Factors Influencing IT Students’ Selection of Group Project Partners in Collaborative Programming Projects

Collaboration is essential in today’s technology-driven world, where IT professionals work in teams to solve complex problems. To mirror industry practices, universities have increasingly adopted project-based learning approaches, requiring students to work collaboratively on tasks such as software development. However, while considerable research has examined group project outcomes, little is known about the decision-making processes students use to select their partners, particularly in software development. This study, therefore, explores the factors influencing IT students’ choices of group project partners and how these choices reflect broader learning priorities. A qualitative approach was employed, collecting open-ended responses from 103 software development students through individual interviews conducted via MS Teams. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurring patterns in the data. Five main themes emerged: Personal Relationships & Familiarity, Work Ethic & Dedication, Communication & Teamwork, Reliability & Accountability, and Technical Skills & Competence. The findings indicate that students prioritise interpersonal trust, reliability, and communication skills over technical ability when selecting partners. This suggests that students view effective collaboration as grounded more in work ethic and relational qualities than in coding proficiency alone.