SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Marmara Üniversitesi Atatürk Eğitim Fakültesi Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 64 Sayı: 64

Utilizing Teamwork in Higher Education: An Interdisciplinary Study

Yükseköğretimde Ekip Çalışmasından Faydalanmak: Disiplinlerarası Bir Çalışma

Neslihan Onder-Ozdemır(Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi)0000-0001-7010-9050
Hüseyin Özdemir(Osmangazi Gazi Anadolu Lisesi)0000-0002-4202-6319
Pages
60–79
Publication Date
2026-06-27
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings indicated that students predominantly perceived teamwork as a valuable learning opportunity.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Acquiring hard and soft skills is crucial for university students to develop the personal, academic, and professional competencies required for successful education and careers.
📊
Key Findings & Data:This qualitative study aimed to investigate the teamwork experiences of undergraduate students from physiotherapy and rehabilitation, nursing, medicine, and industrial engineering in online learning environments following the devastating earthquake that occurred in Türkiye on 6 February 2023.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The findings indicated that students predominantly perceived teamwork as a valuable learning opportunity.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2023 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Takım çalışması · Sosyal becerilerin geliştirilmesi · Teknik beceriler

Abstract

Acquiring hard and soft skills is crucial for university students to develop the personal, academic, and professional competencies required for successful education and careers. Universities and employers have increasingly reported concerns regarding students’ soft skills, alongside the growing number of unfilled positions in STEAM-related fields. Therefore, the role of teamwork in higher education has drawn growing attention. This qualitative study aimed to investigate the teamwork experiences of undergraduate students from physiotherapy and rehabilitation, nursing, medicine, and industrial engineering in online learning environments following the devastating earthquake that occurred in Türkiye on 6 February 2023. Data were collected from 56 undergraduate students through reflective journals and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that students predominantly perceived teamwork as a valuable learning opportunity. The salient themes revealed positive effects of teamwork on students’ communication and teamwork skills, professional development, socialization, career awareness, and personal growth. Some students reported using coping strategies to address challenges related to teamwork in online learning environments. The findings highlight the pedagogical value of teamwork in supporting students’ academic and professional development, particularly in online and crisis-affected educational contexts.

Özet

Üniversite öğrencilerinin başarılı bir eğitim ve kariyere sahip olmaları için gerekli kişisel, akademik ve mesleki özelliklerin geliştirilmesi açısından teknik ve sosyal becerilerin kazanılması büyük önem taşımaktadır. Üniversiteler ve işverenler, öğrencilerin sosyal becerileri hakkında, STEAM alanlarında artan sayıda doldurulamayan pozisyon gibi bazı endişeleri bildirmektedir. Bu nedenle son zamanlarda yükseköğretimde ekip çalışmasının rolü giderek daha fazla önem kazanmaktadır. Bu çalışma, 06 Şubat 2023 tarihinde Türkiye’de meydana gelen yıkıcı depremin ardından fizyoterapi ve rehabilitasyon, hemşirelik, tıp ve endüstri mühendisliği lisans öğrencilerinin çevrimiçi öğrenme ortamlarında takım çalışması deneyimlerini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır (n=56). Veriler yansıtıcı günlükler kullanılarak toplanmış ve tematik analiz yöntemi ile analiz edilmiştir. Bu çalışmada öğrencilerin büyük çoğunluğu, takım çalışmasını kendileri için değerli bir öğrenme fırsatı olarak algılamıştır. Öne çıkan temalar, lisans öğrencilerinin iletişim ve takım çalışması becerileri, mesleki gelişim, sosyalleşme, kariyer farkındalığı ve kişisel gelişim gibi takım çalışmasının olumlu etkilerini ortaya koymuştur. Bulgular bazı öğrencilerin çevrimiçi öğrenme ortamlarında ekip çalışmasına ilişkin zorluklarla başa çıkmak için kullandıkları stratejileri de göstermektedir. Ayrıca, özellikle çevrimiçi ve krizden etkilenen eğitim bağlamlarında ekip çalışmasının öğrencilerin akademik ve mesleki gelişimini desteklemedeki pedagojik değerini vurgulamaktadır.

🔖

Cite This Article

Onder-Ozdemır, N., Özdemir, H. (2026). Utilizing Teamwork in Higher Education: An Interdisciplinary Study. Marmara Üniversitesi Atatürk Eğitim Fakültesi Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, Cilt: 64 Sayı: 64, 60–79. https://doi.org/10.15285/maruaebd.1513449

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (36)

