Purpose: The study investigates the comparative efficacy of the culturo-techno-contextual approach (CTCA) and the lecture method in students' understanding of the human resource management (HRM) curriculum in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach: A quasi-experimental design is employed to gather data from 245 4th-year undergraduate students studying HRM at a Ghanaian public university. The experimental group with a population of 115 students was taught with CTCA, whilst the control group with a population of 130 students was taught using the lecture method. The data was collected using the HRM achievement test (HRMAT). The data were analysed using the descriptive analysis of covariance technique with pre-test scores added as a covariate. Findings: The findings reveal that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in the study of HRM, affirming the effectiveness of the CTCA over the lecture method. Originality/value: This study is novel because it is the first paper to apply the CTCA to the study of HRM in the Ghanaian higher education space. It will, therefore, benefit HRM education in the country when educational stakeholders adopt a sequential and methodical approach to teaching and learning HRM using the CTCA.