Impact of Information Literacy Instruction on Undergraduate Research Skills: An Empirical Study

Thesis Abstract

This study investigates how information literacy instruction (ILI) influences undergraduate students’ research competencies within a comprehensive, real-world university context, addressing a persistent gap between library-led pedagogy and measurable student outcomes. The aim is to determine the effect of structured ILI on undergraduate information literacy (IL) self-efficacy, search strategy proficiency, source evaluation, and citation accuracy, and to identify moderating factors including course type, academic discipline, and prior IL exposure. Specific objectives are (1) to quantify changes in IL competencies before and after targeted ILI interventions; (2) to examine the relationship between ILI exposure intensity and improvements in research skills; (3) to compare outcomes across faculties (sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences) and degree levels (bachelor’s vs. honours); (4) to assess the role of instructional modality (in-person vs. blended) on skill development; and (5) to explore student perceptions of ILI relevance to capstone and research essay tasks. The study adopts a quasi-experimental mixed-methods design conducted at a mid-sized comprehensive university. The population comprises all undergraduate students enrolled in designated introductory research methods and information literacy modules across two academic years. A total sample of 600 participants will be drawn via stratified random sampling from four faculties, with 300 students assigned to an intervention condition receiving a standardized ILI program and 300 to a comparison condition receiving standard library instruction. Data collection instruments include a validated Information Literacy Assessment Battery (ILAB) administered pre- and post-intervention, course performance in research-related tasks, and a survey measuring self-efficacy in research activities. Instrument validity will be established through content validity by subject librarians and faculty, and reliability will be examined via Cronbach’s alpha (>0.80). For qualitative insights, purposive sampling will select 40 students for semi-structured interviews and 12 focus groups with 6–8 participants each to elicit in-depth reflections on IL practices, perceived utility, and challenges. Analytical procedures will combine quantitative and qualitative techniques. Descriptive statistics and normality checks will summarize ILAB scores; inferential analyses will employ repeated-measures ANOVA and multiple regression to determine the effect of ILI intensity and modality on skill gains, controlling for baseline IL scores and demographic covariates. Multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) will test pathways from instructional exposure to outcomes across faculties. Qualitative data will undergo thematic analysis using a constant comparative method, with coding developed iteratively to identify emergent themes related to instructional impact, motivation, and contextual barriers. Triangulation will integrate quantitative and qualitative findings to enhance validity and interpretive depth. Expected findings include statistically significant improvements in ILAB composite scores for the intervention group relative to the control group, with effect sizes in the medium range (d ? 0.40–0.60). Greater gains are anticipated for disciplines with explicit research-based assessment requirements and for students experiencing blended learning modalities. The study also expects to reveal facilitator and barrier factors—such as time allocation within curricula, instructor collaboration, and student prior exposure—that mediate instructional effectiveness. Theoretically, findings will be interpreted through the lens of Social Constructivism and the Information Literacy Instructional Design framework, with implications for expectancy-value theory as it relates to student motivation. This research contributes to knowledge by providing robust, empirically grounded evidence on the causal impact of ILI on undergraduate research abilities, disaggregated by discipline and delivery mode, and by offering a validated assessment approach for IL outcomes applicable to higher education libraries. Practical implications include recommendations for scaling up ILI programs, optimizing integration within core curricula, and fostering cross-departmental collaboration to align library instruction with assessment practices. The study concludes that well-designed, discipline-responsive ILI interventions significantly enhance undergraduate research skills, with sustained benefits observable across academic performances, and it recommends institutional support for blended instructional models, ongoing faculty-librarian partnerships, and longitudinal evaluation to monitor skill retention.