Conceptual principles of educational management: evolution of approaches and their impact on the competitiveness of the educational system

Abstract

This article presents a theoretical and conceptual analysis of the evolution of approaches to education management and examines their impact on the development of the educational system’s competitiveness in the context of contemporary socioeconomic transformations. The relevance of the study stems from the growing role of education as a strategic factor in the development of human capital, the innovation economy, and the knowledge society, as well as the need to adapt educational systems to the challenges of globalization, digitalization, demographic changes, and increasing competition for intellectual resources. It has been established that the transformation of education management reflects the general evolution of management paradigms and is accompanied by a transition from centralized administrative models to more flexible, open, and strategically oriented forms of management. It is shown that throughout its historical development, education management has undergone significant changes—from administrative-hierarchical models focused on state regulation and control to managerial approaches, the concept of public governance, and network-strategic management, which take into account the complexity of the modern educational environment and the need for interaction between the state, educational institutions, business, and civil society. The study systematizes the main management approaches to education, identifies their key characteristics, management tools, and areas of influence on the competitiveness of the education system. It is demonstrated that administrative-hierarchical and managerial models ensure the stability of the educational system’s functioning, improve resource efficiency, and enable performance monitoring; however, they do not create sustainable competitive advantages in the long term. The positive effects and limitations of each management model have been identified, and it has been established that the most effective approach is a combination of their tools, depending on the level of development of the educational system and the characteristics of the socio-economic environment. Keywords: education management; competitiveness of the education system; educational policy; public governance; network management; human capital.