Researching the Dynamics of Collaborative Work: Insights from Student Experiences

Collaborative group work is a core component of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses in engineering-related degree programmes, yet relatively little is known about how first-year students in technical disciplines perceive and experience these collaborative tasks. Understanding their perspectives is essential for designing group-based assessments that promote equitable participation, effective communication, and the development of professional competencies. This study addresses this gap by examining first-year students’ experiences of completing a collaborative research proposal in ESP courses embedded within Computer Engineering, Robotics, and Computational Mathematics degrees. A total of 117 students provided open-ended feedback via the Mentimeter platform, and their responses were thematically coded and classified by valence (positive, neutral, or negative). Quantitative coding revealed that 68.85% of comments were positive, highlighting perceived benefits, including shared responsibility, improved communication, greater efficiency, and opportunities to learn from peers. Neutral responses (15.57%) typically described mixed experiences or practical difficulties, while 11.48% of comments were negative, with students reporting unequal contributions, last-minute work, limited coordination, and challenges managing uncooperative team members. Thematic analysis across all clusters underscored communication quality, organisational skills, technological proficiency, and respect among teammates as central determinants of successful collaboration. The findings indicate that while most students value collaborative work, persistent barriers — especially those related to inequitable participation and unclear task management — can undermine the learning experience. The study contributes novel evidence from under-researched ESP contexts in STEM programmes. It offers practical implications for designing group assignments, suggesting the need for explicit training in teamwork skills, clearer structuring of collaborative tasks and targeted support mechanisms to monitor participation and improve group functioning.