P069 From Supply Chain Literacy to Moral Consciousness

A Critical Pedagogy Approach for Contemporary Education

Abstract

Contemporary global supply chains have become increasingly intertwined with complex ethical, humanitarian and socio-economic challenges, requiring graduates to navigate issues of justice, accountability and human dignity beyond technical competence. Despite growing emphasis on ethics in higher education, contemporary educational practices remain largely competency-driven, providing limited opportunities for learners to critically interrogate the moral implications of global production and consumption systems. Grounded in Critical Pedagogy, this study examines how supply chain literacy can serve as an authentic pedagogical medium for cultivating moral consciousness among undergraduate students. Guided by a critical interpretivist paradigm, this study employed a qualitative critical pedagogical case study involving 99 undergraduate students from a Malaysian public university. Students participated in an authentic inquiry-based learning experience designed to critically examine contemporary ethical challenges embedded within global supply chains. Multiple sources of evidence, including student-produced learning artefacts, reflective narratives and lecturer reflective journals, were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis informed by Freire's concept of critical consciousness. The analysis revealed a progressive transformation in students' perspectives from viewing supply chains primarily as operational systems towards recognising their ethical, humanitarian and societal implications. Four interconnected themes emerged: (i) critical questioning of value-neutral assumptions surrounding supply chains; (ii) recognition of hidden structures of responsibility, power and complicity; (iii) development of moral consciousness grounded in Islamic ethical values; and (iv) emergence of ethical agency reflected in students' commitment to responsible professional and consumer practices. As the study was conducted within a single institutional context, further research across diverse educational settings is recommended to enhance transferability. The findings provide educators and curriculum developers with an evidence-informed pedagogical framework for integrating authentic ethical inquiry into contemporary education, enabling learners to develop moral consciousness through engagement with real-world global challenges. This study extends contemporary education by positioning supply chain literacy as a transformative pedagogical mechanism for developing moral consciousness, offering a novel integration of Islamic educational philosophy, Critical Pedagogy and inquiry-based learning.