  1. Abdelbadie, R. A. (2023). Cooperative learning and accounting students’ transitions into higher education: Lessons from learning experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. In J. Herron (Ed.), Using self-efficacy for improving retention and success of diverse student populations (pp. 167–202). IGI Global. https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/cooperative-learning-and-accounting-students-transitions-into-higher-education/320979
  2. Bach, A., & Thiel, F. (2024). Collaborative online learning in higher education: Quality of digital interaction and associations with individual and group-related factors. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1356271. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1356271
  3. Baker, D., & Salas, E. (1992). Principles for measuring teamwork skills. Human Factors, 34(4), 459–475. Balcar, J. (2016). Is it better to invest in hard or soft skills? The Economic and Labour Relations Review, 27(4), 453–470.
  4. Barkley, E. F., Cross, K. P., & Major, C. H. (2023). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
  5. Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2022). Teaching for quality learning at university (5th ed.). Open University Press.
  6. Boud, D., Keogh, R., & Walker, D. (2013). Reflection: Turning experience into learning. Routledge.
  7. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications.
  8. Chies, M., Penazzi, G., Pavesi, M. C., Gadotti, E., & De Pisapia, N. (2025). Contemplative practices in a teamwork setting: A preliminary study on mindfulness meditations and interpersonal skills. Mindfulness, 16(4), 944–965. Cohen, E. G. (1994). Restructuring the classroom: Conditions for productive small groups. Review of Educational Research, 64(1), 1–35.
  9. Corey, G., Corey, M., & Callanan, P. (2007). Issues and ethics in the helping professions (7th ed.). Brooks/Cole. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
  10. Damoah, O. B. O., Peprah, A. A., & Brefo, K. O. (2021). Does higher education equip graduate students with the employability skills employers require? Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(10), 1311–1324. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2020.1860204
  11. Donnelly, R., & Patrinos, H. A. (2021). Learning loss during COVID-19: An early systematic review. Prospects, 51(4), 601–609. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-021-09582-6
  12. Ellis, A. P. J., & Bell, B. S. (2005). Team learning: Collective reflection processes and performance improvement. Management Learning, 36(4), 457–480.
  13. Gillies, R. M. (2022). Cooperative learning: Review of research and practice. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 47(8), 39–54.
  14. Hare, A. (2010). Theories of group development and categories for interaction analysis. Small Group Research, 41(1), 106–140.
  15. Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2022). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. EDUCAUSE Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning
  16. Hooley, T., Bårdsdatter Bakke, I., Bergmo-Prvulovic, I., Borbély-Pecze, T. B., Christie, F., Drosos, N., Elftorp, P., Gee, R., Kessler Ladelsky, L., Casanova, M. L., Mankoo, A., Mariager-Anderson, K., Özdemir, N. K., Thomsen, R., & Vahidi, G. (2024). Developing critical career theory. University of Derby. https://hdl.handle.net/10344/31504
  17. Hubbs, D. L., & Brand, C. F. (2005). The paper mirror: Understanding reflective journaling. Journal of Experiential Education, 28(1), 60–71.
  18. Jackson, D. (2023). Employability skill development in higher education. Higher Education Research & Development, 42(2), 292–306.
  19. Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (2014). Cooperative learning: Improving university instruction by basing practice on validated theory. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25(3–4), 85–118.
  20. Longo, B., & Onder-Ozdemir, N. (2023). Teaching teamwork: Online technical writing courses with engineering students. Boğaziçi University Journal of Education, 40(2), 49–64.
  21. Martínez-Romero, M. J., Priego de la Cruz, A. M., Ferrer, C., & Casado-Belmonte, P. (2021). The effect of previous experience with working in groups on students’ academic performance in the accounting discipline. Spanish Accounting Review, 24(2), 153–167. https://doi.org/10.6018/rcsar.359561
  22. Moon, J. A. (2010). Reflection in learning and professional development. Routledge.
  23. OECD. (2017). PISA 2015 results (Volume V): Collaborative problem solving. OECD Publishing.
  24. OECD. (2023). Education at a glance 2023. OECD Publishing.
  25. O’Neill, T. A., Allen, N. J., & Hastings, S. E. (1999). Development and validation of the teamwork skills questionnaire. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 31(4), 262–273.
  26. Pinto, H. R., Gouveia, L. B., & Trigo, M. (2023). Assessment of technical and soft skills in professional training. In A. Mesquita, A. Abreu, J. V. Carvalho, & C. H. P. de Mello (Eds.), Perspectives and trends in education and technology: Selected papers from ICITED 2023 (pp. 165–173). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6585-2_15
  27. Pitan, O. S. (2017). Graduate employees’ generic skills and training needs. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 7(3), 290–303.
  28. Riebe, L., Girardi, A., & Whitsed, C. (2016). A systematic literature review of teamwork pedagogy in higher education. Small Group Research, 47(6), 619–664.
  29. Ryan, M. (2023). Reflective practice in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 28(5), 873–887. Schürmann, V., Marquardt, N., & Bodemer, D. (2024). Conceptualization and measurement of peer collaboration in higher education: A systematic review. Small Group Research, 55(1), 89–138. https://doi.org/10.1177/10464964231200191
  30. Succi, C., & Canovi, M. (2022). Soft skills to enhance graduate employability. Studies in Higher Education, 47(9), 1834–1847.
  31. Terry, G., Hayfield, N., Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2017). Thematic analysis. In C. Willig & W. Stainton Rogers (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of qualitative research in psychology (pp. 17–37). SAGE.
  32. Vesikivi, P., Lakkala, M., Holvikivi, J., & Muukkonen, H. (2019). Team teaching implementation in engineering education. European Journal of Engineering Education, 44(4), 519–534. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2018.1446910
  33. Vygotsky, L. (1986). Thought and language. MIT Press.
  34. Watermeyer, R., Crick, T., Knight, C., & Goodall, J. (2021). COVID-19 and digital disruption in UK universities. Higher Education, 84(3), 623–641. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00561-y
  35. Yilmaz, K. (2022). Teachers’ professional collaboration. Ankara University Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences, 55(3), 1023–1043.
  36. Zewail-Foote, M., & Gonzalez, M. (2023). Crisscrossing learning experiences to promote reciprocal peer learning. Journal of Chemical Education, 100(3), 1092–1099.