293-7 The Importance of Implementing Explicit Teamwork Skills Pedagogy in Undergraduate Classrooms

Session: Developing and Assessing Workforce Skills in Geoscience Courses and Programs

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Teamwork is a vital part of not only higher education curriculum and pedagogical strategies but also in the workforce, with 56% for geologist positions and 50% for environmental scientist positions listing teamwork or working in teams as part of the job description. Yet, teamwork is commonly taught through implicit pedagogical approaches, which may not adequately equip students with the skills needed for effective collaboration. Currently, few studies have directly compared the development of teamwork skills through implicit versus explicit pedagogical approaches. This research investigates the effects of explicitly (EXP) and implicitly (IMP) taught teamwork process skills on students' teamwork efficacy. To achieve our goal, we used a quasi-experimental design to evaluate two pedagogical strategies in different semesters of a single course that seeks to achieve common teamwork skills learning outcomes. In addition to both the EXP (N=18) and IMP (N=18) groups reading articles on teamwork, the EXP group further engaged in an explicit, active, lecture-based workshop style instruction. We measured the efficacy of the two pedagogical strategies using self-reflections, pre-and post-survey, observations, and interviews. While EXP (M=3.98, SD=.45) and IMP (M=3.98, SD=.45) achieved the same mean scores in pre-test, the post-mean score from EXP was calculated as 4.31. Surveys from the IMP sample are in the process of being completed. Qualitative data suggests that students from the EXP group reported increased confidence in teamwork and have become more considerate with their team members. Students from the IMP group described lower awareness of how to function as a team member, and they could not articulate the skills involved in teamwork processes. Both EXP and IMP state that course instructor and course design influenced their teams. By comparing these two pedagogical approaches for workforce development, students’ confidence around these essential, non-technical skills are strengthened, fostering increased competences. Additionally, explicitly discussing these skills improves not only the “buy-in” within a course, but also the ability for students to communicate on resumes/interviews.  

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