Disciplinary-based (Professional) Information Literacy of Iranian Students in the Academic Year of 2017-2018

Information literacy is a foundation for all information-related professional skills for preparing them for better performing their careers. This applied survey aimed at determining the rate and level of DIL skills among Iranian students in the academic year 2017-2018.

A 20 item  researcher-made valid and reliable questionnaire on DIL was prepared by conducting a comprehensive literature review. Questionnaires were completed by 1875 male/female students as a purposeful sample, majoring in different disciplines, academic levels at different Iranian Universities in the academic year of 2017-2018.  Data was analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings showed that several students (39.6%) had a relatively low DIL level and the mean rate of their DIL skills was a moderate (8.34 %). Differences were significant in regard to discipline, academic levels and Universities. Further, there was no significant difference between male and female students in their DIL levels. However, there was a significant difference in DIL scores among students majoring basic sciences. Considering the educational levels, Doctorate candidates had significantly higher DIL scores than undergraduate and graduate students.  Students in private Universities had significantly lower DIL scores than students in State Universities.

Disciplinary-based information literacy has not been very efficacious in Iranian Universities. Designing an IL-synthesized curriculum and turning    toward the information literate University in training professionally information-literate students  is the drive for achieving a successful higher education  system in Iran.

This study has equally theoretical and practical implications. Practically, depicts the general state of Iranian studentschr('39') DIL levels, it can apprise Iranchr('39')s higher educational system of the inevitability of drill skills as such in academic curriculum in all educational levels and scientific disciplines. As DIL is initially introduced in this study, it can be inspiring the theoretical approach of information literacy and its literature by adding a newly-emerged notion of "disciplinary-based information literacy."