The correlation between rigor and relevance using pedagogical or andragogical instructional methods in American business schools

The purpose of this study was to examine and document whether there is a correlation between relevance (applicability) focused courses and rigor (scholarly research) focused courses with pedagogical instructional methods or andragogical instructional methods in undergraduate business schools, and how it affects learning behavior and final course grade. The sample for this study included undergraduate business professors (n = 120) and learners (n = 77) in American business schools, members of the Academy of Management. An introductory e-mail to the Academy of Management groups of interest members directed participant volunteers to a web-based questionnaire and provided the link to access the instruments anonymously in order to test four hypotheses. Dependent and independent t tests were computed to compare students having attended a rigorous versus relevant course content. Furthermore, frequency statistics were conducted to analyze professors' teaching methodology compared to students' preferred learning styles. The researcher constructed questionnaires which also provided supplemental data. Due to the fact that two dependent variables were measured, students' learning behaviors and final course grades were measured against their perceived course content to determine if differences (p < .05) existed. The results revealed that management students who participated in theory focused courses had a better final course grade versus those who participated in applicable focused courses (H1). Likewise, students performed better academically if attending an andragogical methodology rather than a pedagogical methodology (H2). In addition, the results suggest that business professors prefer to provide rigorous course content (H 3) and students prefer to be taught andragogically, as measured by their preferred learning style (H4).