Practical Application of Knowledge in Business Studies for More Successful Student Integration in the Challenging Economic Reality

The paper aims to offer an approach to teaching business-related courses that enables the practical application of knowledge in business classrooms. It is based on theory about student-centered learning and the level of satisfaction from the existing teaching models of business courses at the South East European University (SEEU) in North Macedonia. Regression analysis has been applied to compare data from the student evaluation, including 860 student responses of the Business and Economics Faculty (FBE) from the fall semester, academic 2022/23, and 875 student responses from the spring semester in the same year and their responses on the item about the link of the course to practice. Both quantitative and qualitative data have been analyzed and correlated with the information collected from the student questionnaire distributed to BE students. 170 course syllabi have also been reviewed. By synthesizing the theory about student-centered learning with the best teaching practices and areas for improvement identified by students, some recommendations about a model approach that is well grounded in theory but also tailored to students’ and market needs are being offered. This is expected to have multiple benefits: higher satisfaction from business studies at SEEU, higher recruitment based on word of mouth, and increased competitiveness, manifested through better preparation of the students for the uncertainties in the economic reality they are going to be faced with.