Contemporary Management Innovations in Shaping the Educational Process: Insights from Europe

1. Introduction

his paper analyses innovative approaches in modern management to model the educational process based on European experience. The study substantiates the impact of the introduction of digital technologies, adaptive and personalised programmes, and the development of collaboration skills on the effectiveness of the educational process. General scientific methods such as literature analysis, generalisation and systematisation were used. The research plan included verifying the objectivity of expert assessments on achieving goals and management functions during educational tasks, which ensured the quality of the digital skills acquired by students and teachers. The main conclusions indicate that effectively modelling the educational process requires planning the introduction of digital technologies and creating individual learning environments.

Additionally, there is a need to improve approaches to organising and stimulating the adaptation of the educational process to digitalisation challenges, mainly when introducing online learning. Implications for further research include developing new methods for managing and organising the educational process in the context of rapid technological progress and globalisation changes. The establishment and development of modern education in a digitised society are determined by the expanding influence of information, computer technologies, and software on all aspects of the educational process [1]. New development trends and challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have necessitated expanding online education capabilities and using innovations to plan and model the educational process. In 2023, the European online university education market is valued at $12.83 billion and is expected to grow to $21.4 billion over the next five years. Additionally, the number of online education users is increasing, with online students rising from 2.8 million in 2018 to 5.4 million in 2023 [2]. Given the spread of the online approach to education, the main challenge is digital literacy, particularly in using digital tools and programs (Moodle, Google Classroom, Zoom, Google Meet, Word Pad, MathCAD), which enhance the effectiveness of various types of classes and forms of education [3], as well as massive open online courses (MOOCs) to ensure interactivity in the learning process and develop students’ collaborative skills [4,5].

In the context of digitisation changes in the educational environment, the transformation of modern education management remains a relevant issue. This involves modelling the educational process based on the quality of students’ acquired knowledge, the effectiveness of educational content, and the education system’s adaptability according to sustainable development principles. An innovative approach to managing individual educational institutions involves engaging all participants and stakeholders in decision-making, promoting openness, and ensuring high-quality education [6]. Therefore, it is essential to systematically update educational management strategies to improve pedagogical practices and support innovative teaching methods.

This scientific article aims to explore innovative approaches in modern management for modelling the educational process based on the European experience. The tasks include analysing and evaluating the impact of implementing digital technologies and adaptive and personalised learning programs and developing collaborative skills to improve the educational process’s effectiveness. The research aims to identify best practices from European countries used to manage the digitalisation of the educational process.

This research is motivated by the pressing need to understand and improve the effectiveness of educational management practices in the context of rapidly evolving digital technologies and innovative learning approaches. The focus is on analysing the implementation of modern educational management functions, explicitly planning, organisation, motivation, and control, and their impact on the quality of digital skills acquisition by students and educators. Additionally, the review explores how management practices can be optimised to enhance the overall learning experience and outcomes in digital learning environments.

2. Literature Review

The European Union (EU) is promoting a high-performance digital education ecosystem to enhance its citizens’ digital competence and skills. According to the Digital Education Action Plan [7], strategic priorities include fostering a high-performing digital education ecosystem and enhancing digital skills for education’s digital transformation. European countries focus on effective planning, developing digital potential, and enhancing digital literacy, competence [8] and environmental awareness [9] of participants in the educational process, and the quality and relevance of educational content. Digital tools, platforms, and AI technologies are emphasized [10]. Digital platforms increase opportunities for collaboration and networking, making online platforms and social networks popular for academic interactions [11]. This highlights the relevance of applying innovative approaches to modern educational management and addressing administration and education management issues.

In Europe, education management should ensure professional development for teachers in modern educational technologies, enabling them to integrate technologies into teaching practices, engage students, and develop relevant curricula and projects [12-14]. Project-based learning promotes student engagement and develops social skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership, which are essential for personal and professional development [15,16]. It also fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills [17] and supports a positive classroom atmosphere [18].

MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) platforms are growing, providing broad access to online education and enhancing professional skills for educators and students [19]. Gamage et al. [20] research indicates that countries like India, Mexico, Thailand, and Italy have created MOOC platforms. Common European MOOC platforms include Coursera, EdX, Future Learn, OpenSAP, and Iversity [21]. Additionally, Ramadhani and Khusniati [22] state that modern education involves using interactive learning materials, multimedia tools, interactive textbooks, and virtual laboratories. Integrating digital tools and resources in educational institutions is necessary to improve quality, sustainability, and development. This involves analysing technical and information infrastructure and determining the needs of institutions, teachers, and students regarding digital resources and programs [23]. The educational environment requires new approaches to managing the learning process and institutions. Digital technologies can transform education, ensuring its modernisation, continuity, and individualisation.

