Effective teaching methodologies for shore-based maritime education : teaching pedagogy vs technology engagement

Education is crucial in providing a foundation for students seeking employment in any industry. Past research of education in the maritime industry has mainly focused on the sea-going side of the industry. This study provides a novel framework for comparing teaching pedagogy (teacher-centric vs student-centric) with the usage of ICT (high vs low) by using four teaching methodologies as representatives (technology-enabled inquiry-based learning, massive open online courses, traditional direct instruction and work-based learning), and using the repeated-measures general linear model as means of comparison. The objective of this study is to look into the education of the shore-based side of the maritime industry and identify effective teaching methodologies, based on students’ perspective, that would best develop knowledge acquisition, problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills. A sample of 104 undergraduate and postgraduate students was used to assess the perceived effectiveness of the above mentioned teaching methodologies (and by extension the most effective combination of teaching pedagogy and usage of ICT). Findings indicate work-based learning to be the most effective teaching methodology, followed by traditional direct instruction, technology-enable inquiry-based learning and massive open online courses. Conclusions and future research directions for shore-based maritime educators and researchers are discussed. Keywords: maritime education; shore-based; teaching pedagogy; ICT usage; frameworkBachelor of Science (Maritime Studies