From Learners to Teachers: Using Peer-Led Workshops to Enhance Engagement in Business Education

Abstract

Peer-led workshop approaches have been shown to enhance student engagement by situating learning within students’ zones of proximal development (Preszler, 2009) and by enabling learning interactions that extend beyond traditional lecturer-led delivery. In K–12 and higher education contexts, the development of problem‑solving and transferable skills is increasingly prioritised. Active and problem‑based learning approaches support this objective by encouraging students to learn independently while applying acquired knowledge in meaningful ways (Delisle, 1997).

This abstract presents and reflects on the design and implementation of a peer-led workshop activity delivered by final-year undergraduate business students as part of their preparation for careers in human resource management. Working in small groups, students selected a topic from a predefined list, developed subject-matter expertise, and designed a training and development workshop to deliver to their peers. The activity required students to engage in content mastery, instructional design, and facilitation, thereby aligning disciplinary learning with professional practice.

The approach generated a range of learning benefits. Students reported enhanced confidence in their subject knowledge, improved communication and facilitation skills, and a greater awareness of how learning and knowledge transfer occur in organisational settings. From a curricular perspective, the peer-led model enabled efficient coverage of multiple topics within limited teaching time, while promoting collaborative and reflective learning.

Overall, this activity extends beyond addressing authentic, real‑world problems to foreground the processes of knowledge creation, sharing, and transfer (Stentoft, 2017).