%0 Journal Article
%T Comparing Student
%A Brandon J. Justus
%A Shayna A. Rusticus
%J Small Group Research
%@ 1552-8278
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/1046496419854520
%X We compared student- and teacher-formed teams on aspects of group dynamics, satisfaction, and performance. Two sections of an introductory psychology research methods course were randomly assigned to either student-formed or teacher-formed teams. We conducted t tests on 10 measures related to group dynamics, satisfaction, and success. Academic performance and group work contribution were the only measures found to be statistically different, with the student-formed teams scoring higher than the teacher-formed teams. Follow-up individual interviews or focus groups conducted with 13 students suggested a slight preference for the teacher-formed method because it was transparent and eliminated the stress of having to choose one¡¯s team members. We further recommend this method because of its simplicity and closer approximation to real-world scenarios. Several factors identified as being important for effective team functioning, regardless of group formation method, are also discussed
%K group selection methods
%K group formation
%K group projects
%K mixed methods
%K team formation
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1046496419854520