Abstract
Experience and anecdotal evidence indicate that first-year students experience challenges in terms of adapting to our university construction management course environment. The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of a team building event on first-year students’ skills, core competencies, ability to manage themselves, work as a team, interface with each other, strategize, plan, evolve tactics, and take action.. A quantitative approach using a questionnaire survey in a South African university post completion of the event determined the perceptions of the students. Findings include that the team building activities contributed to enhancing participants’ skills, their understanding and appreciation of core competencies and the development thereof, and their ability to communicate with first-year colleagues; built confidence in their abilities including that of completing a task, and enhanced participants’ alternative thought processes, ability to be creative, strategize, evolve tactics, take action, and plan. The students benefited from, enjoyed the team building activities and believed that it contributed to improving their time management skills. Based upon the findings, conclusions are that the one-day first-year orientation team-building event had the desired impact in terms of the development of the first-year students’ abilities. Recommendations are that the one-day first-year orientation team-building event is staged annually, and a study pertaining to the impact of the intervention on student performance be determined following the completion of a full academic year and again post-graduation.
Highlights
In recent years, the academic programme within the Nelson Mandela University Department of Construction Management has struggled to engage with new entrant students to prepare them adequately for the rigours of the first year of study as well as the undergraduate programme
Findings include that the team building activities contributed to enhancing participants’ skills, their understanding and appreciation of core competencies and the development thereof, and their ability to communicate with first-year colleagues; built confidence in their abilities including that of completing a task, and enhanced participants’ alternative thought processes, ability to be creative, strategize, evolve tactics, take action, and plan
It is notable that no mean score (MS) > 4.17 ≤ 5.00, which would indicate the team building activities enhanced the related skills between a near major extent to a major extent / major extent. 12 / 17 (70.6%) MSs > 3.34 ≤ 4.17, which indicates the team building activities enhanced the related skills between some extent to a near major / near major extent
Summary
The academic programme within the Nelson Mandela University Department of Construction Management has struggled to engage with new entrant students to prepare them adequately for the rigours of the first year of study as well as the undergraduate programme Their inability to manage themselves, strategize, plan, evolve tactics, and take action, has marginalised their ability to study, undertake assignments, and projects. A perception has formed, confirmed in forums in which industry liaison interaction takes place, that students attending employment interviews or carrying out holiday employment placements lacked the skills and attributes expected of them to fulfil a management role This weakness in the way graduates communicated their abilities and applied knowledge gained during their studies, required an intervention at the earliest opportunity in the education process.
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