As the model of talented people for global society changes, universities are being demanded with responsibilities to cultivate people who are prepared in the workplace. To fulfill this need, universities have applied several educational methods. Among...
As the model of talented people for global society changes, universities are being demanded with responsibilities to cultivate people who are prepared in the workplace. To fulfill this need, universities have applied several educational methods. Among them, team-based learning has received constant attention. Although, research on team-based learning has been conducted in many educational fields, still it is blamed for focusing solely on how to make students’ achievements effectively. In addition, studies on how project proceeds were conducted mostly in companies so that studies or discussions on this topic are insufficient.
In this respect, this study was conducted in attempt to focus on the process of team-based learning. To be specific, I proposed relationship conflict as mediator and attempted to investigate mediating effects of relationship conflict when openness to diversity and task conflict predict team commitment and achievement that are main variables of team outcomes.
Openness to diversity has gained attention recently since diversity among university learner group grows. Rather than how much team members are heterogenous, how much each member can understand or tries to understand each other during communications and discussions is more appropriate for current university situations.
Unlike results on task conflict effects research shows its mixed effects, relationship conflict consistently reported that it leads to negative outcomes. While early conflict research attempted to verity each type of conflict’s effects individually, Simons and Peterson(2000) found out they in fact task conflict and relationship conflict are interrelated which caused changes in viewpoint in regard to conflict research. They asserted that each type of conflict interacts with each other so that positive effects of task conflicts evolve into relationship conflict which has negative impacts. In this regard, nowadays, the concept of conflict transference from task conflict to relationship conflict has been raised.
Relationship conflict contains negative effects and attempts to reduce its negative effects will provide implications for professors applying team-based learning in their classes. Based on existing studies I proposed openness to diversity, task conflict, team commitment and achievement as main variables to verify relationship conflict’s mediating effects among their relationships.
The research questions are as follows:
First, in university team-based learning, does relationship conflict plays as mediator, when openness to diversity and task conflict predict team commitment?
Second, in university team-based learning, does relationship conflict plays as mediator, when openness to diversity and task conflict predict achievement?
To test proposed hypotheses, the survey was conducted among students who enrolled in liberal arts course in 2017 Winter semester that they are taught with practice-based learning. Based on collected data, I utilized SPSS 18.0 to verify mediating effects of relationship conflict through Baron & Kenny(1986) moderation model.
Analysis results along with research questions are as follows:
First, as the result of mediating effects of relationship conflict in relation between openness to diversity and team commitment, relationship conflict is found out to fully mediate between them. Also, as the result of mediation effects of relationship conflict in relation between task conflict and team commitment, relationship conflict shows partial mediating effects between them.
Second, as the result of mediating effects of relationship conflict in relation between openness to diversity and achievement, relationship conflict is found out to partially mediate between them. Also, as the result of mediation effects of relationship conflict in relation between task conflict and task conflict, relationship conflict shows full mediating effects between them.
The major findings of this study are as follows:
First, this study found out the relationship between openness to diversity and conflict in university team-based learning context. Existing studies have found out that diversity has negative effects on team outcomes but suggestions that openness to diversity will have positive impacts were based mostly on theoretical study. Particularly, discussions on openness to diversity have been held with creativity and its positive effect on achievement has been predicted by existing studies. In this regard, this study not only found out effects of openness to diversity on team commitment and achievement but also found out mediating effects of relationship conflict in this relationship.
Second, this study verified necessity of openness to diversity since it influences on team commitment through mediating effects of relationship conflict and has partial impacts on achievement in university team-based learning. This implies that not only universities but also professors should consider diversity issues and encourage students to meet and interact with various students which can help them understand and embrace diversity.
Third, theoretical enlargement was implied by empirically verifying conflict transference from task conflict to relationship conflict. Negative effects of conflict were found out by verifying that task conflict predicted relationship conflict positively and relationship conflict predicted team commitment and achievement negatively. This finding will provide other findings in conflict management in university team-based learning through further research.
Fourth, task conflict not only had partial negative effects on team commitment and achievement but evolves into relationship conflict which is found out to play dysfunctional role both on process and outcome in context of university team-based learning. Research results implies importance of managing conflicts and planning teaching strategies focusing on reducing possibilities of conflict transference for professors.
Based on results of this study, further researches are suggested as follows:
First, this study was conducted on students of Winter semester and each team was organized with no limits of team members. Therefore, mediating effects of relationship conflict should be reviewed by conducting studies on students of regular semesters in order to apply the results in regular semesters. Second, mediating effects of relationship conflict should be reviewed with different mediating effect analysis methods such as structural equation models. In addition, relationships among the variables are needed to be verified structurally with suggested method. Third, further researches on conflict transference are needed to give concrete shape. Variables that influence on conflict transference are needed to be investigated which will provide more practical implications for professors when managing team-based learning in their classes. Fourth, more understanding on foreign students in their team-based learning process is needed. For further researches, more methods such as development of scale for foreign students, direct observations and interviews should be used.