The multitude of definitions for the term ‘information literacy’ can create confusion, add to this the fact that it is a concept that is continually changing and it is understandable that there are so many models and theories to choose from.
Organising these under either sociocultural or behaviourist headings (reference lee) can simplify the main differences and make it a little clearer to understand.
Whether it is an approach that measures the acquisition of skills and knowledge (behaviourist) or connects information literacy to sociocultural theories of learning, it is the context in which one teaches and their own personal understanding of what information literacy is which will determine which approach is more suitable to an individual.
Christine Bruce’s (2007, p.97 as cited in Fitzgerald, 2019) suggestion that information literacy is an ‘appreciation’ of the ways people interact with information resonates well with my views on this complex topic.
Something else that I took from the discussion on IL was the statement from UNESCO in the Alexandria Proclamation (2005) that information literacy lies at the ‘core’ of lifelong learning and is a basic human right (High-Level Colloquium on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning, 2005).
The role of TL in schools has to have an understanding of the different approaches to IL but to also have a respect and ‘appreciation’ that all students are different and have different learning needs but they are all entitled to becoming information literate.
Fitzgerald, L. (2019). The role of the teacher librarian (TL). In ETL401: Introduction to teacher librarianship, [Module 5]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42381_1&content_id=_2899464_1