Abstract:

To promote continuous and committed study throughout a curricular unit is neither an easy task nor is it within reach of every teacher. Holding students responsible for their own knowledge and holding teachers responsible for guiding students’ learning are fundamental aspects of the Bologna Process that are changing ways of thinking and acting of Higher Education Institutions. Particularly, Bologna Declaration is a good example of how European trends respond to other visions of the teaching and learning methodologies applied to education. But the pressing issues associated with research in education would not make any sense without talking about scholarship of teaching. Firstly introduced by Boyer, the scholarship of teaching in higher education redefined the idea of an academic model flexible enough to include not only a creative and systematic dissemination of knowledge, but also a methodological challenge beyond the expansion of a traditional vision. The ability to think over the scholarship model and to consequently adapt different learning strategies is giving visibility to the teaching practice and bringing back effective tactics shared among tutors. And it is precisely on the activity of making oneself understood and of giving learning a meaning that good practices are based on. In this process of publicizing the activity of teaching it seems more and more encouraging either the implementation of specific environments that work or the peer review research around those same practices. Focused on highlighting the wide range of aspects present in the methodological process, active learning makes differentiated methodologies available to students and teachers. In the dual relation between the teaching style and the learning styles of each student, one can introduce the pedagogy issue in higher education. Following students’ evaluation of the importance of the class methodology we explore how the active environments discussed effect and regulate their own motivation and performance. More specifically, we underline a specific context that makes use of active learning tools oriented to answer different learning styles. This work offers a contribute to the discussion on the way changes promoted by the implementation of active methods related with different learning styles produce implications in enhancing learning in higher education institutions.

The sample consists of students of the under graduation in Marketing at a Portuguese university. Within this context, we aim to explore how active learning environments that come about from the usage of
(1) personal elements;
(2) organizational elements;
(3) concentration elements;
(4) participation elements; and
(5) support elements, have an effect on and regulate motivation and performance in students.

The empirical analysis highlights the motivation attitude grounded on the respect for the individuality of the student, associated to the necessary confidence for a more active participation, to the use of different learning styles, or to the usage of inductive teaching models. Other lateral concerns derive from the study.

Keywords:

Teaching and learning methodologies, Bologna process, scholarship of teaching, good practices, active methodologies, enhancing learning, learning styles, pedagogy, higher education.