Assessment of Information Seeking Behaviour of Physically Challenged Students in Selected Nigerian Tertiary Institutions

Year 2017, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 24 - 33, 30.11.2017

Tella Adeyinka James Adebayo Ayeni Olukemi Titilola Oleniyi

Abstract

This study examined the information seeking behaviour of the physically challenged students in selected Nigeria tertiary institutions.  The study made effort to determine the predominant sources of information, accessibility to information materials and information services and the problems faced by the physically challenged students while seeking and using information/library resources and services. The study adopted survey design and data was collected using a questionnaire administered to two thousand respondents selected from three Nigeria tertiary institutions - the University of Ilorin, University of Ibadan and Federal college of education (special) Oyo. The findings of the study show that the majority of the respondents seek educational information, while their source of information is online. The major information material they consult was lecture note/handout, while the services rendered to them in the library are reference, abstracting and indexing services.  Textbook is the only information material access by the respondents while the major challenges the physically challenged encountered are inadequate time to carry out information search and inability to locate information from the targeted sources.   The physically challenged are encouraged to develop good time management. This will enable them to have enough time to search for their needed information. The library in each participated school should make sure they embark on regular shelve reading so as to help the physically challenged locate information through their target locations.

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