An empirical analysis of student’s perception towards group work – a Middle East perspective

Abstract

Group works have become an integral component of modern education system. The focus of this study is to explore the students’ perception of group works. Based on a pilot study with 64 students and subsequent study with 274 participants, this research provides a holistic reading on group works from students’ perspectives. The study analyses relative preference of students between individual and group assignments, advantages and disadvantages of group works and the strategies followed by the students in the process. The study also explores students’ perception of free riding, peer evaluation and practical issues that teachers need to consider in designing group works. Analyses are conducted to capture the differences in perception based on the gender, academic performance and year of study of the participants.