Graduate student views of leadership and team structure in a self-guided instructional laboratory setting

Effective collaboration is an essential skill for scientists, particularly in rapidly evolving, interdisciplinary fields such as quantum engineering. The Quantum Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Bristol prepares PhD students to join this dynamic workforce through a combination of theoretical courses and team-based laboratory courses in their first year. In this study, we examine student views on teamwork within one of these lab courses, using a framework based on the Adaptive Instrument for Regulation of Emotions survey. We found that a lack of designated leadership roles and clear team structure led to specific challenges that students had to overcome. Furthermore, developing leadership skills was a primary teamwork goal for students, but they were often concerned that there would not be enough opportunities to attain this goal. This work can provide guidance to programs and instructors in developing more effective teamwork structures in laboratory courses.