Methodological foundations for designing a digital educational environment of the school as a tool of innovative pedagogy in the context of hybrid learning and personalization

Abstract

The study is devoted to substantiating the methodological foundations for designing the digital educational environment of the school (DEE) as a tool of innovative pedagogy in the context of hybrid learning and personalization, which is driven by the contradiction between the high technological potential of digital solutions and the inertia of traditional practices. The aim of the research is to develop and empirically test a model of DEE based on the convergence of environmental, system-activity, and competence-based approaches, ensuring the transition from reproductive learning to subject-oriented formats. The empirical base was formed over three years and includes 45 schools from different regions, 2,850 students of grades 8-11, 458 teachers, and 150 administrators divided into experimental and control groups. Standardized questionnaires, digital literacy tests, observation maps, analysis of digital footprints in LMS, content analysis of educational programs, a pedagogical experiment (ascertaining, forming, and control stages), methods of mathematical statistics (correlation, factor, and cluster analysis, χ², t-test), as well as mixed methods combining quantitative data with in-depth interviews were used. It is shown that the implementation of the designed DEE in the conditions of hybrid learning leads to more than a twofold reduction in the share of reproductive activity (from 68,42% to 34,15%) and an increase in project and research activity to 41,87%, an increase in the knowledge acquisition coefficient to 0.82, a rise in the engagement index to 78.33 points, and a reduction in task completion time. Correlation analysis demonstrates the specific contribution of individual digital tools to the development of cross-disciplinary competences: collaboration platforms mainly foster communication, electronic portfolios foster self-organization, and interactive simulations foster critical thinking. Cluster analysis of academic performance confirms that the greatest relative growth is demonstrated by students with initially low levels of preparation, indicating the potential of a personalized DEE in reducing educational inequality. It is concluded that a DEE designed on the methodological foundation of integrating adaptive content, project-based activity, and reflection tools transforms the teacher’s role toward tutoring, enhances the quality and inclusiveness of education, and can be considered a valid tool of innovative pedagogy in the school.