3. Applied Methods

In the course of the study, methods of literature analysis, generalisation, and systematisation were used, which allowed for the identification of the main goals of the educational process (digital technologies, collaboration, personalisation, adaptation) and the functions of education management (planning, organisation, motivation, control) for researching the effectiveness of applying modern management innovations in modelling the educational process. To gain an objective assessment, a two-level evaluation was conducted using an expert survey method involving teachers (Group 1 = 15 persons) and students (Group 1 = 15 persons) to assess the alignment of educational process tasks with the identified goals and functions on a scale of 1 to 10 points, where 0 is the lowest score, and 10 is the highest score, to obtain an integrated score for the identified indicators. As part of the study, a correlation analysis of the effectiveness of modern management in applying innovative approaches to modelling the educational process was conducted using the JASP program (Classical Correlation tool) and a related correlation matrix was compiled.

To verify the reliability of the obtained assessments, an additional analysis was conducted using a Bayesian paired t-test, including summarising the indicators of this t-test, conducting an inferential analysis, and checking the stability of the Bayes factor in the JASP program (Bayesian Paired Samples T-Test tool). Thus, the level of objectivity of the assessments and their degrees of discrepancy were determined.

A limitation of the study from a Bayesian statistical perspective is the relatively small sample size involved. In [24] it is noted that this creates a high probability of obtaining a false positive result from the analysis. For example, in a sample with N = M = 2, the probability of obtaining a true positive result is only 4.7%, while the probability of a false positive result is 2.5%. This means that the probability that a statistically significant result reflects a true effect is only 65%. However, obtaining a true positive result for a sample of N = M = 100 increases to 50%, which makes the result more reliable. In the context of the conducted research, to ensure the reliability of the obtained results, it is necessary to increase the sample size to at least 50 people in each group. An increase in the sample will reduce the probability of false conclusions and increase the reliability of statistical results.

4. Results and Discussion

Educational systems face constant challenges requiring continuous improvement and adaptation. Studying strategies and methods to enhance these systems is crucial in our rapidly developing society and technological landscape. Implementing the latest technologies and updating educational programmes are essential to ensure high-quality, productive education [25]. Educational digital technologies open new opportunities for implementing mobile, differentiated, and individualised learning. It should be noted that such innovative tools aim to supplement the teacher rather than actively complement their role.

Digital technologies in education offer new opportunities for mobile, differentiated, and individualised learning. These tools are designed to supplement rather than replace teachers. They create adaptable, manageable, interactive lessons that blend individual and group learning, allowing unlimited time for material processing [26].

Educational technologies automate many teacher tasks, freeing time for deeper communication, individual student work, and practical research. They provide instant feedback, improving the management of educational and research processes and increasing overall efficiency. These technologies open new horizons for teachers and students to interact and learn together [27].

A. Evaluating the effectiveness of modern management tasks

The main educational goals and management functions were summarised to assess the effectiveness of achieving modern management tasks when applying innovative approaches to modelling the educational process based on a literature review. The evaluation was carried out using the expert assessment method with two groups: higher education institution teachers (Group 1 = 15 persons) and full-time university students (Group 2 = 15 persons) regarding the performance of management functions in modelling the educational process. The first analysis stage involves performing Pearson correlation analysis between the assessments of achieving modern educational management tasks by higher education institution teachers (Fi) and university students (Ci). The results of the correlation analysis of the effectiveness of achieving modern educational management tasks are presented in Table 1.

The obtained correlation indicators were grouped into a correlation matrix to ensure clarity and ease of data interpretation. This approach makes it possible to identify the correlations between diverse aspects of educational management and their impact on the efficacy of the educational process. The correlation matrix is presented in Table 2.

According to the results of the correlation analysis between expert evaluations of modern educational management tasks, a high level of correlation is observed between the expert evaluations on the indicators: Organisation of access to resources for individual learning for students and teachers (r = 0.53 at p = 0.041), Control of academic results of students in the online format (r = -0.42 at p = 0.124), and Motivation for implementing collective learning methods (r = 0.41 at p = 0.128). It indicates a high level of management efficiency in these indicators and shows general agreement on the effectiveness of these management functions and educational tasks. Although the indicators Planning the implementation of digital technologies in educational programmes (r = 0.76 at p = 0.001), Control of the effectiveness of group projects and team interactions (r = -0.7 at p = 0.004), and Control of students’ success considering their plans (r = 0.65 at p = 0.008) also show a high degree of correlation, the p-values > 0.05 confirm that the found correlations are not sufficient to establish a stable connection between the expert evaluations for these indicators.

