Author(s)

Fan Yang¹, Ying Wang^2*, GuoMin Chen¹

Affiliation(s)

¹School of Management, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guangxi 541000, Guilin, China.

²Library, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guangxi 541000, Guilin, China.

Corresponding Author

Ying Wang

ABSTRACT

Low student engagement has long been a key issue in management education, especially in courses requiring creativity and critical thinking, such as the course of Management Innovation. This study investigated how effectively active learning strategies improved student engagement under these circumstances. The research took place at Guilin University of Aerospace Technology in China from March to June 2025. It used a quasi-experimental design which involved undergraduate students from three business-related majors: Marketing, Human Resource Management, and Logistics Management. One class from each major received teaching reforms focused on student-centered and participatory methods. The remaining classes used the traditional lecture format. Data came from classroom observations, teacher reflections, student assignments, and informal feedback. The findings showed that students in the classes with immediate teaching reforms demonstrated higher levels of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. They participated more actively, collaborated more effectively, and displayed deeper critical thinking in their coursework. The discussion explained these results through constructivist learning theory and emphasized the alignment between course objectives, assessments, and learning strategies. This study concluded that active learning provides a sustainable and practical solution for improving engagement in management courses focused on innovation. It contributed to the literature on teaching reform in higher education, offering actionable insights for educators and institutions aiming to create student-centered learning environments.

KEYWORDS

Active learning; Student engagement; Management Innovation; Pedagogical reform; Higher education; China

CITE THIS PAPER

Fan Yang, Ying Wang, GuoMin Chen. From passive listening to active learning: reforming management innovation education to boost student engagement. World Journal of Educational Studies. 2025, 3(3): 30-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/wjes3054.

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