2008. The basic research question addressed is: "What are the experiences in the lives of upper elementary-aged Ugandan children that foster an intrinsic motivation to seek information?" A secondary question is also addressed: "How do the experiences of students from a collectivist culture (Kampala, Uganda) who are intrinsically motivated to seek information compare and contrast with the experiences of similarly aged students from an individualistic culture (Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.)?" The findings indicate that the dominant motivation pattern of the Ugandan students was the same as that of the students in the Colorado Springs study (high to low: Identified [caused when one attaches personal importance to the behavior], Intrinsic [stems from the self and is stimulated by interest, enjoyment, curiosity, or pleasure], Introjected [action to avoid guilt or anxiety, or to enhance ego, pride, or self-worth], and Extrinsic [behaviors caused by an external demand or reward]). Ugandan students were more apt to ask other people in their information-seeking quests, but showed the same preference as Colorado Springs informants for non-assigned information-seeking experiences.
Descriptors: Information Seeking, Collectivism, Learning Motivation, Individualism, Elementary School Students, African Culture, Foreign Countries, Student Motivation, Self Concept, Psychological Patterns, Comparative Analysis, Cultural Differences, Cross Cultural Studies, Questionnaires, Semi Structured Interviews, Family Environment, Classification, Observation, Student Interests, Student Attitudes
American Association of School Librarians. Available from: American Library Association. 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. Tel: 800-545-2433; Web site: http://www.ala.org/aasl/slmr
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Colorado; Uganda
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A