Needs of Information Pgts For Exploring Academics Data a Case Study of Gurgaon

A teacher is a builder of Nation. A teacher is known for his or her basic and the most important function called teaching. Teaching is the most important function of a teacher. The way of teaching, the methods of teaching and the most important is the kind of the information that he/she has with him/her. The need of information seeking also plays a key role for the teacher to perform their basic function. Information need of the school teachers are related to the above function – classroom, teaching, current awareness, research and publication. The process of teaching has become very complex in modern time. Computers and internet plays very important role in education. Teachers require information on the subject that they are teaching. This will include mostly theoretical background information. Teachers need to explore new avenues in order to make classroom teaching more interesting, all the time teachers are seeking the kind of information which makes the teaching subject more interesting and also creates the students interest also. New information is born every day and is literally pouring in thought to literature sources as the periodical. This is very true in today’s scenario that if a teacher wants to be taken seriously by his student and colleagues he needs to constantly update their existing knowledge. Student’s psychology also plays a very important source as student can pose a problem by making it their business to ask difficult questions at practically in every class. Thus the school teacher is required to be through and up to date with the subject he is teaching.

The word information is defined or interpreted very differently in the disciplines that have information as their core and are a matter of study and research. According to the researcher’s information is required in men’s daily activities. Human beings are ultimate willing to get information about themselves and the world. They store knowledge in memory, in hierarchically organised structures, schemes and new knowledge is constructed on the basis of previous knowledge. The term information means facts, dates, knowledge about anything, anyone or can be about anything else, information is universal. It is known to all men in all language as we receive information throughout the day. In short there is no area of life that information does not touch. Information is power, where information is concerned, there are the haves or haves not, the information rich and the information poor. The information goes on existing without saying. We talk about it, we seek it, we exchange it and we pay for it.

Everyone has to deal with information in many ways through life. Indeed, information has been described as the fifth need of man ranking after air, water, food and shelter Kemp, (1976)i. Knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally, all of us most of the time of our life and work are concerned with information, its generation, recording , processing, The present era is the era of information revolution. The increase of information on web has affected information need of a school teacher. Information seeking is the adequate way or the path prescribed by the individual in an attempt to fulfil the need. The terms information seeking often serves as an umbrella adhering a set of related concept and issue. Information is the behaviour of seeking information by asking direct question. Information seeking means different thing in direct context. Lilley, Spencer Charles (2010) “Information Seeking Behaviour of Maori Secondary School Students” found that the Maori students are using different method for sharing information through social networks. Shanmugam, Ambikapathi (1999) “Information Seeking Behaviour Trainee Teacher in Selected Teacher Training College in Malaysia” based on study of trainees teacher need of information according the course requirement. Majid, Shafeen (2000) conducted a study on “Information Seeking Behaviour of International Islamic University Malaysia Law Faculty Members” in which the preferable source of information is book. Bhatti, Rubina (2009) “Information needs & Information Seeking Behaviour of faculty members at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur” studied that the 56% faculty are not satisfy with the current stock of library due to that reason they are not getting the relevant information for educational as well as research need.

The main purpose of this study is to find need of information of PGT’s. The nature of Information needs of school teachers in Haryana.

A questionnaire was designed for this study. This questionnaire comprehensively includes all aspect regarding information need of PGT’s. In this study 150 questionnaire distributed to the school teacher out of them 120 received. So that only 120 respondents are considered under this study. Subject wise respondents are physics and chemistry, 9 from each, eleven from Accounts, Commerce and Hindi, sixteen each from Economics and English, ten from History, 21 from math, 7 from Political science and 3 from Physical Education, one each from computer science, Sanskrit and French, two each from Psychology and Geography. The weighted average method is adopted for this study. The table shows that the accounts & commerce teachers need information for preparing class room lecture and the weighted average is 4.2. Second priority is for current awareness. The above table reveals that almost half of chemistry teacher need information for preparing for project and current awareness. The weighted average for both is 5.1. Next priority is classlecture for which the weighted average is 5.

