Unravelling Group Work Assessment: Postgrduate Students’ Perceptions and Experiences

Jacqueline Susan Rijeng, Imelia Laura Daneil, Tang Howe Eng, Siti Faridah Kamaruddin,

Abstract: The importance of team-working in Malaysian institutions of higher education has brought significant impacts and received various reactions from students of different levels particularly in implementing the assessment practices in higher education today. A study was conducted to explore postgraduate students’ perceptions of group work assessment, potential issues germane to group work assessment as well as strategies to overcome the problem. The study employed a mixed method research design and involved a group of final year full-time postgraduate students (n = 20) from the Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam. Findings revealed that students had a positive attitude to group work assessment as an integral aspect in the classroom, and that it is a fair method in awarding marks. Nonetheless, some were still uncertain if it ensures lower grades for students who work the least. Several issues were highlighted in terms of the assessment process, lecturer and students’ standpoints which lead to the suggestion in implementing peer-assessment in the syllabus. The findings have implications on curriculum development across different programmes in order to implement effective assessment method in higher education.

Key words: Group work assessment, peer-assessment, higher education