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Introduction
Teamwork has been transforming the way organizations function for more than two decades (Drew and Coulson-Thomas, 1996; Parker et al., 2017). As teamwork along with social attributes of jobs becomes more common in contemporary workplaces (Gummer, 1996; Oldham and Hackman, 2010; Parker et al., 2017), employers are increasingly seeking employees who possess teamwork skills (Kutlubay and Uslay, 2019). As such, teamwork skill is an essential soft skill that students need to acquire and develop to transition from higher education into the world of work (National Leadership Council for Liberal Education and America’s Promise, 2007; Succi and Wieandt, 2019; Clarke, 2017). Even though teamwork skills are regarded as important for higher education graduates, to improve the performance of students in teams, teamwork instruction (such as teaching team development and teamwork skills, determining team formation, increasing team cohesiveness via team building exercises, requesting multiple feedback points) should be included in the curriculum (Hansen, 2006). Without proper teamwork instruction it is of no surprise that students tend to report challenges when working in teams (Chang and Brickman, 2018; Koh and Hill, 2009; Popov et al., 2012).
From a student-centered perspective, teamwork refers to “a process involving two or more students working toward common goals, through interdependent behavior with individual accountability” (Riebe et al., 2016, p. 2). While students understand the importance of teamwork, they may not feel sufficiently equipped to be in a team setting, contributing to poor teamwork experiences (Wilson et al., 2018; Pfaff and Huddleston, 2003). One key challenge often encountered by students is the lack of information and guidance for working in a team comprising persons with whom they may be interacting with for the first time through virtual or face-to-face modes (Page and Donelan, 2003). Therefore, to improve students' university experience as well as prepare them for the contemporary workplace, it is important to explore their perceptions of teamwork and its associated challenges and solutions. Through this understanding, educators can craft approaches to improve teamwork experience and harness the merits of teamwork andragogy (Deutsch, 1949; Johnson and Johnson, 2005).
Social relationships are integral to an individual's development, behaviors and achievements as they progress in both academics and life. At the early adolescent stage of development (12–15 years of...