Factors fostering Collaborative Information Seeking Behaviour of Students Groups tasks in the Vocational Training Institutions in Tanzania (TVET’s)

Abstract

Collaboration is the action of working together and sharing knowledge for creating the mutual understanding needed in solving problems” (Schrage, 1999). Similarly, Foster (2010), emphasizes the value of collaboration as a useful and essential tool for undertaking any difficult task, as human beings by nature need to collaborate in activities that cannot be carried out by a single individual. The value of teamwork is an essential tool useful for undertaking any difficult task. Collaboration therefore is among of a prominent characteristic of group’s information-seeking behavior (Golovkin's & Pickens, 2011). Generally, students’ intends to team up during accomplishing tasks which are not easily carried out individually (Nkebukwa, 2018). Working in groups, students pairs their minds to evaluate the information needed in solving the existing problems. Based on the value of collaboration, researchers have recently began to examine its essentials for the information seeking behaviour (CISB) in order to start planning better procedures and tools that will facilitate collaborative information seeking behaviour (Foster, 2010; Jansen, 2009; Hansen and Javelin, 2005). These studies needed in developing countries like Tanzania, where proper information seeking among students in the vocational training institutions (TVET) is a major challenge. The Tanzanian Vocational Training institutions (TVET’s) established to prepare specialised specific vocational occupations in a country. The vocational training aimed at promoting the industrial innovative skilled labour or self-employment (Ishumi, 1998; Babette & Ewald, 2000; Kigadye, 2004; Mutarabukwa, 2007; URT, 2010; Kafyulilo et al., 2012; Nkebukwa & Luambano, 2018). Tanzania experienced such a situation in the early 1990’s after the government retrenchment which left some citizens unemployed (Rugumyamheto, 2000). During such a period the private sectors took hold for employing citizens because the government was no longer employer; (Ishumi, 1998; Kigadye, 2004; Mutarabukwa, 2007; URT, 2010). In this vein the government introduced the Competence Based Education Training (CBET) and Competence Based Assessment (CBA) systems in the vocational institutions for preparing occupations and skills for self-employment. According to Kigadye (2004) and Kafyulilo et al. (2012). Problems rose specifically during the implementation of CBET and CBA that required libraries to uphold new trends. Unfortunately, VET’s libraries were unprepared to meet the new demands of promoting collaborative information seeking process.