Active Learning and Morality: Incorporating Greater Meaning into Marketing Education

In qualitative and quantitative research, marketing students defined meaning in education as personal relevance, and determined that marketing education lacks meaning. As perceptions of meaningless education have been associated with low interest in continuing education, as well as beliefs that formal education is not necessary to be successful, ensuring meaning is critical. Combining scholarly work in active learning with classic sociological theory, it is hypothesized that by shifting teaching methods to active learning and using these methods to tie marketing concepts to morality, we can create students that find greater meaning in their education. The results of two studies support this hypothesis.