Rochelle Wessels

The Use of the Case Study Method in Teaching Public Management:: Guidelines for Application Rochelle Wessels

Previously, Public Management has been taught by means of the traditional method, that is the ?teacher-tell? method or the ?chalk-and-talk? method. The learning took place by means of reading study guides, prescribed books, doing assignments, attending classes and writing an examination. A trend can be identified from the recent developments in the field of Public Management. The trend indicates that teachers of the subject have moved away from this traditional teaching method. Instead of emphasising the regurgitation of a large volume of theory from teacher to learner, the alternative method emphasises the development of the theory among the learners through a process of joint discovery and facilitated discussion in the classroom environment. This method of instruction is referred to as the case study method of teaching. A characteristic of this method of teaching is that the learners learn through active participation in a constructive and positive learning environment. The learner learns from the teacher and from his or her peers in the class. In so doing, the learner acquires knowledge, competencies, skills, and attitudes.