Postgraduate students' attitudes towards group work: experiences within a forensic chemistry programme

Abstract

The ability to work in a group is an important skill for graduates. Although the experiences of undergraduate students with group work have been extensively explored, there is much less information in the literature regarding postgraduate students and no information on those enrolled in science programmes. In this study, participants from a taught applied chemistry postgraduate MSc programme report their attitudes and experiences with group work. The usefulness of this approach and of scientific discourse for learning and teaching several key concepts is also explored. Participants in the study completed attitudinal questionnaires and group/individual multiple choice question (MCQ) tests. They reported a range of skills developed through working together, mixed preferences for group vs. individual assignments, and comparison of the mean MCQ test scores between participants working individually and in groups demonstrated no statistically significant differences.