School of Business Professors Chee Ng and Xinxin Li published their research paper "How to Improve Grades Earned in Big Business Finance Classes " in the Journal of Financial Education. This study provides insights into two of the common parameters an instructor of finance discipline can deploy to improve student performance in large introductory finance classes. The authors use samples from big Business Finance classes and explore the key determinants of student performance, i.e., the relation between seating position, attendance, tutoring, and students’ class grades, respectively. The study finds empirical evidence that supports the hypothesis that grades earned in big Business Finance classes are positively related to the students’ seating proximity to the front podium, and class attendance. To shed light on improving student performance in future finance education for large business school students, instructors can try to relocate poor-performing students from back seats to one of the empty front seats, and by register attendance more diligently to increase attendance rate. Optional tutoring, unfortunately, provides little evidence for its efficacy in improving student learning outcome.
Congratulations, Drs. Ng and Li!