Between curriculum and reality: Information literacy development in Ghanaian senior high schools

This study examines how information literacy is understood, delivered and experienced within senior high schools in Ghana, drawing on the perspectives of ICT teachers and library staff. Although information literacy is formally embedded within the ICT curriculum, the findings show that its practical implementation is shaped more by institutional conditions than by curricular intent. Using a qualitative multi-site case study design, data were collected from 39 participants across nine schools through a combination of focus group discussions and individual interviews, and analysed using thematic analysis. Participants described students’ competencies as highly uneven as a small proportion were seen as having relatively strong digital skills, while a larger group was described as unable to search for, evaluate and use information effectively. In participants’ accounts, much of what students know is acquired informally, often outside the school environment. Within schools, information literacy instruction is constrained by limited access to computers, unreliable internet connectivity and restricted instructional time. The findings also highlight the limited role of school libraries and the absence of meaningful collaboration between ICT teachers and library staff, resulting in fragmented support for students. Overall, the study shows that the challenge of information literacy development in senior high schools is less about curriculum design and more about the conditions within which teaching and learning take place. It points to the need for more deliberate integration of information literacy into the curriculum, improved coordination between ICT and library services, and sustained investment in infrastructure and professional development. The study contributes to ongoing discussions on information literacy in resource-constrained educational contexts by providing grounded, context-specific insights from Ghana.