Designing and Implementing an Information Service Model for Geography Teachers in a Developing Country: The Case for Lesotho

Abstract

This paper outlines the approaches that can be used in the deployment of an information service for geography teachers in a developing country in Africa. The paper is based on a study of Lesotho geography teachers’ information behaviour that aimed to guide the design of information service for these teachers. It enumerates the process of designing an information service for these teachers including a user needs assessment. The study used triangulation by using multiple data collection methods on three sets of participants. Data were collected from in-service geography teachers using focus group discussions, from prospective geography teachers with a questionnaire and from stakeholders involved in geography education in Lesotho through interviews. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and content analysis were used to analyse the data. The paper presents the working context of the geography teachers, their information needs and preference for information sources and communication channels. It also proposes a collaborative information service model for the geography teachers. This includes an implementation agency involving the information specialists, subject specialists and stakeholders working together to assist teachers with information. The paper outlines modalities for the implementation of the information service. It ends with possible strategies for evaluating the impact of the information service to check the achievements against the set objectives. It concludes that the information service model can be adapted as a prototype for other teachers across the curriculum as well as in other developing countries in a setting similar to that of Lesotho.