Journal article 111 views 6 downloads
Perceived Belbin team roles of first year university students studying aerospace engineering: a multi-year study
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J.K. McFadzean,
Patricia Xavier ,
Ben Evans
Journal of Further and Higher Education, Pages: 1 - 17
Swansea University Authors:
Spencer Jeffs , Patricia Xavier , Ben Evans
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© 2026 The Author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
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DOI (Published version): 10.1080/0309877x.2026.2625371
Abstract
Effective teamwork is critical in engineering and engineering degree programmes are designed to encourage, develop and allow students to demonstrate this transferable skill. This is particularly true in aerospace engineering where the complexity and inherent multidisciplinary nature of both defined...
| Published in: | Journal of Further and Higher Education |
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| ISSN: | 0309-877X 1469-9486 |
| Published: |
Informa UK Limited
2026
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71392 |
| Abstract: |
Effective teamwork is critical in engineering and engineering degree programmes are designed to encourage, develop and allow students to demonstrate this transferable skill. This is particularly true in aerospace engineering where the complexity and inherent multidisciplinary nature of both defined and open-ended projects demands a well-balanced team with diverse team role preferences. This study investigates trends in the perceived team roles of aerospace engineering students over six years (2018–2024), utilising Belbin’s Team Role Self-Perception Inventory (BTRSPI). The study identifies the overall distribution of role perceptions amongst aerospace engineering students, the perceived traits of male or female participants, as well as the trends and fluctuations in role perceptions over time, with consideration given to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, Monitor Evaluator, Plant, and Completer Finisher roles were found to be consistently prominent, while Coordinator, Shaper, and Specialist roles were less favoured. Clear differences are identified between female and male participants, with females showing higher percentile scores in people-orientated roles and males dominating in thinking-orientated roles. Trends and shifts in perceived team roles are considered in the context of aerospace engineering students and their implications for curriculum design and team-based learning strategies in engineering education. |
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| Keywords: |
Aerospace engineering; team roles; Belbin’s self-perception inventory; engineering education |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
Swansea University |
| Start Page: |
1 |
| End Page: |
17 |