Developing a model of teachers' web-based information searching : a study of search options and features to support personalised educational resource discovery

摘要

This study has investigated the search options and features teachers use and prefer toudhave, when personalising their online search for teaching resources. This studyudfocused on making web searching easier for UK teacher practitioners at primary,udsecondary and post-compulsory levels.udIn this study, a triangulated mixed method approach was carried out in a two phaseuditerative case study involving 75 teacher practitioners working in the UK educationaludsetting. In this case study, a sequential evidence gathering method called ‘SystemudDevelopment Life Cycle’ (SDLC) was adapted linking findings obtained from theudstructured questionnaires, observations and semi-structured interviews in order touddesign, develop and test two versions of an experimental search tool calledud“PoSTech!”.udThis research has contributed to knowledge by offering a model of teachers’ webudinformation needs and search behaviour. In this model twelve search options andudfeatures mostly used by teachers when personalising their search for finding onlineudteaching resources via the revised search tool are listed, in order of popularity. Audsearch options is selected by the teacher and features is the characteristic of an optionudteachers experiences. For example, search options 'Subject', ‘Age Group’, ‘ResourceudType’, ‘Free and/ Paid resources’, ‘Search results language’, and search features thatud‘Store search options selected by individual teachers and their returned results’.udTeachers’ model of web information needs and search behaviour could be used byudthe Government, teacher trainers and search engine designers to gain an insight intoudthe information needs and search behaviours of teachers when searching for onlineudteaching resources by means of tackling technical barriers faced by teachers, whenudusing the internet.udIn conclusion, the research work presented in this thesis has provided the initial andudimportant steps towards understanding the web searching information needs andudsearch behaviours of individual teachers, working in the UK educational setting.