What Works Best: A Systematic Review of Actual Learning in Marketing and Management Education Research

Abstract

After decades of research in marketing and management education, what do we now know about what educational practices work best for improving actual learning? We answer this question with a qualitative systematic literature review of every contribution published in five marketing and management education journals from inception through May 2020 that provides recommendations for evidence-based best pedagogical practice. Contributions were screened to identify empirical studies that employed measures of actual learning in an appropriate experimental design and reported analyses that met certain statistical standards. Of the 4,160 articles examined, 55 studies met our criteria. Based on the studies’ results, we developed a model for understanding the teaching methods that are most effective for achieving actual learning in marketing and management education. We provide evidence-based pedagogical recommendations for faculty and recommendations for additional research in key areas and for increasing the rigor of pedagogical research.

The Impact of Live Cases on Student Skill Development in Marketing Courses

“…Marketing scholars have explored many excellent pedagogical techniques as shifts in the desired skill set continue (see Cummins et al, 2020; Gray et al, 2012, for reviews of this literature). However, calls for more research into what works in marketing education remain, including calls to study the promising area of client project pedagogy (Bacon & Stewart, 2021).…”

“…Marketing scholars are prolific in terms of integrating experiential methodologies into the classroom, and live case usage is growing as more business schools seek to improve curriculum relevance and community engagement (Bacon & Stewart, 2021). Many of these scholars have detailed their own experiences using live cases to bolster learning and improve real-world applicability (e.g., Bove & Davies, 2009; Clark et al, 2012; Laukkanen et al, 2013; Lopez & Lee, 2005).…”

Online learning in management education amid the pandemic: A bibliometric and content analysis

“…A range of motivational theories derived from research such as self-determination theory (SDT) ( Mousa, 2021 ; Tandon et al, 2021 ), expectancy-value theory ( Bacon & Stewart, 2022 ), achievement goal theory ( Senko et al, 2011 ), and control-value theory ( Sholihin et al, 2020 ) have been widely discussed in the business and management education studies during the pandemic to understand the environmental, emotional and psychological factors that motivate students' learning. These theories have been applied to understand the underlying affective, behavioral and cognitive factors which improve learners' motivation, engagement, and learning ( Chiu et al, 2021 ).…”

Exploring the Value of Educational Options in Marketing

“…Bacon and Stewart (2006) found that most content that students learn in consumer behavior classes is forgotten within 2 years. Elaboration, repeated study, and practice are necessary for longer term retention (Bacon & Stewart, 2022), but such opportunities are usually lacking in programs with many stand-alone courses. Thus, the marketing knowledge taught in college may not help students to be more effective marketers.…”

“…Some sources indicate that the MBA’s marketplace value is the same for the online and face-to-face delivery formats (Driscoll, 2021), and such equivalence would be expected if the education itself was driving the market value. In Bacon and Stewart’s (2022) review of the business education literature, online learning was as effective as face-to-face learning. However, a face-to-face format may create a stronger signal.…”