Contribution of peer-feedback to the development of teamwork skills

Abstract

Peer-feedback is a widely-used strategy at the university level for its positive impact on student learning and its multifaceted advantages encompassing social, cognitive, and metacognitive development. However, few studies have assessed its contribution to the development of teamwork skills. This study analyzes students’ perception of how peer-feedback contributes to the development of teamwork skills by comparing the results of two class groups that have taken the same subject, though with different feedback experience designs (face-to-face and mixed feedback vs. non-face-to-face and written feedback, with or without consensus among group members). At the end of the study, 82 participants completed a questionnaire to assess their perception of the peer-feedback experience and its impact on learning and the development of teamwork skills. The findings reveal that students perceive that giving and receiving feedback in face-to-face mixed modality contributes more to developing teamwork skills; however, the presence or absence of consensus among group members to give or receive feedback does not appear to exert a clear impact on the development of these skills. Additionally, the findings suggest that students perceive a greater development of teamwork skills by giving feedback rather than receiving it. These results highlight the importance for teachers to consider such aspects when designing peer-feedback experiences, aiming to maximize the impact on the development of teamwork skills.