Abstract:

Motivating students to regularly attend classes and actively participate in in-class activities, as well as enhancing their academic performance is among the main goals of higher education. To achieve these objectives, and given the characteristics of the students nowadays, novel teaching methodologies are needed. In this paper, we analyse the results of applying team-based learning (TBL) in teaching Economic theory courses in groups of different types of students. This comparative perspective offers new evidence on the benefits in terms of educational achievement and satisfaction that active learning methods provide. Our preliminary results show that TBL improves academic performance and increases class attendance, independently of the type of students. Nevertheless, the benefits are clearly more notable in the groups of students retaking a course compared to the groups of students who enrol for the first time. In addition, TBL foster autonomous and continuous study, ameliorates in-class learning environment, and stimulates team and collaborative work and interactions among any type of students. Moreover, all students become much more aware of the progress in their learning aptitudes and knowledge.

Keywords:

Team-based learning, flipped classroom, economics, undergraduate education.