Article 2025

Problem characteristics of problem-based learning in hospitality and tourism education

Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism
Journal · Vol. 25 · Issue 1 · pp. 19-40
Abstract

The aim of this qualitative study is to examine problem characteristics that facilitate the achievement of problem-based learning outcomes in hospitality and tourism education. Rooted in constructivist grounded theory, 64 in-depth interviews were held with hospitality and tourism postgraduates who had attended a marketing course including problem-based learning activities offered at a comprehensive research university. A theoretical framework comprising six problem-level attributes (measurable, ethically sound, applicable to the real world, innovative, theoretically sound, stakeholder-diversified) and three learner-level attributes (peer discussion, teacher discussion, and sharing) was proposed to support problem design in problem-based learning. These findings theoretically expand the problem-based learning literature into hospitality and tourism education. The results provide administrators and educators with a basis for designing problem-based learning activities in hospitality and tourism. © 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Problem-based learning hospitality and tourism education learning design learning experience problem characteristics

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Faculty of International Tourism and Management, City University of Macau, Taipa, Macao
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
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