Suggestions for teaching improvement in public economics: cross-cutting lessons of project-based learning implemented in the subject World Economic Structure and Spain
Autores: Rodríguez Crespo, Ernesto (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Departamento de Estructura Económica y Economía del Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales. Francisco Tomás y Valiente, 5, 28049, Madrid, España) | Suárez-Varela, Marta (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Departamento de Estructura Económica y Economía del Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales. Francisco Tomás y Valiente, 5, 28049, Madrid, España)
Keywords: Active learning, Applied Economics, country report, qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis., teaching innovation
In this article, an experience of teaching innovation has been implemented in the subject Global and Spanish Economic Structure during the first semester of the 2020/2021 academic year. With the aim of improving coordination between teachers and increasing students´ motivation and interest, students were requested to prepare a country report, which has also involved reorienting the exam towards content with less theory. From the qualitative and quantitative evidence provided by an anonymous survey carried out at the beginning and at the end of the subject, together with a statistical analysis of the difference in means of grades, it has been obtained that the motivation and interest of the students has increased, resulting in better grades based on the results of the survey. However, the quantitative evidence indicates that the difference in means is only statistically significant in comparison with the students of the immediately previous course. Therefore, it can be concluded that the teaching innovation shows a positive impact on students´ performance in the subject and can be considered a successful experience in the current academic year.