Lessons from the Best and Worst Student Team Experiences: How a Teacher can make the Difference

Abstract

This study empirically identifies which teacher-controlled (contextual) variables have the greatest impact on whether the student will have a great team experience or a miserable one. The results indicate that the clarity of instructions to the team, the longevity of the team experience, and self-selection of teammates all positively affect team experiences. The level of management education, the team size, and the percentage of the course grade associated with team performance did not differ across best and worst team experiences. Contrary to previous empirical findings and conventional wisdom, the use of peer evaluations was negatively associated with good team experiences. Further insights from the data and implications for the use of student teams are discussed.