The Association Between Information Literacy and Job Performance of Primary School Teachers

Information literacy is essential for teachers, allowing effective access, evaluation, and use of information in teaching. This study investigated the relationship between information literacy and job performance among primary school teachers in Naqhadeh. The study employed a correlational design using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). We aimed at examiningng the relationship between information literacy and job performance of primary school teachers during the academic year 2021-2022. The target population consisted of all primary school teachers in Naqhadeh, totaling 512. The sample size was determined to be 230 using Krejcie and Morgan’s table and simple random sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used, adapted from Chang’s information literacy scale and Patterson’s job performance scale. It included 29 items measuring four dimensions of information literacy (information perception, information selection, information evaluation, and information utilization) and job performance. Items were scored on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The content validity was verified through literature review and expert feedback. The reliability of the questionnaire was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (above 0.7 for all variables). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) examined the underlying structure of the data. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 and structural equation modeling (SEM) with Smart PLS3.2.8 software. The results showed that there were significant positive relationships between information perception and job performance (r=0.84, P<0.001), information selection and job performance (r=0.15, P<0.001), and information evaluation and job performance (r=0.09, P<0.01). However, there was no significant relationship between information utilization and job performance (r=-0.02, P>0.05).  The findings suggested that information literacy skills were positively associated with teachers’ job performance. Therefore, it is recommended that the information literacy skills of teachers should be enhanced through training programs and workshops.