Team cohesiveness, team size and team performance in team-based learning teams

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Team-Based Learning
• Psychiatry Clerkship

Background:

• Team-based learning (TBL) is increasingly utilized in health sciences education.
• Understanding factors influencing team performance in TBL is crucial for optimizing educational outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between team characteristics and team outcomes in TBL settings.
• To identify variables that predict success on the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Psychiatry Subject Test within TBL teams.

Main Methods:

• Administered the NBME Psychiatry Subject Test to individuals and teams of third-year medical students in TBL psychiatry clerkships.
• Utilized the Team Performance Scale (TPS) to measure team cohesion.
• Employed bivariate correlation, linear regression, and hierarchical linear modeling to analyze relationships between team-level variables (team size, rotation, gender) and team NBME scores, controlling for individual performance.

Main Results:

• Individual NBME scores and individual TPS scores were significantly associated with higher team NBME scores (p < 0.01).
• Larger teams and teams rotating later in the academic year achieved higher team NBME scores (p < 0.01).
• Team gender composition did not show a significant association with team NBME scores.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest that larger teams and those completing rotations later in the year may perform better on the NBME Psychiatry Subject Test.
• Individual academic performance and team cohesion are positively linked to overall team performance in TBL.
• Further research is recommended to explore the interplay of team dynamics, size, and timing on TBL effectiveness in health science education.