Summary:
This work presents a development study describing the construct properties and application of a scale of group work behaviors (GWB). The validation analysis was undertaken in a naturalistic setting of a course and revealed acceptable internal consistency and temporal stability. A dimension of 'cooperative leadership' was identified by factor analysis. The results of application analysis revealed that the total score is significantly related to both measures of self-efficacy in teamwork and academic achievement, and that it distinguishes students with distinct experiences. Other results indicate that the behavioral dimension is a transferable skill that can be enhanced by training or tutorship experience. The findings suggest that the GWB scale is a robust, simple and useful tool for global assessment of ability in small group cooperative learning and for monitoring of students' personal qualities.
Key words:
Medical education; Group skills; Validity; Medical students; Small group; Cooperative learning