The Team Project combines research with practical action. Students do not simply write about a problem: they investigate a local issue, compare perspectives, make a shared decision, carry out an action and judge what happened.

Learning Objectives

Purpose Of The Team Project

The Team Project assesses whether students can use Global Perspectives skills in a real collaborative situation. A successful project connects research, reasoning and action. Research helps the team understand the issue and different viewpoints. Discussion helps the team choose a suitable response. Action tests whether the proposed response can make a positive difference. Reflection shows what each student learned from the research, the teamwork and the results.

The project must focus on a local issue within one topic from the official topic list. “Local” usually means an issue affecting the school, neighbourhood, town, district or another community that the team can realistically investigate and influence. The wider topic may be global, but the project action must be manageable within the available time and resources.

Component Weighting And Structure

Component 3 is worth 70 marks and contributes 35 per cent of the final qualification. It is internally assessed by the school and externally moderated by Cambridge International. Students work in teams of two to five members.

Shared And Individual Marks

Every member receives the same mark for the team’s Explanation of Research and Planning, Evidence of Action and Team Collaboration. However, the Individual Collaboration mark can differ because it is based on how effectively each person contributed. The Reflective Paper is also assessed separately for every student.

This means that a strong team product benefits everyone, but an individual cannot depend entirely on others. Each student must complete agreed tasks, contribute ideas, support teammates, respond flexibly to problems and produce an effective personal reflection.

The Complete Project Process

1. Select one topic from the official list and identify a focused local issue.
2. Form a team of two to five members and agree working expectations.
3. Divide the research so that members investigate different aspects or perspectives.
4. Share findings, compare possible actions and make a justified team decision.
5. Write and update the Explanation of Research and Planning.
6. Assign roles, deadlines, resources and methods for measuring success.
7. Carry out the action and collect suitable Evidence of Action.
8. Assess the results and discuss what worked, what failed and why.
9. Each student writes an individual Reflective Paper.

Skills Being Assessed

The project assesses research, analysis, evaluation, reflection, communication and collaboration. Research involves finding and using suitable information. Analysis identifies relationships and explains why the issue exists. Evaluation judges the quality of evidence, the likely impact of actions and the success of the completed work. Reflection examines how understanding and skills changed. Communication presents ideas clearly. Collaboration involves working constructively with others towards a shared goal.

What A Team Project Is Not

• It is not only a group presentation about a broad topic.
• It is not a fundraising or awareness activity with no research into the issue.
• It is not several unrelated individual projects placed together.
• It is not one student doing most of the work while others observe.
• It is not a plan for an action that is never carried out.
• It is not a Reflective Paper that merely describes events in date order.

Example Of A Connected Project

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Starting an action before completing enough research to justify it.
• Choosing an issue too large for the team to influence.
• Using only one perspective or assigning all research to one member.
• Failing to decide how success will be measured before the action begins.
• Keeping no record of meetings, responsibilities, support or changes.
• Confusing Evidence of Action with screenshots of research or planning meetings.

Quick Check

Suggested Answers

A team contains two to five students. Shared marks are awarded for the Explanation of Research and Planning, Evidence of Action and Team Collaboration. Research should explain the issue and justify the action. Team Collaboration judges how the group worked as a whole, while Individual Collaboration judges each student’s personal contribution. A broad global problem is usually too large for a small team to investigate and address through a realistic local action.