Browsing by Author "Masinde, Johnson M."

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    Cognitive Factors that Influence Information-seeking Behavioural Process Amongst Postgraduate Students: A Case Study from Kenyatta University Post-modern Library in Nairobi, Kenya
    (2019) Masinde, Johnson M.; Muthee, D. W.
    This article discusses the salient features of a case study carried out among postgraduate students at Kenyatta University Post-modern Library. The study was primarily focused at recognizing cognitive factors, responsible for influencing library users’ information-seeking behaviour. In order to develop the variables, Vroom’s Expectancy Theory of motivation was used. A descriptive survey method was utilized to study a sample size of 384 students spread across four main schools: (i) Education, (ii) Business Studies, (iii) Humanities and Social Sciences, and (iv) Science and Technology. Results confirmed that expectancy theory can be utilized to explain students’ information-seeking behaviour. Three different groups—some with strong, others with medium, and rest with weak influences—were found. Interaction service quality, driven by students’ perception of service quality was found to be the most critical. Information needs satisfaction (outcomes) together with student users’ perception of service quality amongst others informed their level of satisfaction with the overall service. The findings support the idea that understanding cognitive information behaviour can help university libraries to plan more appropriate services. The implication of this study is that there are particular key cognitive drivers that trigger users’ information-seeking behaviour in academic libraries.
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    Gender and cognitive factors influencing information seeking of graduate students at Kenyatta University Library
    (2020-07) Masinde, Johnson M.; Wambiri, Daniel M.; Jing, Chen
    Background: Gender has been identified as a possible influencing factor in users’ information- seeking process. Previous studies have alluded to the fact that gender as a variable may be useful for a better understanding of the cognitive and social background of human information processing and may have important implications in the information-seeking process. Although a number of studies have investigated gender, amongst other variables, as having an effect on the information-seeking process of users, no attempt has been made to investigate the relationship between gender and cognitive factors on the information-seeking patterns of graduate students of Kenyatta University Library. Objective: The study investigates gender and cognitive factors influencing the information- seeking process of graduate students at Kenyatta University Library. Methodology: To achieve this objective, the study developed a theoretical framework which can be used by academic libraries as a basis for implementing both digital and reference desk services in order to meet the dynamic user needs. The study then investigated whether there were any gender differences through the correlation coefficient in the context of expectancy theory. The motivational process amongst the male and female users was then examined to establish whether there was any difference. Results: This study found no gender difference in all the variables considered, including interaction service quality, outcome (need satisfaction,) service satisfaction, users’ performance of service, past experience, expectancy and effort. Conclusion: This study found no gender difference in all the variables investigated. The implication of the findings was that there is no need for mainstreaming gender in service programming in the library service.
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    Relationship Between Gender and Cognitive Factors that Influence Information Seeking Amongst Postgraduate Students: a case of Kenyatta University Post-modern Library in Nairobi, Kenya
    (2020) Masinde, Johnson M.; Muthee, D. W.
    This article discusses salient features of a study carried out at Kenyatta University. The study was aimed at investigating the relationship between gender and the cognitive factors that drove postgraduate students to approach Post-modern library for seeking information. To attain this objective, this study developed a theoretical framework which can be used by academic libraries as a basis for implementing both digital and reference desk services that would meet dynamic user needs. The study also investigated whether there were any gender differences through correlation coefficient in the context of Expectancy Theory. The motivational process amongst the male and female respondents was then examined to establish whether gender had any role to play in information- seeking process. No gender differences were found by the study in the light of the variables used such as interaction service quality, outcome (need satisfaction), service satisfaction, users’ performance of service, past experience, expectancy, and effort. The major takeaway from the study is—there is no need for libraries to develop/implement information services and systems on the basis of users’ gender. Gender has no role to play in cognitive factors.
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    Researchers’ Perceptions of Research Data Management Activities at an Academic Library in a Developing Country
    (2021-12) Masinde, Johnson M.; Jing, Chen; Muthee, Daniel W.
    This study investigated researchers’ perceptions of RDM activities at the Mahatma Gandhi Graduate Research Library (MGGL) to recommend measures to enhance managing, sharing, and reusing research data. The study was underpinned by the DCC curation lifecycle model and the community capability model framework (CCMF), which enabled the investigator to employ a descriptive research design to capture data from a broad cross-section of 330 researchers purposively. The data was analyzed using SPSS to generate descriptive and inferential statistics that enabled the investigator to address the research problem. Though the library had policies on research data, quality assurance, and intellectual property, study findings evidenced no explicit policies to guide each stage of data curation and capabilities. There were also inadequacies in the knowledge and skills capability, technological infrastructure, and collaborative partnerships. Overall, RDM faced challenges in all examined capabilities. The study recommends establishing an RDM unit within the library to oversee the implementation of RDM activities.
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    The Role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Enhancing Agricultural Productivity in Kenya
    (2019) Muthee, Daniel W.; Gwademba, Goudian Kilemba; Masinde, Johnson M.
    This paper gives an insight into the role of indigenous knowledge systems in improving agricultural productivity in Kenya. It examines how application of indigenous knowledge can help to scale up sustainable agricultural intensification in order to increase production, protect the environment and reduce poverty. The paper describes different forms of indigenous knowledge and recognizes the important role that indigenous people and their knowledge of the environment, can play in the enhancement of agricultural productivity and environmental protection. While indigenous knowledge has been the basis for local-level decision-making in many rural farming communities in Kenya, the paper finds that, its application has not been wholly integrated into the farming systems not only by local farming communities but also by researchers, extension service providers, scientists, policy makers and planners striving to improve conditions in rural areas and suggests how indigenous knowledge can be applied in improving agricultural productivity among smallholder farmers in Kenya. The paper considers the broad knowledge indigenous people have on how to live sustainably, but discerns that formal education systems sometimes disrupted this sound knowledge by creating an assumption that it is outdated and irrelevant in addressing present-day agricultural challenges. The findings of this paper will help agricultural stakeholders change the perceptions and attitudes they have towards various Indigenous Knowledge Systems in enhancing agricultural productivity and should, therefore, be promoted and that awareness of this importance should be created through policy formulation and implementation in order to foster consciousness among smallholder farmers in Kenya.
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    Utilization of Mobile Phone and the Ethical Implications on University and Government Services: a Case of Post Graduate Students at Kenyatta University, Kenya
    (Association for Computing Machinery., 2021) Masinde, Johnson M.; Muthee, Daniel W.
    This study investigated access and usage of mobile phones by postgraduate students. Mobile phone technology has greatly contributed to the quick access and sharing of information in the contemporary world. However, the issue of integrity in the usage of mobile phone remains a paradox. The data was collected using a questionnaire that was administered to 165 post graduate students in the Schools of Education and Business. The respondents were purposely selected because the researchers were interested in post graduate students working in government institutions and departments. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 18. The results indicated that mobile phone usage for information sharing and research is very high. All the students sampled used mobile phones to access, share, and search information since all of them had smart phones. It was noted that the University lacked a policy on use of mobile phones to access and read educational materials. Interestingly, it was noted that mobile phone is a handy technology for most examination malpractices and dishonesty. The study highly recommends policy issues on usage of mobile technology by students particularly in enhancing learning and information sharing as well as maintaining sanctity of examinations and individual student integrity.