An Inquiry into Student Librarians’ Motivation for Effective Learning and Effect on their Behaviors and Performance: The Case of Public Universities

Abstract

It has always been a common phenomenon to attribute poor performance of students academically solely on their efforts without putting into considerations other variables that are associated with teaching and learning. Inasmuch as the students are expected to perform the task, such can only be done in a situation whereby, the course of study is well understood by the students and it is achievable. This study therefore is an enquiry into student librarians’ motivation for effective Learning and effect on their Behaviour and Performance. A Descriptive survey design was employed for the study with a sampled population of 200 lecturers and psychologists selected through purposive sampling technique from 10 government owned universities in Southeast, Nigeria. A self-designed Likert type four point scale close-ended self-designed questionnaire, was the principle instrument used for data collection. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in Tables and charts. The outcome of the study reveals among other things, that motivating student librarians leads to higher levels of attendance, increases their persistence and wellbeing, as well as their effort in lessons. It also enhances their cognitive processing, increases their creativity and innovation and above all brings about improve academic performance and outcomes. In line with the result, it was recommended inter-alia that lecturers in library and information science departments in these universities, and by extension all lecturers in Nigerian universities, should adopt different strategies in motivating students in the classroom or lecture hall as to enhancing learning and to support motivation to learning, library schools at all levels policies and practices emphasis should be on mastery the task rather than on relative performance and competition as well as focusing motivating student librarians on stimulation of their curiosity for learning as embedded on intrinsic motivation.