An Investigation of Group Work through the Social Cognitive Theory

Abstract

Group work commonly used in educational and organizational context to stimulate collaboration, shared learning and collective problem solving. However, due to differences in behaviors, human belief and social interactions between group members, the outcome of group work may fluctuate. This study aimed to explore group work through social cognitive theory. A quantitative approach was employed with 404 participants from a local university responding to the 5 Likert-scale survey that is rooted from Studnicka (2023) and Bateman, et. al. (2002). In general, learners had positive insight in terms of environmental, behavioral and personal factors. Findings reveal that to build an effective group work, clear goals, clear roles, good teamwork and learner confidence are needed. In conclusion, the finding parallels Social Cognitive Theory by revealing how these factors work together to influence group work. The findings suggest that language teachers should design group work with clear goals, defined roles, and supportive interaction to improve collaboration, learner confidence, and learning outcomes. The findings of this study bear interesting implications in the use of group work in the classroom.