This narrative describes how, in response to poor results, a teaching team revamped a postgraduate business strategy module in a U.K. university. The changes mainly involved clarification of some of the staff’s key expectations and teaching and learning methods, taking account of the powerful pressures on international students in the United Kingdom and the diverse cultural and educational background of the student group. It argues that the changes were largely responsible for the improvement in the subsequent results, but also discusses a range of alternative explanations. The comments of student focus groups on the new approach are given and discussed. Finally, the team reflects briefly on the process as an example of practitioner action research and on the risks that may be involved in taking it for granted that the United Kingdom’s present academic approach is “better” than others.
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