Collaborative production of
pedagogical knowledge:
enhancing students’ learning
Airi Rovio-Johansson and Marie Lumsden
Gothenburg Research Institute (GRI), School of Business,
Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate students’ qualitatively different ways of
understanding basic economic relationships in three undergraduate courses in the discipline
of accounting.
Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical frame is variation theory, which is a learning
theory about the different ways students understand the learning object (in this study, basic economic
relationships). The instructors chose a learning object which was investigated under two different
teaching conditions – the traditional lecture model and the adjusted Learning Study model. Two
student groups in a Business Programme (one group admitted the year after the first group) were
identified as a comparison group and a target group. The two groups were comparable in various
relevant parameters. All students took three required accounting courses. In the comparison group, the
instructors used the traditional lecture model; in the target group, the instructors used the adjusted
Learning Study model. The first year of the study was used for training the instructors and for the
preparation of teaching prerequisites.
Findings – There were significant differences between the two groups’ examination results in the
three courses. Students in the adjusted Learning Study model group performed better. The
conclusions have scientific implications for students’ understanding of the subject and educational
implications for teaching in terms of new teaching methods and revised curricula. The findings are
valuable to professional instructors/lecturers in higher education.
Originality/value – The findings and methods of this study contribute to the international research
on empirically based didactic knowledge of subject content in higher education. Even though the
subject content is specific in the study, the methodology of variation theory is applicable to other
disciplines.
Keywords Sweden, Higher education, Business studies, Students, Lectures, Learning processes,
Students’ learning outcomes, Variation theory, Business programme, Basic economic relationships
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In 1999 higher education ministers from 29 European countries signed the Bologna
Declaration that led to the creation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)
that today includes 47 member countries. Although the national systems are allowed to
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/2050-7003.htm
Journal of Applied Research in Higher
Education
Vol. 4 No. 1, 2012
pp. 72-83
r Emerald Group Publishing Limited
2050-7003
DOI 10.1108/17581181211230694
The authors are most grateful for the comments received from two anonymous reviewers at
the Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education. The authors also thank Senior Lecturer
Econ. Lic. Johan A
˚
kesson for his participation in this project and Associate Professor Inga-Lill
Johansson for her valuable support of the project. Professor Ference Marton and Professor Sten
Jo
¨
nsson supported this research project with their valuable comments during the project’s
various phases. Some parts of the project were presented at The 2nd Singapore Lesson Study
Symposium (SLSS), Enhancing Learning through Lesson Study, 2-3 June 2011. Thanks also to
Marcia Halvorsen who edited this paper. The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding for
this research from the So
¨
derberg Research Foundation.
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