EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS AS A FACTOR IN ENSURING THE RESILIENCE OF EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN TIMES OF GLOBAL CRISES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of educational innovations as a systemic tool for ensuring the resilience of education systems in the context of global crises, including armed conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic and humanitarian disasters. The purpose of the study is to identify the key directions of innovative transformations in the education systems of Ukraine and selected EU countries (Poland, Hungary, and Estonia) and to assess their effectiveness in ensuring continuity of learning and preserving human capital. The methodological framework is based on comparative, systemic, and statistical analysis, the multiple case study method, and qualitative content analysis of policy and regulatory documents. The findings indicate that the resilience of an education system is determined not by the technological complexity of individual innovations but by their systematic integration across four key dimensions: digital transformation, flexibility of organizational models, psychosocial support, and curriculum reorientation. The study establishes that proactive digitalization serves as a structural factor of crisis resilience, as education systems with pre-existing digital infrastructure (such as Estonia) demonstrate significantly higher adaptability. For Ukraine the innovative transformation of education constitutes a strategic priority for preserving national potential and a prerequisite for successful European integration. Based on the findings, the following practical recommendations are proposed: to institutionalize psychosocial support for participants in the educational process; to develop and adopt a National Strategy for Ukraine’s Digital Educational Infrastructure; to introduce mandatory crisis continuity plans for all educational institutions; and to incorporate Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), DigComp, and critical thinking competencies into teacher education standards. The conclusions emphasize the necessity of a systemic approach, legal recognition of psychosocial support, investments in digital infrastructure, and the implementation of crisis continuity planning.