INTEGRATING CDIO AND TEAM-BASED LEARNING IN A MANAGEMENT COURSE: ACTION RESEARCH STUDY

Current management education faces challenges including low student motivation, digital distractions, and superficial team interactions. Traditional didactic teaching often fails to cultivate talent capable of practical problem-solving. This study addresses these pedagogical pain points by cross-disciplinarily applying the engineering-based CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) framework to a first-year Management course, integrated with Team-Based Learning (TBL) strategies. Adopting an action research approach with 68 first-year students, the study utilized mixed methods for data collection. The instructional design implemented CDIO standards and TBL mechanisms (iRAT/tRAT) to facilitate active learning through strategic planning projects based on real-world corporate scenarios. The results indicated that: (1) learning motivation significantly improved (p < 0.05), demonstrating that CDIO and TBL can positively influence student motivation; (2) team learning effectiveness surpassed individual learning, with tRAT scores consistently exceeding iRAT scores; (3) guided by the CDIO process in executing corporate case analyses, students showed increased confidence in practical skills; and (4) TBL fostered a positive collaborative environment, enhancing students' sense of participation within their teams. The study concludes that combining CDIO with TBL effectively improves practical abilities and collaboration satisfaction, assisting students in transitioning from passive knowledge receivers to active learners. These findings provide a reference for future curriculum design in business education.