A moderate degree of correlation is marked between management functions and educational goals according to the following tasks: Planning activities for developing collaborative skills (r = 0.26 at p = 0.353), Developing a strategic plan for integrating online courses (r = 0.29 at p = 0.278), Motivating active use of digital technologies (r = 0.29 at p = 0.295), and Controlling the effectiveness of using digital technologies in the educational process (r = 0.31 at p = 0.261). It indicates an unclear connection between expert evaluations for these indicators and moderate effectiveness in performing these educational management tasks. A low level of correlation is observed when evaluating the organisation of space for group work and interaction (r = 0.06 at p = 0.827), planning activities for developing collaborative skills (r = 0.02 at p = 0.954), organising access to digital platforms for students and teachers (r = 0.05 at p = 0.853), and organising distance learning (r = 0.06 at p = 0.833). It indicates that the tasks of modern educational management are not entirely performed, given the significant difference in the initial expert evaluation values.

B. Analysing the goals and functions of modern education management

This study explored the effectiveness of modern management tasks by applying innovative approaches to modelling the educational process. Based on a literature review, it summarised the main goals of education and management functions. However, further in-depth studies may be needed to confirm its validity, especially concerning the correlation between different groups of experts and the effectiveness of specific management functions.

Considering the variability of the evaluations obtained from the expert survey, an additional analysis of the goals and functions of modern educational management was conducted using the Bayesian paired t-test [28-31] in the JASP program. This analysis allows for assessing the differences between the evaluations of the two groups of experts for the defined indicators. The results of the Bayesian paired t-test are presented in Table 3.

Based on the analysis of educational management tasks, it was found that the evaluations of the two groups of experts are pretty consistent regarding the indicators: Motivation for active use of digital technologies (\(BF_O\) = 4.19, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 5.642\(\mathrm{\times}\)\(10^{-5}\)); (\(BF_O\) = 2.385, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 9.261\(\mathrm{\times}\)\(10^{-5}\)); (\(BF_O\) = 2.154, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 6.894\(\mathrm{\times}\)\(10^{-5}\)); and (\(BF_O\) = 8.834, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 2.695\(\mathrm{\times}\)\(10^{-4}\)), indicating a high level of efficiency in implementing tasks within the educational management process. A high consistency is observed in Planning activities for developing collaborative skills (\(BF_O\) = 0.494, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 7.814\(\mathrm{\times}\)\(10^{-6}\)), Developing a strategic plan for integrating online courses (\(BF_O\) = 0.343, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 5.517\(\mathrm{\times}\)\(10^{-6}\)), and Control of students’ academic results in the online format (\(BF_O\) = 0.388, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 2.138\(\mathrm{\times}\)\(10^{-6}\)). These indicators are objective, indicating a high efficiency in achieving the educational management tasks from both groups of experts’ perspectives. The indicators Planning individual educational plans, programmes, and courses (\(BF_O\) = 0.067, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 0.002), Organisation of access to resources for individual learning for students and teachers (\(BF_O\) = 0.052, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 0.007), and Control of students’ success considering their plans (\(BF_O\) = 0.056, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 0.137) showed a significant percentage of discrepancies between the expert groups. Moreover, slight discrepancies between the groups’ evaluations are observed for the indicators (\(BF_O\) = 0.079, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 0.081), (\(BF_O\) = 0.187, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 0.003), and (\(BF_O\) = 0.196, with error \(\mathrm{\sim}\) 0.006), highlighting the importance of this aspect for both expert groups.

1) Analysing assessment objectivity

It is necessary to conduct a detailed analysis of the indicators with the most significant discrepancies between the evaluations of the two expert groups. The following challenges were highlighted: Planning individual educational plans, programmes, and courses (Figure 1a), Organising access to resources for individual learning for students and teachers (Figure 1b), and Controlling students’ success considering their plans (Figure 1c). For the analysis, Inferential Plots were determined using the statistical program JASP [30].

Notes: (a) – Inferential Plots for the Indicator “Planning of Individual Curricula, Programmes and Courses”; (b) – Inferential Plots for the Indicator “Organisation of Access to Resources for Individual Learning for Students and Teachers”; (c) – Inferential Plots for the Indicator “Monitoring of Students’ Progress Based on Their Individual Plans”

The t-test results showed a high degree of discrepancy between experts in evaluating the planning of individual educational plans, programmes, and courses (\(BF_{O}\) = 0.067, with error   0.002). However, the inferential plot graph strongly supports the null hypothesis. The overall results of the analysis did not reveal any significant differences between the assessments of educational management tasks. This indicates the overall stability and reliability of the methods used to plan individual curricula in modern educational management.

