Enhancing academic performance: The impact of active learning in mathematical economics

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of active learning in mathematical economics on students' academic performance (assessment scores). An experimental design involving foundation students enrolled in the arts and business and management foundation programmes in a British university located in Malaysia was adopted. The control group underwent the more traditional lecture method with the students taking on a passive role of listening to information disseminated by the instructor. The treatment group, in contrast, was given minimum explanation with the bulk of learning coming from students actively solving problems presented in case studies based on real-world events. Results show that the 189 students in the treatment group performed significantly better than the 146 students in the control group.