Teamwork development across the curriculum for chemical engineering students in Hong Kong: Processes, outcomes and lessons learned

A three-year project aiming to develop students’ teamwork skills systematically through explicit instruction, opportunities to practice, and formative feedback across the curriculum was carried out in the only chemical engineering department in Hong Kong. The project involved two second-year laboratory courses and a third-year capstone experience (final-year projects). The intended learning outcomes of teamwork skills were assessed by both qualitative and quantitative methods. Multiple sources of evidence showed that students’ understanding of teamwork improved, and their expectations and behaviors changed over the project period. In particular, one common misconception of teamwork as simply a division of labor was altered. The evaluation results also revealed that social loafing widely existed, but students tended not to report it or hold the loafers accountable. Conflict resolution was another issue that students had difficulty in dealing with. These results, along with feedback collected in end-of-project evaluation, identified important behaviors of Chinese students in a team environment and suggested that instructors should focus on helping students develop synergism and handle conflicts explicitly.

► The paper presents a systematic teamwork development study across the curriculum.
► The approach aligns pedagogy and assessment with intended learning outcomes.
► Students’ conception of teamwork has improved.
► Students can resolve conflicts constructively if a good trust relationship exists.
► Explicit instruction with formative feedback, and faculty development are important.