According to the inferential plot graph results, the organisation of access to resources for individual learning for students and teachers (\(BF_{O}\) = 0.052, with error   0.007) also strongly supports the null hypothesis, indicating that there is no significant difference between the pairs of measurements (assessments of the two groups). This finding is crucial for educational institutions as it confirms that existing approaches to organising access to resources for individual learning are practical and equally valued by both students and teachers. It also emphasises the importance of balancing resource provision for different user groups in the learning environment.

Inferential Plots for the assessments of student performance control considering their plans (\(BF_{O}\) = 0.056, with error  0.137) also show strong support for the null hypothesis, indicating that the differences between the assessments of modern management tasks when applying innovative approaches to modelling the educational process are not statistically significant. Therefore, the expert evaluations should be considered objective. This demonstrates that innovative approaches to managing the educational process, aimed at personalising learning and individualising plans, are reliable and can be widely applied in educational institutions.

2) Analysing results stability

To evaluate the reliability of the preliminary analysis of contemporary educational management objectives and responsibilities, the statistical program JASP was employed to verify the stability of the Bayes factor (Table 4). The study comprehensively analyses mean values, standard deviations, and coefficients of variation for various indicators of planning, organisation, motivation, and control. The 95% confidence intervals facilitate the assessment of the accuracy and stability of the data, thereby ensuring the objectivity and reliability of the conclusions.

An investigation into the reliability of the Bayes factor in contemporary management tasks and innovative educational modelling established that indicators for Planning collaborative skills development (C5 = 1.82), Organising space for group work (C6 = 1.87; F6 = 1.89), Organising access to digital platforms (C2 = 1.8), and Organising distance learning (F8 = 1.69) showed low deviation between assessments. This indicates a high degree of stability and measurement accuracy. Other deviations are considerable, suggesting potential reduced objectivity in individual expert assessments. However, these findings do not indicate pervasive instability. The robustness verification of the Bayesian paired t-test results confirms that the mean values for modern management tasks in educational modelling are sufficiently stable. Consequently, achieving management goals and functions in these tasks ensures the quality of digital skills acquired by students and teachers.

This study investigated the effects of innovative approaches on modern educational programmes and learning approaches. While previous studies [8-13] examined the impact of digital technologies and individualised curricula, they did not consider the organisation of access to resources for individualised learning and monitoring student performance based on individual plans. We have analysed the effectiveness of fulfilling modern educational goals and management functions. Our findings indicate that academic performance and student perceptions of curricula correlate with the quality of educational management. The proposed methods of improving learning can benefit from integrating modern technologies and personalised approaches without negatively affecting educational quality. However, confirming their effectiveness in improving education and student performance requires further research based on assessing student learning outcomes and mastery of specialised skills.

Our study demonstrates that traditional educational management approaches are currently ineffective, necessitating new methods. We proposed a new approach detailing current educational goals and management functions. These proposed methods can benefit from digital technologies without negatively affecting student performance, allowing effective planning and organisation of the educational process. This ensures high-quality education and meets the needs of students and teachers in the modern digital environment. Future research may investigate student performance and skill acquisition changes and explore ways to implement personalised curricula and digital technologies.

5. Conclusion

Analysis of the effectiveness of modern management tasks using innovative educational process modelling revealed that successful implementation of digital technologies depends on thorough planning (r = 0.76 at p = 0.001). Organisation (r = -0.7 at p = 0.004) and control (r = 0.65 at p = 0.008) also have significant impacts. Collaboration in learning benefits from motivation and control but requires improved planning. Personalised learning depends on resource access and performance monitoring, whereas planning needs enhancement. Adapting to online learning requires better strategic planning and organisation, as current approaches do not yield significant results. The originality of this article lies in its integrated approach to analysing the effectiveness of modern educational management tasks in implementing innovative educational modelling. Correlational analysis between management functions and learning outcomes provides insights into optimising the educational process within digitalisation and personalisation contexts. This study significantly contributes to educational management theory and practice. The proposed learning management method, including personalisation and individualisation of plans, achieved higher performance ratings than traditional approaches. This underscores the importance of innovative educational management approaches that ensure high-quality learning experiences, meet the needs of students and teachers, and promote digital skill development.