Changing a school’s culture with JSTOR

Escola Eleva is a high school in Rio de Janeiro comprising 400 students. Paula da Igreja Rembischewski has been a librarian at the school since 2024. She talks to us about her school’s experience with their subscription to the JSTOR Secondary Schools Collection, which provides unlimited access to over 2,700 academic journals, 2,000 eBooks and 4 primary sources covering Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Paula’s story…

How and why we chose JSTOR

When I started working at Escola Eleva Urca in 2024, I realised that there was a lack of support for students doing research, especially those working on extended essay projects and the International Baccalaureate. Urca was the first campus to adopt JSTOR, and following our experience, other campuses, including Brasília, have followed suit. I began investigating by conducting a survey into how our students were finding information and their sources. I discovered that they were using ChatGPT which at that time was still fairly new; since then, their use of AI has increased considerably. I didn’t expect such a strong response to my survey, but it gave me a pathway to action.

My next step was to compare our options by analysing all the databases available to IB schools in Brazil, considering user experience, the range and quality of resources, and budgetary factors. JSTOR became the obvious answer. We found it very user-friendly, and it provided access to a lot of research material, as well as a range of helpful tools. There were also budgetary considerations. Other resources we looked at were more expensive for schools our size.

Set up and training

Set up was easy. Simple access arrangements were dealt with as soon as we said
what we wanted. In terms of onboarding, we offered workshops through our IB
Saturday programme, when sessions are planned to meet specific support issues
such as resourcing and library topics. In 2024 we ran a workshop on JSTOR and
how to use it, as part of the IB core components curriculum.

Our experience so far

The History, Biology and Economics teachers are currently the most engaged, and use it extensively. We’re now at the stage of making it familiar to all departments and part of the school culture. We are still offering workshops, and we talk about JSTOR a lot. We are definitely moving forward.
 

Last year, students were inclined to come to me looking for resources. This year they are more independent, using JSTOR. When it came to the final deadlines in topics such as Brazilian Social Studies (BSS) or History, the students using JSTOR were significantly better placed than the ones who were working without it, and who had to ask for a lot more help. Within History and BSS, students have explored topics such as World War II, particularly debates around the “Clean Wehrmacht” myth, the Stonewall Riots in the context of social movements and civil rights, and the Military Dictatorship. These examples reflect how students engage with both political and social history using academic sources.

We have a lot of issues with ensuring academic integrity - I think all schools feel that way - but I believe that JSTOR has brought about a turning point and more teachers are getting on board.

I have emphasized the creation of curated lists to recommend relevant materials to students, aligned with their research needs and classroom topics. JSTOR supports all aspects of the broader IB curriculum, and I think the user experience develops students’ own thinking. Through it, they can become familiar with research processes and resources from the beginning of their projects. It’s not just there for IB, and specific subjects, its potential is much wider. It’s also an opportunity for them to become familiar with the research processes before they move on to college.

JSTOR’s AI research tool

We have tried out the JSTOR AI Research tool, and the feedback was really good. We have to teach students about academic integrity and AI use. At the moment,
we’re still working on how to do that. Students do still use tools such as ChatGPT, but our focus has been on helping them make more informed choices about where to find reliable sources, and this is where JSTOR has strengthened our information literacy work. The most important thing is that we shouldn’t forbid them to use it. When we have a chance to use AI tools we can trust such as JSTOR’s AI research tool, it’s really good.

Looking ahead

I have created a handbook which covers login details and the most important features, and I’ll continue to update it. I also go into classes when teachers ask
about JSTOR and research resources with them. We start talking about JSTOR and online resources when students are in 10th grade, and we set up their accounts before they move into the IB programme the following year.

One of our key original findings was that students sometimes felt frustrated when they did not have access to the academic resources they needed. In this context, JSTOR has been essential in expanding access to reliable materials and supporting their development as researchers.

I’m already recommending JSTOR and the AI Research tool to other schools, (I feel like a JSTOR fan!) However, training people to use it is key. It can be hard to switch school and student culture from using Google and ChatGPT. It’s very important for librarians to be connected to the process. Teachers tend to concentrate on their subject, but they need to consider workshops and wider initiatives. They need to be part of the process and build it into the culture of the school.