Team-based Learning and Social Loafing in Higher Education

Conflict occurs within all facets of life, and higher education is no exception. For example, outside the classroom, students frequently find themselves in conflict with the educational system as a whole (Chesler & Lohman, 1971). College students rarely have power within the system, which prevents them from having a say in most decisions that influence their education. Inside the classroom, students often engage in a power struggles with their teachers, which tend to affect students ’ behaviors and satisfaction (Jamieson & Thomas, 1974). Students within higher education also experience intergroup conflict with one another, specifically when they are asked to work collectively through an instructional method known as team-based learning. Team-based learning is a teaching technique in which students work in teams and achieve a noticeably higher quality of learning than if they were working individually (Michaelsen, Knight & Fink, 2002). In some instances, students are asked to work in groups so they can cover a significan