Needs analysis for designing project-based learning in language instruction to enhance reading and writing literacy

Reading and writing literacy is essential in higher education as a foundation for critical thinking and academic success. However, Indonesian university students continue to face challenges in academic literacy, particularly in reading comprehension, paraphrasing, citation, and text production. This study seeks to design Indonesian language instruction based on Project-Based Learning (PjBL) by first identifying students’ needs. A qualitative descriptive approach with a survey method was applied to 150 purposely selected students from five universities in Jember, East Java. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews and analyzed using Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s (2014) interactive model. Triangulation of sources enhanced the credibility and validity of the findings. Students expressed a strong preference for diverse and relevant projects such as popular scientific articles (42.2%), small-scale research reports (40%), and digital literacy products (37.8%). They emphasized structured writing support (66.7%), detailed formative feedback (64.4%), and transparent rubrics (60%). Peer review was also considered useful (35.6%). While 73.3% consistently applied citation and paraphrasing, 26.7% still struggled with originality. Institutional support was considered crucial, particularly stable internet access (66.7%), digital libraries (48.9%), collaborative spaces (33.3%), and literacy tutorials (26.7%). Aligning PjBL design with students’ needs—project types, scaffolding mechanisms, assessment practices, and institutional facilities—has strong potential to enhance academic literacy in Indonesian higher education. The findings provide a basis for developing a literacy-oriented PjBL model and inform future curriculum innovation.