A framework for developing team science expertise using a reflective-reflexive design method (R2DM)

The paper addresses how to develop team science expertise by centering on the individual within the context of the team. While SciTS offers evidence-based practices to enhance team effectiveness, unmet needs remain for interventions and tools at individual, team, and organizational levels. The authors shift focus from contributory expertise to interactional expertise, emphasizing purposeful team development—agreeing on a shared mindset, norms, and understanding individual motivators. They highlight that implicit motivations are rarely surfaced in science teams, yet making them explicit can improve shared mental models and collaboration. The authors identify a gap in attention to individual needs satisfaction and conscious team readiness (task and relationship work), noting the importance of psychological safety. They argue that effective team science requires deep self-knowledge, shared vocabulary, and the capacity to engage productively with differences through reflective and reflexive agency. The research questions are: what constitutes expertise to succeed in science teams, and how to design learning engagements to enable such expertise.

The paper situates its contribution within extensive SciTS literature on team effectiveness, readiness, and training, citing work on psychological safety, conflict, shared mental models, and team development. It identifies a gap concerning individual motivations and needs satisfaction in team settings. The authors draw on and integrate three theoretical/practical models from multiple disciplines: (1) MATRICx to measure individual motivators across five domains (Advancing Science, Building Relationships, Knowledge Transfer, Maintenance of Beliefs, Resource Acquisition) on cooperative and collaborative scales; (2) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to frame how motivations map to developmental needs from basic (physiological, safety) to higher-order (belonging, esteem, self-actualization) and the increasing social engagement required; and (3) TEMS (Team Effectiveness Model for Science) to guide adoption of a mutual learning mindset (values: transparency, curiosity, informed choice, accountability, compassion) and associated behaviors for team task and relationship work. Prior studies are referenced showing MATRICx utility in educational settings (pre/post increases in collaborative readiness) and differences in motivators across biomedical, policy, and education teams, underscoring the relevance of intra-personal motivations to teaming.

The authors propose a Reflective-Reflexive Design Method (R2DM) developed via a design thinking approach that merges individual reflection with group reflexivity to build team science expertise. R2DM integrates three models: MATRICx (to surface individual motivators), Maslow’s hierarchy (to structure needs satisfaction and developmental progression), and TEMS (to establish a shared mutual learning mindset and behaviors). The method unfolds as follows: (1) Intra-personal assessment using the MATRICx inventory to trigger self-reflection across five domains, identifying cooperative vs. collaborative motivational profiles; (2) Mapping motivations to Maslow’s needs through designed activities at each need level to surface individual comfort levels and needs, combining self- and social reflection to develop shared understanding of motivators; (3) Establishing shared team culture using TEMS by defining mutual learning values and norms/behaviors (e.g., transparency, curiosity; sharing all relevant information; testing assumptions; jointly designing next steps) to guide both task and relationship dynamics. The authors present a reflective sensemaking learning model guiding intra-personal cognitive processing through stages of exploration, identification, processing/reasoning, judgment, and integration. They operationalize the integrated model by unbundling components into learning goals and micro-activities aligned with Maslow and TEMS (illustrated in Tables 2–3), including outputs like knowledge and skills analysis, professional network mapping, mentorship agreements, collaboration norms, and resource inventories. The method is iterative, supporting progression from informal/less challenging/basic needs to formal/more challenging/complex needs, with increasing social integration. Though not an empirical trial, the methodology provides a structured instructional design for building individual readiness and team reflexivity leading to an agreed team mindset and behaviors.

- The paper proposes R2DM, an integrated framework that connects individual motivations (MATRICx), developmental needs (Maslow), and team mindset/behaviors (TEMS) to build team science expertise from the individual to the team level. - R2DM offers a practical, staged instructional design with specific activities and outputs (e.g., knowledge/skills analysis, network maps, mentorship agreements, collaboration norms) that link reflective (intra-personal) and reflexive (inter-personal) processes. - The framework clarifies how cooperative-to-collaborative motivational profiles map onto increasing levels of social engagement and complexity in needs satisfaction, guiding readiness development and team design. - Prior related evidence cited: In educational settings, using MATRICx with structured learning interventions was associated with increased team engagement readiness via higher collaborative scores (no specific statistics reported). A mixed-method comparative study using MATRICx identified similarities and differences in motivators across biomedical, policy, and education health science teams, demonstrating the critical role of intra-personal motivations in teaming. - The integration with TEMS provides concrete mutual learning values and behaviors to support challenging team evolutions, fostering psychological safety and effective conflict engagement.

R2DM addresses the research questions by defining the expertise needed for team science as a combination of intra-personal self-knowledge (motivations and needs) and inter-personal team processes (shared mindset, norms, behaviors). By sequencing reflective activities (self-assessment and sensemaking) with reflexive team activities (agreement on mutual learning values and behaviors), the framework provides a pathway for individuals to transition into interdependent, effective team members. The approach underscores that satisfying higher-level needs (esteem, self-actualization) in teams requires more intensive social interaction and reflexivity, which TEMS helps structure. Embedding mutual learning mindsets enhances psychological safety, transparent communication, and joint problem solving, aligning behaviors with desired scientific and relationship results. The framework’s significance lies in filling a gap in SciTS by operationalizing individual readiness as foundational to team effectiveness and by offering practical tools to iteratively co-develop individual and team capacities.

The paper presents the Reflective-Reflexive Design Method (R2DM), an integrated framework leveraging MATRICx, Maslow’s hierarchy, and TEMS to develop team science expertise beginning with individual motivations and progressing to shared team mindset and behaviors. It contributes an instructional design with concrete activities and outputs that align reflective sensemaking with reflexive team practices, supporting psychological safety, innovation, and sustained collaboration. The authors emphasize that motivations are fluid over time, requiring iterative interventions and continuous improvement cycles as teams form and evolve. Future work could empirically evaluate R2DM’s impact across contexts, refine activities and measures, and scale implementation to enhance team effectiveness across disciplines.