Impact of Problem-Based Learning on the Perception, Understanding, and Application of Statistical Concepts in Business Administration and Management Students

Victoria Muerza (), Pilar Gargallo, Manuel Salvador and Alberto Turón
Additional contact information
Victoria Muerza: Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zaragoza, Gran Vía 2, 50005 Zaragoza, Spain
Pilar Gargallo: Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zaragoza, Gran Vía 2, 50005 Zaragoza, Spain
Manuel Salvador: Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zaragoza, Gran Vía 2, 50005 Zaragoza, Spain
Alberto Turón: Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zaragoza, Gran Vía 2, 50005 Zaragoza, Spain

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-24

Abstract: We investigate the impact of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach supplemented by student-created videos on the teaching of Probability Calculation and Inference Statistics in Business Administration and Management Studies. To that aim, we analyse survey results gathered from a sample of students from the Business Administration and Management and Law-Business Administration and Management degrees at the University of Zaragoza who participated in the PBL experience, focusing on their perceptions, skill development, dynamics of collaboration, and communication with teachers and classmates. Additionally, a comparative study of their final grades is conducted, comparing them with that obtained by students who did not engage in PBL. Our findings reveal that PBL significantly enhances students’ understanding and motivation, along with their communication with teachers, particularly among repeating students, and teamwork skills, particularly among beginners. Furthermore, students participating in PBL activities tended to achieve significantly higher grades than their nonparticipating counterparts did. Moreover, our study contributes to the discourse on sustainable education by highlighting the potential of PBL as a pedagogical approach aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. By promoting active learning, collaborative problem solving, and communication skills, PBL fosters a culture of lifelong learning and empowers students to address real-world challenges in a sustainable manner. These findings have implications for educators, policymakers, and researchers seeking to promote sustainability in higher education through effective pedagogical practices.

Keywords: problem-based learning (PBL); students’ perception; active methodologies; motivation; statistics teaching; video-based learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/4/1591/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/4/1591/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:4:p:1591-:d:1338605

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().