Shaping Responsible Student Mindsets: Teaching Methods, Islamic Ethics, and Social Responsibility in Higher Education

Abstract

Higher education plays a critical social role in shaping students’ values, ethical awareness, and socially responsible behaviour, particularly in emerging economies. This study examines the influence of teaching methods on students’ social responsibility, considering ethical awareness as a mediating variable. Drawing on social learning theory and Islamic ethical principles, including justice, trust, and collective welfare, the research investigates how pedagogical approaches promote ethical and socially responsible behaviour among university students. A survey-based research design was employed, collecting data from undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in business and social science programs at public and private universities in Pakistan. Data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS, which allowed the assessment of direct and indirect relationships between constructs and tested the mediating role of ethical awareness. The findings indicate that interactive and value-oriented teaching methods, including discussion-based learning, case studies, and reflective pedagogy, significantly enhance students’ ethical awareness, which in turn strengthens their social responsibility. Ethical awareness partially mediates the relationship between teaching methods and social responsibility, highlighting its critical role as a conduit through which pedagogy translates into socially responsible behaviour. The study contributes to the literature by integrating teaching methodology with ethical and cultural frameworks, offering practical insights for curriculum design and policy development aimed at producing socially responsible graduates in emerging economies.