This study investigates academic self-efficacy, socio-cultural adaptation and information literacy (IL) skills challenges among Nigerian students enrolled in Scottish Higher Education institutions. It explores how systemic differences between Nigerian and UK educational contexts shape students' academic experiences and expectations.
A mixed-methods design was adopted, conducting a questionnaire survey with three hundred and four students and semi-structured interviews with twenty respondents. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, exploring academic self-efficacy, socio-cultural adaptation and IL challenges. Qualitative data were thematically analysed to provide deeper insights into students' lived experiences.
Results revealed several challenging academic self-efficacy, socio-cultural adaptation and IL experiences. Qualitative findings highlighted critical thinking, academic writing and classroom engagement as major challenges, compounded by accent barriers, fear of judgment and limited prior exposure to independent research practices. Students also reported difficulties with key IL areas, including ideas formulation, database searching, referencing and paraphrasing, reflecting systemic pedagogical differences between Nigerian and Scottish educational traditions.
This study addresses a gap in research by focusing on Nigerian students' experiences of IL and socio-cultural adaptation in UK higher education, a group often overlooked in international student literature. By adopting a socio-cultural lens, it demonstrates a need for culturally responsive interventions offered by academic librarians, which can strengthen support for Nigerian students. Recommendations are made for offering scaffolded, culturally responsive IL teaching that begins with foundational research concepts and confidence-building strategies to enhance academic success and equity.
