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theses

Children and adolescents engage with information in a variety of contexts for a variety of reasons, including their desire to know more about their own personal interests. However, young children have typically been excluded from research in this area. This dissertation research addresses this gap by investigating the ways in which 5- to 7-year-old children experience information within the context of their individual interests. Individual interests are “enduring preference[s] for certain topics, subject areas, or activities” (Schiefele, 1991, p. 302) that are commonly exhibited by children and adults alike. Drawing conceptually and methodologically on the framework of information experience and the field of childhood studies, this dissertation research makes use of a book discussion, a poster activity, a mobile photography app called PixStori, and photo-elicitation conversations in constructing an understanding of the ways in which young children think and feel about their individual interests and related information wants and activities. The findings of this dissertation research contribute to the existing body of literature regarding children’s information practices by providing insight into the ways in which young children think and feel about information. The children who participated in this study articulated information wants that included descriptions, procedures, and explanations related to their interests. The children described information activities that involved information seeking and information use. Information seeking involved activities related to things that can tell you stuff, people that can tell you stuff, and experiences that can tell you stuff. Using information involved activities in which children applied information to their activities, and activities in which they shared information with others. Challenges that the children faced in engaging in these information activities included those related to their own capabilities and skills, constraints of information sources, and parental restrictions. Enablers that helped the children engage in information activities included the child’s personality, affordances of technology, and parental support. And finally, the children reported primarily positive emotions when engaging with information related to their individual interests, as well as some mixed emotions. This dissertation highlights the usefulness of incorporating research methods and theories developed in the field of childhood studies to research in library and information science in order to better understand the information practices of young children.

ETD_8848

Ph.D.

Includes bibliographical references

by Sarah Corinne Barriage

doi:10.7282/T3MP56QC

ETD doctoral

The author owns the copyright to this work.