Shaping the future through business education: teaching business administration for sustainable higher education

Abstract

Higher education is increasingly focused on developing competencies beyond traditional academic content. Collaborative learning fosters academic achievement and promotes sustainable educational practices, helping students thrive in a dynamic and interconnected world. Professors now play a key role in creating environments where students actively engage in their own learning and development. This shift is especially evident when collaborative learning is used as a strategy for sustainability, encouraging lifelong learning and responsible citizenship. This study compared two teaching methodologies in a university business administration course. The results show that, in all cases, students in the collaborative group obtained higher averages. They also perceived greater teacher involvement in their learning process. These findings suggest that collaborative learning allows students to better assess the professor’s role and engagement. Collaborative learning is not merely a collection of techniques but a pedagogical philosophy that redefines the teacher’s role. As such, teacher training and institutional leadership must support long-term, reflective processes that foster student-centered attitudes and cultural change in universities. Faculty mindsets take time to evolve, and institutional culture plays a vital role in enabling or hindering change. Moreover, this study contributes to the literature by showing how collaborative learning, interpreted through the lens of transactional theory, enhances student perception of teacher involvement—highlighting the importance of mutual engagement and co-responsibility in business education settings.