research
Comparative research: Team learning in higher education
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Abstract
Team learning is the process of aligning and developing the capacity of a team to create the
results its members truly desire‟ (Senge, 1990, p 236). This emphasizes the significance of
team learning as the fundamental learning units. Despite its importance, team learning
among employees in higher education, especially among academics remains poorly
understood. This research aims at shedding a light in the area which has recently been
urged by the increasingly demanding requirements of interdisciplinary research and teaching
in higher education around the world. Through a thorough literature review, a model of team
learning has been built with a set of antecedents, two moderators, and the outcome of
mental models. Hypotheses were formed, including team commitment, goal setting,
development and training, organizational culture, and leadership are positively associated
with team learning (antecedents), team learning is positively associated with knowledge
sharing (outcome), and better communication systems, and learning environment provide
better outcome of team learning (moderators). Thus, the study tested both mediating and
Kaleidoscope Postgraduate Conference, Cambridge 2009
http://www.educatejournal.org/ 92
moderating relationships. The data were collected in a form of self-report questionnaires. The
model was tested with the data collected from employees of two universities, one in the UK
and the other in Vietnam. The findings revealed interesting information on the differences
between two universities/two cultures, which is often the benefits of comparative research.
The case in VN had more positive results than the case in the UK. There are not many
differences between academic and non-academic employees, or between employees who
work in science and non-science areas. The research could not avoid some limitations due to
self-report questionnaires, though some actions were conducted to reduce research bias. In
addition, it is really difficult to measure team performance in higher education, which should
have been another outcome of team learning