Objective: The objective of the paper is to present the chosen innovative pedagogical approaches of teaching in the area of management science and their practical application in the educational process at the Lodz University of Technology, as well as to discuss the opinions of students and managers concerning the innovative pedagogical approaches of teaching.
Methodology: The first stage of research was conducted among 200 young respondents (19-24 years old), students of Lodz University of Technology (Poland) in the second and third quarters of 2018. During the research, the indirect method of gathering information, i.e. using a survey technique was applied. The survey was conducted among the students with the application of the techniques of personal survey, electronic survey and paper survey. The second stage of research was conducted among 50 managers of medium and large companies in Poland in the second and third quarters of 2018. The choice of companies to be studied was a deliberate one. During this stage of research, the indirect method of gathering information – using a survey technique was applied. The survey was conducted among the managers with the application of the techniques of personal survey, electronic survey and paper survey. The Likert scale was used for evaluation.
Findings: The situation on the labour market, as well as the development of the market of educational services and the development of new technologies cause changes in both the offer and the quality of teaching. In order to increase the quality of the educational offer and the degree of satisfaction of students and employers, universities introduce new teaching methods and new didactic tools based on the creative pedagogical approaches. The research results confirm the positive evaluation of Problem-based learning and Design Thinking approaches by students and companies representatives. However, closer cooperation between university and companies is expected both by students and managers.
Value Added: In this paper, apart from presenting the theoretical and practical possibilities of using Problem-based learning and Design Thinking approaches of teaching in the area of management science, the opinions of students and companies’ representatives were also presented.
Recommendations: Effective teaching in the field of management at the universities is a difficult and complex process. Management is − by its character − closely related to business practice. Therefore, a management graduate should, in addition to having theoretical knowledge, be prepared to solve real problems in the enterprise.
