பாடசாலை றூலகக்கற்றல் வளநிலையங்களை மாணவர்கள் பயன்படுத்துவதில் எதிர்கொள்ளும் இடர்பாடுகள்: தெல்லிப்பளை கல்விக்கேட்ட பாடசாலைகளை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்டது - Challenges Faced by Students in Using School Library Learning Resource Centers: A Study at Tellippalai Education Division of the Valikamam Education Zone

This study investigates the challenges faced by General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A/L) students in utilizing library and information resource centers in 1AB schools within the Tellippalai Education Division of the Valikamam Education Zone, Jaffna District. A descriptive research design was employed, and from a population of 847 students, 247 were randomly selected using Krejcie and Morgan’s sampling table. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 260 students across five school libraries, of which 247 valid responses were obtained, yielding a 95% response rate. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. The findings identified several major barriers in effective library use. These included school management-related factors (M = 2.88), school environment-related issues (M = 1.854), reduced student interest in learning resource centers (M = 2.403), inadequate access to information resources and electronic devices (M = 1.6453), insufficient teacher guidance (M = 3.1184), and limited effectiveness of teacher-librarian activities (M = 2.882). All mean values were associated with low standard deviations, and most significance levels were below 0.05, indicating that these challenges significantly affect students’ utilization of information resource centers. The study concludes that factors related to school management, learning environment, teachers’ involvement, limited availability of books and electronic resources, and students’ lack of interest substantially hinder library usage. Accordingly, the study recommends that school authorities improve opportunities for library use, enhance the attractiveness of library environments, promote positive student attitudes, expand information and electronic resources, and strengthen the roles of teachers and teacher-librarians in encouraging student engagement with libraries.