A close look into students’ perception of teamwork in a humanities course: integrating Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire and a revised Tuckman’s small group development model

Abstract

ABSTRACT This case study combines Stephen Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) and Tuckman’s phases of small group development to study students’ perception of teamwork within a humanities course. As the semester progressed and students’ experiences within the team cycle evolved, their reliance towards direct teaching decreased and their degree of satisfaction with group dynamics and productivity increased. An exit survey, more specifically focused on skills learned through teamwork, revealed that adjourning and transforming are two distinct phases in succession. These findings diverge from existing literature, which often refers to adjourning and transforming either as the same phase, or as alternative directions. Tuckman’s model was slightly modified to take these discoveries into account.