Didactic Method of Case Studies and Its Effect on the Academic Performance of Students at a Peruvian Institute of Higher Education

Abstract

Motivating students in higher education is a major challenge. Using methods such as the case study should connect theory and practice in the classroom, influencing learning and academic performance. The purpose of this research was to determine if the application of the didactic case study method has an effect on the academic performance of students at a private institute in Lima, Peru. The methodology followed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design, which included observation, case applications, and surveys in the experimental group to verify whether the case study method affects academic performance, in a final sample of 25 first-cycle students. Using Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test on the entrance and exit scores, the values obtained revealed a bilateral significance greater than 0.05, implying no significant differences between the groups due to the case study method. It was concluded that the application of the case study method does not affect the academic performance of the students in the Transportation System Management course of the Logistics Administration program at a Private Institute of Higher Education. Other researchers are encouraged to continue exploring the topic and advancing the theory to achieve improvements in higher education. It is suggested to investigate different models and applications of the case study in educational centers to understand its effects on academic performance and other related variables, both nationally and internationally.