Teaching Research to Secondary Students

AFTER YOU ATTEND THIS COURSE, YOU'LL 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 and 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 SELF-PACED 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: Laying the Groundwork — From Inquiry to Keywords in Student Research

How can you help students learn to ask thoughtful, researchable questions? Effective research begins with authentic inquiry and the ability to pinpoint the terms that lead to meaningful results. This module explores how to help students develop strong research questions and break them down into searchable keywords.

Module 3: Sharpening the Search — Boolean and Beyond for the Informed Librarian

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

Module 4: Bringing Boolean into the Classroom

How can you help students apply Boolean logic to the research process? This module offers ready-to-use, engaging lesson ideas that bring advanced search techniques to life—moving beyond theory into practice. Explore classroom-ready approaches for teaching Boolean logic in a fun, accessible way. Whether your students are visual learners, love competition, or need more structured practice, these strategies make advanced search skills stick.

Module 5: Selecting Databases and 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 locate the information they need for their research assignments or projects.

Module 6: Designing a Student-Facing Research Resource

How can librarians create effective classroom-ready research tools? In this module, you’ll design a research aid—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 7: End-of-Course Survey

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

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

Holly Hoggarth

Holly Hoggarth is a high school English Language Arts teacher and librarian in Denver, Colorado, with 18 years of experience in education. She holds an M.A. in English from Colorado State University and an M.A. in Learning Design & Technology from the University of Colorado, Denver. Holly is deeply invested in teaching research and media literacy to young people, believing these skills are essential for navigating the complexities of today’s world and will serve them throughout their lives. She also finds 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

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

In today’s information-rich world, students need more than a quick database demo or a one-off research assignment. They need explicit instruction in how to search effectively, evaluate sources, use keywords strategically, and move through the research process with more confidence and skill. This self-paced course helps school librarians and media specialists teach those skills in ways that are practical, collaborative, and relevant across the secondary curriculum.

You’ll learn proven methods for teaching research to students in grades 8–12, with strategies you can apply alongside classroom teachers in science, social studies, English, and other subject areas. The course focuses on helping students think more critically, navigate digital resources more effectively, and build habits that support stronger research across their academic work.

This course is also eligible for 2 graduate-level credits through Adams State University. Detailed instructions for registering and paying Adams State directly ($55 per credit) will be provided during the course.

SESSIONS AND PRICING

Course materials become available on April 23, 2026. You will have access for six months from the materials unlock date.

GROUP OPTIONS

Training a team? Choose the setup that matches how you want to plan and pay:

Group course enrollment: Enroll 3+ staff in this course and save.

Bulk course credits: Prepay once, get the highest per-seat discount on every course, and assign seats later.

Unlimited annual licensing: System-wide access for a year with no per-course approvals.

Request Discounted Group Pricing

Questions? Email groupsales@libraryjournal.com.

COURSE FORMAT

This is a fully self-paced online course consisting of 6 modules. You can move through the material on your own schedule during the 6-month access period.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

This course is designed to take approximately 25 hours to complete. Because it is self-paced, you can move as quickly or gradually as your schedule allows.

COURSE ACCESS

You will have access to all course materials for six months from the materials unlock date.

CREDIT & CERTIFICATE

Complete all course requirements to earn 25 professional development credit hours and a Library Journal certificate of completion. This course is also eligible for 2 graduate-level credits through Adams State University. Instructions for registering and paying Adams State directly will be provided during the course.

ACCESSIBILITY

All video recordings feature auto-captioning. If you require accommodations, please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration and we will make our best efforts to support your needs.

SUPPORT

For technical or course-related support, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com.