Here you have to be mixing: collaborative learning on an engineering program in Ireland as experienced by a group of young Middle Eastern women

This research project uses grounded theory to analyze interviews conducted with eight women from Oman and Kuwait. Members of the sample group were studying together at an institute of technology in Dublin, Ireland. The paper reports patterns in 15 interviews collected in the years 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 to provide a longitudinal overview of the experience of the learners. During the coding process, three major themes emerged having to do with the experience of learning with others and/or learning in groups. The first theme involved communication within the group and the group’s approaches to working together. The second identified specific emotions experienced during group work and motivations participants described having felt. The third centred on learning to navigate diversity, particularly with regard to ethnicity and gender. These three themes underpin recommendations from the authors, intended to assist educators in effectively communicating with diverse student groups.