Using Nuthall’s ideas to conceptualise and support children’s information needs

Abstract

Much research has been undertaken over many years into the information needs of children and young people. A frequent outcome has been the creation of typologies which set down the categories of information youngsters require in their lives. Often, however, these breakdowns treat the types of information as discrete entities, when in the real world a single situation may be responsible for needs of several related kinds. There is also the problem that certain needs may be pigeon-holed into more than one of the defined categories. The present paper, which is devoted to UK children aged between four and eleven, offers a new model intended to address these complications. The types of needs featured within the model are outlined, then their interactions are conveyed diagrammatically and examples of the interactions are described. Subsequently, the issues raised are discussed in terms of relevant literature and the model’s limitations are acknowledged. The paper concludes with consideration of the model’s value and utility. In particular, the importance of teachers taking a holistic approach to learning is emphasised, with practitioners encouraged to exploit interests that their students have developed privately in order to enhance motivation and build on the knowledge they have gained in these outside contexts.