Is students’ teamwork a dreamwork? A new DCE-based multidimensional approach to preferences towards group work

From the characteristics of the learning process, student satisfaction is important for learning effectiveness, motivation, and student well-being. However, student preferences toward learning are not well understood and rarely considered in practice. Thus, this study examines the preferences of lower secondary school students in Poland for different study modes and school subjects. It employs a discrete choice experiment to describe student preferences in light of the time devoted to studying. The study shows significant heterogeneity of student tastes for different study modes. Most students prefer studying in a group of peers, but there are important differences across students at different achievement levels and subjects. This study demonstrates how preferences toward learning can be properly measured using discrete choice experiments. Moreover, the results can inform policy and practice to satisfy student tastes and optimize learning incentives.