It is analysed that the economics teacher giving the first priority for information need to current affairs. The weighted average is 3.8. Second priority is class lecture and weighted average is 3.7. This analysis shows the English teachers’ information need for current awareness and weighted average is 4. Werghted average for preparing class lecture is 3.9. The above table shows that the Hindi teachers need information first for preparing lecture for classrooms after that they need information for current awareness.

The table shows that History teachers prefers information need mostly for preparing for class lecture and weighted average is 4.5. Second priority is general awareness and the weighted average of is 3.6. Placed on top, the above table shows that the math teacher need information for preparing lectures for classrooms and weighted average is 4.3. Second is for creating general awareness and weighted average is 3.5 and last is research purpose. The above figure shows that physics teachers gave first priority to class room lecture and the weighted average is 4. Second is for creating general awareness and weighted average is 3.4 and last is for writing book.

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We can say that the others subject teachers limits their needs for information is for preparing for class room lecture, thus giving highest priority to it and less to others.

From the above finding we can conclude that most of the teacher’s information needs are limited to only for preparing lecturers for the classrooms. Whereas other factors play less important role such for writing books, articles, projects or for research purpose. May be the teachers need for information is subjected to preparation of lecturer because they take it as their primary task i.e. teaching. They don’t felt any need for information for other purposes as they are not engaged in any other activity rather than teaching. As such teachers should give equal importance to other factors also, such as, participating in seminar, conference, workshop etc. not only add up to their social circle but also increases their level of knowledge, which he/she can share his/her experience with their students. Another factor that is awareness of current affairs plays a very crucial role in imparting knowledge, so teacher should make extra efforts to discuss on daily current affairs. In the end we can say that information need should not be subjected to specific task or to perform any activity, rather it should be taken as a part of our daily life. We should inherit information from wherever we get it and from whomsoever, not necessarily for a specific purpose or task, but for our capability to think and act.

WAL - Weighted average of preparing class lecture.

WAS - Weighted average of seminar, conference, workshop, etc. WAP - Weighted average of preparing a project. WBA - Weighted average of to write books, articles, etc. WR - Study material for research Study material for research.

1. Laloo,Bikika T.(2002), Information Needs, Information Seeking Behaviour & Users, Delhi : Ess Ess Publication. 2. Sudha, K. “Information Seeking Behaviour of Regular Ph.D. Scholars in Gandhigram Rural University” International Research: Journal of Library & Information Science. Vol. 3 No. 1, April 2013, P. 163-175 3. Mohan, M. Madan “Information Seeking Behaviour of the Users of Vinayaka Mission’s Medical College & Hospital” International Research: Journal of Library & Information Science. Vol. 3 No. 3, Sep. 2013, P. 480-486. 4. Kumar, Devender “Information Needs Members of Faculty and Research Scholars of Chaudhary Charan Singh University: A Case Study” Library Philosophy and Practice 2009(May) P. 1-7. 5. Thanuskodi, S. “Information Seeking Behaviour of Law Faculty at Central Law College, Salem” Library Philosophy and Practice 2009(June) P. 1-7. 6. Bhatti, Rubina, “Information Needs and Information Seeking Behaviour Members of Faculty Members at Islamia University of Bahawalpur” Library Philosophy and Practice 2009(November) P. 1-7. 7. Rafiq, Muhammad “Information Seeking and User Satisfaction of University Instructors: A Case Study” Library Philosophy and Practice 2009(February) P. 1-7. 8. Lal, Payare “Information Seeking Behaviour: A Case Study of Faculty Members of Social Sciences, Punjab University, Chandigarh” International Journal of Digital Library Service vol. 2, Jan.-March, 2012, Issue-1 P.193-242.

10. Lilley, Spencer Charles “Information Seeking Behaviour of Maori Secondary School Students” Massey University, New Zealand.(Ph.D. Thesis Unpublished ) i. Kemp, D.A. Nature of Knowledge: An introduction for Librarians, London: Clive Bingley, 1976. ii. Sudha, K. “Information Seeking Behaviour of Regular Ph.D. Scholars in Gandhigarm Rural University” International Research: Journal of Library & Information Science. Vol. 3 No. 1, April 2013, P. 164