Interactions between Personality Type and the Experimental Methodology in Determining Student Achievement in Principles of Microeconomics

Abstract

The present study brings together two research streams in the extant literature that examine separately the effectiveness of using experiments in the principles classroom and the relationship between different personality types and student achievement. Using a sample of 255 principles of microeconomics students, 48 of whom were enrolled in sections that relied heavily on classroom experiments, we estimate the effectiveness of the experimental teaching method across personality types as defined by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Although students enrolled in the experimental sections generally outperformed students in lecture-oriented classes, we ask whether students with certain personality types (and corresponding learning styles) would have performed better under the traditional pedagogy. The experimental approach appears to benefit, or to be neutral with respect to, most personality types and learning styles. We find some evidence that students in the experimental classroom who tend to be more concrete and factual in their thinking may not perform as well as more abstract thinkers.

Keywords: Economic education, experiments, personality types

JEL Classification: A22