Exploring the Relationship between Communication Skills and Group Work Effectiveness among Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Effective communication is essential in facilitating the exchange of information, ideas, and opinions within collaborative settings. In higher education, group work is widely used to encourage student interaction, cooperation, and problem-solving skills, and its success largely depends on students’ ability to communicate effectively with one another. However, ineffective communication may lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, reduced participation, and poor group performance. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between communication skills and group work effectiveness among undergraduate students at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Negeri Sembilan. This study employed a quantitative research design using an online survey questionnaire distributed to 382 undergraduate students. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from Ding et al. (2023), measured using a 5-point Likert scale. Communication skills were assessed using a frequency-based scale ranging from “never” to “always”, while group work effectiveness was measured using an intensity-based scale ranging from “not at all” to “to a great extent”. Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient was used to analyse the relationship between variables. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between communication skills and group work effectiveness among undergraduate students, indicating that students with better communication skills tend to perform more effectively in group work activities. Effective communication was found to contribute to better cooperation, clearer information sharing, improved problem-solving, and stronger group coordination. In conclusion, communication skills play a crucial role in ensuring the success and effectiveness of group work in higher education settings. The study highlights the importance of developing students’ communication competencies to enhance collaborative learning experiences and academic performance, while also providing useful insights for educators and higher education institutions in designing strategies and activities that promote effective communication and teamwork among students.