Influence of personality and motivation on case method teaching

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the individual characteristics of students and teachers in the effectiveness of the case method in a sample of Colombian business students. The results from two studies indicated that the case method is as effective as the lecture method in respect of learning outcomes (i.e. declarative knowledge and situation analysis) and is related to the higher satisfaction of students (i.e. pedagogic strategies and the relation between students and the professor); however, its effects can be mediated and moderated by some personality traits of the teachers and students (conscientiousness, openness to experience, and extroversion) and by the students’ motivation (social motivation). Case method is effective for promoting educational outcomes, and its usage is not just recommended for senior students but, as we have found, it is also recommended for junior students who can improve both their declarative knowledge and situation analysis skills with this method.