Teaching Economics in a Changing Environment: The Case of Introductory Postgraduate Economic Statistics**This is a thoroughly revised version of the paper presented at the Second Biennial Developments in Business and Economics Education (DEBE) Conference, Edinburgh, UK, 15–16 September 2003. The authors wish to express their gratitude to two anonymous referees for constructive comments and suggestions. Special thanks are also due to Mark Bahr for multivariate analysis, and to Rodney Beard for useful commen

Abstract

This paper compares overall student satisfaction within and across disciplines in the instruction process of introductory postgraduate economic statistics with a highly heterogenous student clientele employing non-parametric and multivariate analysis. The analysis finds that product differentiation is a sine qua non for a heterogeneous clientele. Evidence, based on student perceptions, supports the hypothesis that the overall rating in the statistics course compares favourably with other economics courses and is on a par with non-economics courses. It underscores the vibrant reality that student diversity has changed the university environment. Effective, relevant and attractive programmes require understanding this transition. The paper's novelty lies in its use of a range of analytical frameworks demonstrating that by explicitly addressing the heterogeneous character of student needs in the instruction process, even in quite difficult courses, overall rating can be at least on a par with other courses within and between disciplines.