Evaluating Classroom Innovations for Motivation and Learning : Principles of Microeconomics Specific Course Case

The objective of this research is piloting and evaluating the introduction of teaching innovations for better learning in a general microeconomics course for undergraduate students. The assessment is based on the Self Determination Theory and student-centered methodologies (SDT)(Deci and Ryan, 1985; Deci et al., 1991a), which remark the individual motivation as crucial for learning. The piloting of the instrument was implemented with a sample of 323 students grouped into 14 classes, giving evidence that the most relevant course problem is that students do not feel that what they are learning is really useful in their specific professions, despite the fact that they agree with the importance to know about such topics. This piloting allowed us to validate the used instrument which implements two psychometric scales: Knowledge transfer and self-determination scales. The impact evaluation was implemented for a sample of 204 students, distributed in treated and control groups. The assignment of students to treatment is random. Results provide evidence that the intervention significantly improves the self-determined motivation as well as the academic performance of students, although in a modest magnitude