Dialectical contradiction, self-reflection, critical thinking, critical pedagogy, collaborative problem solving, problem-based learning, Socratic questioning, Higher education

Purpose of this study: The purpose of this study is to critically examine the role of dialectical contradiction as a pedagogical construct and explore its application within Postgraduate business and management programmes in the UK Higher education sector to enhance teaching and learning experiences.

Methodology: This study systematically reviews the literature to explore the concept of dialectical contradictions and its application in improving the learning experience in higher education. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) framework is used to conduct systematic literature review to ensure a rigorous and replicable process. The methodology consists of several stages: defining research questions, identifying relevant literature, applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, evaluating the quality of selected studies, extracting, and synthesising data, and identifying themes.

Key findings: The findings of the review suggests that the concept can be applied as one of the most critical and practical pedagogical constructs for enhancing teaching and learning in business and Management education. Grounded on a rich philosophical doctrine from Hegel to modern critical pedagogy, the concept is vital for the enhancement of critical thinking and reflective capacity, promotion of resilience and entrepreneurial learning, enhance educational equality and it is a catalyst for pedagogical adaptation:

Study originality and implications: The study is original in its interdisciplinary approach. While most past studies use this concept in philosophical and abstract forms, this study systematically reviewed the theoretical and empirical studies to develop a practical pedagogical framework using the PRISMA framework. The findings of this study will offer valuable insights to educators, curriculum designers, and institutional leaders seeking to integrate the concept as a sound teaching strategy to promote critical thinking, reflective practice, intellectual agility ethical reasoning and responsible leadership in postgraduate business and management education.

Background and rationale: Dialectical contradiction plays an important role in enabling learners to understand dynamic realities and is widely viewed as an important pre-requisite to innovative and critical thinking. For postgraduate business students, it is very important as it supports individual capacity to actively engage with contradictions, ambiguity and competing perspectives. The concept centres on learning as a change over time and a developmental process, where ideas are formed, advanced, and modified through ideological conflict and resolution. This approach encourages asking questions, dialogue, debating, and reasoning together, thereby promoting inclusive learning environment where different opinions contribute to deeper understanding.

Despite extensive philosophical discussion of dialectical contradiction, its systematic application as a pedagogical framework within postgraduate business education remains underdeveloped (de Ruiter et al., 2024). In the UK business education sector, the teaching and learning environments are becoming more varied and complex because of the multicultural and multi-technological classroom and increasing demand for entrepreneurial classroom competencies. This complex setting consequently embeds many pedagogical tensions, such as teacher-student control, pedagogical innovation versus tradition, and the universally designed versus locally relevant curriculum.

Unfortunately, many pedagogical strategies designed for business and management postgraduate education seem incapable of transforming such tensions into a pedagogically constructive phenomenon that fosters the kind of critical, adaptive, and reflective learning that postgraduate business education is designed to encourage (Shore and Ahmad, 2024). Consequently, postgraduate business education in the UK suffers from a pedagogical deficit of frameworks incorporating dialectical contradiction as a pedagogical tool. In response to this deficit, this research aims to provide a comprehensive literature synthesis from across various disciplines that offers a pedagogical framework that uses dialectical contradiction to foster learning, critical reflection, and entrepreneurial thinking within UK postgraduate business and management education.

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