PEER-LED CROSS-CULTURAL SERVICE LEARNING IN LIBRARY EDUCATION: ENHANCING INFORMATION LITERACY AND PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL OUTREACH

Abstract

In the evolving digital landscape, information literacy (IL) has emerged as a critical competency for academic success, lifelong learning, and professional readiness. This study investigates a peer-led, cross-cultural service-learning initiative conducted under Malaysia’s SULAM framework, involving students from Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Kedah (UiTMKDH), Malaysia, and Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), Indonesia. The program was implemented at UNAIR’s Campus B Library in Surabaya, Indonesia, where UiTMKDH students designed and delivered a structured IL outreach initiative for their UNAIR peers. Using a mixed-methods descriptive design, data were collected from pre–post surveys administered to UNAIR participants (n = 15) and a collectively written reflective report by UiTMKDH facilitators (n = 22). Quantitative findings revealed substantial improvements in IL competencies across all domains, with notable gains in participants’ confidence to apply, share, and teach IL skills, as well as consistently high satisfaction with program design and delivery. Qualitative insights highlighted UiTMKDH facilitators’ growth in instructional competence, intercultural empathy, adaptive teamwork, and professional identity, achieved through navigating linguistic barriers, time constraints, and logistical challenges. Together, the findings demonstrate that cross-cultural, peer-led service learning is both effective and transformative, advancing IL skill acquisition among learners while fostering the pedagogical, leadership, and reflective capacities of facilitators. The study contributes to academic discourse on IL pedagogy, provides a scalable model for preparing globally competent librarians and information professionals, and supports national higher education goals of employability, global readiness, and community engagement. Implications for academic practice, industry training, and societal development are discussed, alongside recommendations for incorporating objective assessments, expanding cross-disciplinary participation, and integrating emerging literacies such as data, algorithmic, and AI literacy into future outreach frameworks.