Teaching Research to Secondary Students

By the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• Advocate for the importance of research instruction by articulating the academic and lifelong benefits of research literacy.
  


• Collaborate effectively with classroom teachers to design and implement standards-based research projects that support student learning across subject areas and secondary grade levels.
  


• Review, teach, and model search strategies, including Boolean strategies and other database techniques, to help students locate accurate and relevant information efficiently.
  


• Identify and evaluate high-quality, age-appropriate databases and websites to support diverse research topics and student skill levels.
  


• Create classroom-ready research tools, such as guides, handouts, infographics, or slide decks, to scaffold the student research process and promote independent inquiry.
  

This course consists of 6 on-demand modules:

Module 1: Building Collaborative Research Practices

Why is research instruction essential for all secondary students? How can librarians collaborate with teachers to integrate meaningful research into the curriculum? This module explores the academic and lifelong value of research instruction and offers strategies for building cross-curricular partnerships. You’ll examine research-related standards and develop a plan to approach teachers with compelling ideas for collaborative research projects.

Module 2: Teaching Advanced Search Techniques

How can we move students beyond basic Googling? What search skills do they need to effectively navigate academic databases and websites? In this module, you will learn how to teach students advanced search strategies—including Boolean operators and smart keyword use—to help them find relevant, credible information efficiently. Explore classroom-friendly techniques that demystify search processes and nurture student researchers.

Module 3: Selecting Databases and/or Websites to Support Research Projects

How can librarians select and guide students in using credible, age-appropriate sources? This module introduces a range of research tools and digital resources to scaffold the research process. Explore and recommend quality databases and websites that help students find the information they need for their research assignment/project.

Module 4: Designing a Student-Facing Research Resource

How can librarians create an effective classroom-ready research tool? In this module, you’ll design a research tool—such as a slide deck, handout, or guide—to support the project you proposed in Module 1. Break the research process into manageable steps and develop a tool that’s both useful for teachers and accessible for students.

Module 5: TBD

Module 6: End-of-Course Survey

Provide your feedback and reflections on this course in a short survey.

Who should take this course

This course is designed for librarians and media specialists at secondary (6-12) schools.

This will be a self-paced, asynchronous online course.

Certificate of completion

Complete the course and earn 20 professional development credit hours. We provide a certificate that is emailed to you.

Support

For support with online courses, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com .

Holly Hoggarth

I am a high school English Language Arts teacher and librarian in Denver, Colorado, with 18 years of experience in education. I hold an M.A. in English from Colorado State University and an M.A. in Learning Design & Technology from the University of Colorado, Denver. I am deeply invested in teaching research and media literacy to young people, as I believe these skills are essential for navigating the complexities of today’s world and will serve them throughout their lives. I also find great joy in connecting students to books they love and characters they relate to, knowing that these connections can spark a lifelong passion for reading.

Shoshannah Turgel

I’m a full-time Teacher Librarian in Boulder, Colorado, with 17 years of experience in the field. Prior to this role, I worked as a Research and Access Services Librarian at New York University. I hold an M.A. in Library and Information Sciences from Long Island University and an M.A. in World History from NYU. I believe that reading fiction and nonfiction texts is the cornerstone of cross-curricular success. By fostering a love for reading and supporting critical thinking skills, we better equip students for success in all subjects and throughout their lives.

Group Rates

We offer discounts for groups of 3 or more.

For larger groups of 15 or more, we offer the option to apply group rates across multiple courses to receive significant discounts. For more information, select “Bulk Course Credits Packages” in the form below.

Request Discounted Group Pricing

For support with group purchases, please contact groupsales@libraryjournal.com.