Title

A Single Case Study of Sophomore College Students’ Self-Awareness and How it Relates to Teamwork at a Private College

Author

Jeanne Thomas, Concordia University - PortlandFollow

Date of Award

Fall 12-9-2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.

College

College of Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Belle Booker-Zorigian, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Frank E. Billingsley, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Alecia Eubanks, Ph.D.

Abstract

Teamwork is considered an essential 21st-century skill and is now included in most university curricula. Working in teams helps college students learn skills such as leadership and problem-solving, that can transfer to the workplace. Effective teams are defined as those with members who communicate well and whose members possess a high degree of self-awareness (SA). SA is the primary component of Goleman’s framework of emotional intelligence (EI). A single case study was conducted at a private college in the United States to better understand how sophomore students described SA and how it relates to teamwork. The participants were sophomore students in their last two quarters of an associate’s degree program. There were two participants for the pilot study and four participants in the case study and a maximum variation model of sampling was used. The methodology included participant diaries, interviews, and artifacts. The initial findings supported Goleman’s assertion that SA was a gateway component that supported the development of other components of EI, including social awareness, self-management, and relationship management. Implications for practice may be the way in which college student SA relates to teamwork. Results suggest that participant SA helped them to manage their emotions and to therefore work better with their teammates.

Recommended Citation