Abstract

PINHEIRO, Margarida M.; SARRICO, Cláudia S.  and  SANTIAGO, Rui A.. Motivation and performance in a business simulation course. Rev. Port. de Educação [online]. 2011, vol.24, n.1, pp.145-191. ISSN 0871-9187.

In order to enhance graduates’ performance in the labour market a one semester Business Simulation course was designed and implemented. The course participants are students of the last semester in a PBL-type undergraduate Portuguese Accounting program. This work focuses on the power of learning environments, namely the ones inspired by PBL, to influence students’ motivations; and asks to what extent motivation contributes to differences in performance. Interpreting the results of this case study, it can be seen that the use of real-world problems encompassing different subject areas in conjunction with augmented teaching methods motivates students in both an intrinsic and extrinsic way. Using feedback together with the opportunity to improve submitted work is shown to have a huge importance on the learners’ enthusiasm and stimulation. The effect that increased motivation has on students’ and graduates’ learning and ultimately course grades is a central tenet in the teaching and evaluation model.

Keywords : Higher education; PBL; Performance; Motivation.

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