Information literacy in the governing documents of higher education : A qualitative textual analysis

The purpose of this Master thesis is to deepen understanding of how the concept of information literacy is used within Swedish higher education. The empirical material consists of course syllabi from three different programmes offered at Kristianstad University, Sweden. These are analysed from a sociocultural perspective through qualitative content analysis. Using a data-driven coding frame with different categories, the method helps to define the level of clarity with which information literacy is expressed in the texts. The results of the study reveal that information literacy is seldom explicitly expressed in course syllabi. Information literacy is usually only implied or a potential connection can be discerned. It is concluded that the invisibility of information literacy as such may render it unimportant to students. It is suggested that in a sociocultural perspective, the teaching of information literacy ought to be embedded in the curricula. This requires cooperation between teachers and librarians, something which historically has been difficult to achieve. The analysis also shows that there are connections to information literacy in the syllabi in areas that are highly valued by both professions. These include creative thinking, scientific working processes and the use of information- and communication technology. By shedding light on these similarities, this thesis suggests ways of bringing the two professions closer together