Overcoming the Walmart Syndrome: Adapting Problem-Based Management Education in East Asia

• In Event: Roundtable Session 73
  In Roundtable Session: New Directions in Problem-Based Learning Research

Abstract

This paper explores design issues in adapting problem-based learning (PBL) for use in the context of East Asian higher education. The study examines the use of PBL in a Master of Management degree program at a graduate school of business in Thailand. The quasi-experimental research analyzes course evaluation data obtained from 21,000 student reports over a seven-year period to assess the impact of a PBL curriculum on student perceptions course effectiveness and student engagement. Results of growth modeling found that PBL courses received significantly higher ratings than those for Other Courses in the program. We conclude that PBL was employed successfully in an East Asian context, but note the importance of adaptations both for curriculum design and instructional delivery.

Author

• Philip Hallinger, The Hong Kong Institute of Education