Designing an Inclusive Game-Based Framework for Enhancing Chinese Students’ Teamwork in UK Engineering Programmes

With the internationalisation of higher education, the number of international students (mainly Chinese) in UK universities—particularly in one-year postgraduate taught (PGT) engineering programmes—has increased significantly. At the same time, engineering education has shifted towards project- and problem-based approaches, making teamwork a critical competence for students’ academic and professional success. However, many Chinese PGT students have limited prior exposure to teamwork training during their undergraduate studies and little relevant work experience, resulting in weak teamwork skills. On the other hand, UK educators also lack a comprehensive understanding of these students’ teamwork learning behaviours, leaving a gap in the development of relevant inclusive teaching practices.
This study is an action research project employing a mixed-methods design, aiming to achieve two primary objectives: (i) to explore Chinese students’ teamwork learning behaviours and challenges in UK engineering courses; and (ii) to design and evaluate pedagogical interventions to enhance their teamwork learning experiences. Data collection included classroom observations, questionnaires, exploratory cognitive (working memory) tests, and semi-structured interviews. Based on the findings, a game-based teamwork workshop was developed to support PGT students in understanding team roles and enhancing collaboration competencies through interactive learning activities.
The workshop was implemented at two UK universities with 145 engineering PGT students. Post-workshop surveys revealed that 88% of participants expressed interest in continuing to engage in such teaching activities, and 74% self-reported an improvement in their understanding of teamwork via self and peer evaluation. Overall, the study demonstrates that integrating game-based practice design can enhance interaction, engagement, and teamwork awareness among students in cross-cultural teams, providing a practical and inclusive pedagogical model to support international students’ learning in UK engineering programmes.