Library and information science study program through the eyes of students: Preliminary findings

Abstract

Library and information science (LIS) as a discipline is constantly changing in line with the trends of the profession, so in order to ensure LIS curriculum in higher education addresses the needs of contemporary stakeholders, evidence-based evaluation and improvement is needed. Student satisfaction has become an important factor in considering the success of the institution of higher education. The studies on student motivation for enrolling in LIS programs are many, but papers on student perception of satisfaction with their LIS study programs are rarer. This paper focuses on the efforts of ensuring curriculum quality of the LIS program at the graduate level of study at the Department of Information Sciences of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Osijek, Croatia. The main aim of the study was to determine how satisfied the students are with the quality of their study program and to identify its strengths and weaknesses. The study was carried out by anonymous online survey in which the students were asked to rate their satisfaction with the study program and the obtained professional and lifelong learning competences. Findings of the study are relevant for the revision of the LIS study program at the Osijek Department. This study can also have larger implications for LIS education trends globally, for it has confirmed some of the results from international studies.