Systematic Review of Effective Library Instruction for Business Students

Abstract The most successful library teaching strategies for post-secondary business programs have yet to be determined. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the effectiveness of library instruction (with a focus on pedagogy) in business undergraduate and graduate programs. The researchers searched seven databases, selected studies that met the inclusion criteria, and extracted data following PRISMA guidelines. To achieve the study’s primary objective, the researchers included any library educational intervention in a business program conducted by librarians or library staff. The quality of included studies was evaluated based on a modified instrument designed to critically appraise educational interventions. The instrument consists of nine questions that relate to content, context, outcomes, study design, and methods. Thirty-five studies met the inclusion criteria and data was extracted based on subject area, content coverage, mode of instruction (in-person vs virtual), faculty collaboration, assessment strategies, and library educational interventions used to teach business students. Common educational interventions included hands-on activities, live demonstrations, active learning, group work, and lectures. The most compelling strategies include active learning, providing engaging sessions (e.g., flipped classroom), and faculty collaboration. Since most of the studies did not state clear learning outcomes, it is difficult to ascertain what type of interventions were truly effective in improving library sessions.