The Role of Group Cohesiveness in the Success of Student Group Work: A Narrative Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37304/pandohop.v6i2.25419Keywords:
group cohesiveness, student group work, group success, communication, collaboration, social loafingAbstract
This study aims to examine the role of group cohesiveness in supporting the success of students’ group work through a narrative review approach. The study is motivated by the importance of group work in higher education, which requires not only academic competence but also social skills, communication, responsibility, and collaboration. However, in practice, students’ group work often faces several challenges, including unequal contributions among members, low participation, and the emergence of social loafing. The data in this review were obtained through a search of relevant scientific articles from ScienceDirect, SINTA, Google Scholar, and SAGE Journals. Of the 28 articles identified, 13 articles were selected as the main sources for analysis based on topic relevance, full-text availability, and relevance to the context of students’ group work. The findings indicate that group cohesiveness plays an important role in improving communication quality, collaboration, participation, responsibility, and achievement motivation among group members. In addition, group cohesiveness helps reduce the tendency toward social loafing because members develop a sense of attachment, responsibility, and commitment to group goals. Group cohesiveness is influenced by several factors, including social presence, interaction intensity, interpersonal communication, member commitment, and group environmental support. Therefore, group cohesiveness is an essential aspect in creating effective, productive, and optimal student group work.
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