Culture as a determinant of the importance level business students place on ten teaching/learning techniques

Abstract

Purpose Seeks to examine the impact of national culture on the importance level students place on ten teaching techniques commonly used by US business instructors. Design/methodology/approach Undergraduate and MBA business students, including students born in the USA and students born in a foreign country, rated the techniques. Findings Ratings by students from cultures preferring techniques where the instructor provides high structure differ slightly from the ratings by students from cultures preferring techniques where the instructor provides lower structure. Research limitations/implications The respondents are from one US university. Therefore, the results cannot be generalized. Practical implications The framework is useful in that it reminds instructors/trainers that, if a group of learners is from the same culture, a customized technique may be effective but, if the group is from diverse cultures, it reminds them that they may have to provide more structure to those students and trainees from cultures which learn best through directive techniques than to those which learn best through less directive techniques. Originality/value Some researchers have examined how culture influences learning‐style preference. However, much of the existing literature has been contributed by educational psychologists, whose major concern has been the academic performance of Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians being lower than that of whites in the USA. This study addresses the impact of national culture on students’ teaching/learning technique preference.

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